All the great classics - as such Greene's work is an excellent intro into the world of classic political and strategic theory... What I have realized after reading some of these classic writer's works is that many of philosophers that are so popular today were nothing short of charlatans - this field (strategy and politics) has been so well researched that classics are indeed the best reference.
I particularly love Sun Tzu and Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy (you won't understand prince unless you have read Discourses - Prince on its own is a dangerous book. For me it is more a satirical piece and if you fail to grasp sarcasm in it you might get burned).
The key point I have taken from the Prince - notice how Niccolo keeps bringing about examples of successful tyrants? Have you noticed that none of this tyrants has died of old age?
"I pitched to him an idea about the timelessness of Machiavelli which ended up turning into the 48 Laws of Power."
http://www.powerseductionandwar.com/archives/the_robert_gree...
OK I must be weird! I am a software engineer (I know you are shocked, SHOCKED that there's are hackers/engineers/programmers on HN!) and I am an introvert and a bit of a misanthrope.
But all of this Machiavellian/Human nature/How to make friends and influence people stuff just seems SO obvious to me! Yes, even the real deep parts of it!
I distinctly recall first confronting it on the school yard, like grade 1, basically as soon as I interacted with anyone who wasn't my parents.
And I remember the second big point of confusion at puberty, but by my mid teens ALL of this was just so old and so obvious. And I've done it and decided not to do any more then necessary because it can be intellectually and emotionally draining.
And I'm happy to trudge along as a well paid big co. software engineer while thinking about what kind of startup I might create some day.
But then there all these people, and not the typical aspie folks, or people who were home schooled (pardon my stereotype strawmen), no like happy social folks and to them this explicitly written down stuff is like this huge revelation! But you're all already doing it!? Are you that oblivious of what you're doing on auto-pilot?
Am I just weird? Do I just think I know more then I actually do? Or are there A LOT of people who are consciously oblivious to what they are subconsciously masters of?
I man Robert Greene had to really think why his boss might have something against him? Really? I mean really! You can find his bos' behavior in fairy tales, complete with background for why it's happening! Who's the prettiest in all the land, anyone?
For the most part I think people are (or have the capability, or have been) very aware of it all, but as Greene says, just not accepting of it. The habit of not accepting it becomes so ingrained to a point of it only existing subconsciously. Bringing this back into the conscious can be very difficult, and perhaps may be what Greene went through.
If you grew up in full acceptance of the reality, complete with the wisdom, necessary experience, and knowledge of how to make use of it and act and respond in the proper circumstances, then I would say you are very much in the minority.