The 50th Law: Overcoming Adversity Through Fearlessness Imitation Leather – Illustrated, September 8, 2009

The 50th Law is a truly unique book. Easy to read but difficult to categorize, it is part biography, part business memoir, part personal-development, part philosophy. The 50th Law is co-authored by hip-hop artist 50 Cent and Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, a book which has become a classic in the world of hip-hop.As an avid reader of Mr. Greene's previous work, I will remind the reader that the work is a collaboration, and there are differences from what we can usually expect from the author. The most noticeable change from his other books is the book length. While shorter than his other three books, The 50th Law is focused on depth instead of breadth, which provides an even greater level of insight into the topic. The new book does contain Greene's trademark style of historical quotes, situational analysis, and stories that perfectly illustrate the content, though in a much more condensed fashion. A second change that becomes apparent is the look and style of the book. The black cover, embossing, and the gold rimmed pages are evocative of the Bible and its many life stories. In this book, 50 Cent's message and life story are the paint and Robert Greene is the painter; together they have created a potent combination.The previous works by Mr. Greene have examined topics of power, seduction and war in a comprehensive approach that enlightens the reader and encourages further research. The 50th Law presents more of a specific philosophy; by limiting the book to a single concept, rather than shifting topics, it allows for more exploration in depth. Whereas his previous books were cerebral, The 50th Law is more intuitive. The knowledge comes from survival stories, not the library stacks.The topic of The 50th Law is fearlessness. Fear is a topic that is usually ignored, but when it is addressed it is approached by focusing on fear itself. This approach can be ineffective as it does little more than encourage the reader to focus on how much there is to fear. Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self-Reliance stated: "Let a Stoic open the resources of man and tell men they are not leaning willows, but can and must detach themselves; that with the exercise of self-trust, new powers shall appear." The 50th Law provides the tools for achieving self-reliance by becoming fearless. The goal of this book is to encourage readers to learn to take control of their own lives. The task is accomplished, not by ignoring fear, but rather by learning to make it work for you.50 Cent and Robert Greene present us with the first book of the 21st century to effectively analyze this new breed of fearless entrepreneur, one who traverses the gap between traditional business and the street. The line between the two has been blurred in recent years with the success of artists such as 50 Cent. The artist is yet another example of a rapper who has become successful in the music industry in part due to the skills that he learned as a street hustler. While it might seem that without the benefit of a "traditional" business background, this new brand of entrepreneur would be at a disadvantage, one cannot overlook the principles that made them successful. 50 Cent's focus, persistence, creativity and fearlessness catapulted him into the entertainment industry and beyond. Despite initially being blacklisted in the music industry, 50 Cent established himself as a multi-platinum selling performer and a new model for aspiring entrepreneurs. Lucrative deals such as his payday from Coca-Cola who acquired ownership of Glacéau (from which 50 Cent earned an estimated $50-$100 million for his minority stake) have only added to his reputation for business acumen.Divided into ten chapters, The 50th Law gives a clear introduction to fearlessness and then works methodically through various aspects that equip the reader to embrace it. Once the external fears in the environment are discussed it becomes more personal and brings the reader closer to the final chapter which examines the ultimate fear, death. A powerful part of this book includes the real life examples from 50 Cent's past, including the business obstacles and the danger of deadly violence. 50 Cent is able to share the clarity that he acquired by facing his own mortality and how it became clear to him that the best way to conquer fear is not to avoid it, but to push right into it and move past it. Through is the only way out.The 50th Law reminds the reader how fear limits our options in life. If we are shackled by fear it will bind us to something less than what is possible. By living in fear, we become hardened to life, and are unable to adapt to one of life's few constants, change. A key part of change is action. Those who embrace change are proactive, while those who resist change are reactive. 50 Cent is a prime example of the power of being proactive in one's life. The final chapter discusses death as something we need not view as being distant, unknown or abstract. Rather, the fragility of life is a concept to be aware of each moment. The 50th Law teaches us that as life is ticking away we must embrace it and fearlessly give our all. We never know when we will greet our final form of change, death.In my opinion, there are two main books with which The 50th Law shares common themes; the first book is Think and Grow Rich and the second is The Book of Five Rings. The 50th Law shares a philosophy with each of these books that the current authors have brought into the 21st century.Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a study of those who became exceedingly wealthy and successful in late 19th century and early 20th century America. Both Hill's book and The 50th Law offer readers a blueprint for success. Each addresses the desire for a goal, having a clearly defined vision of how to achieve that goal, as well as how to anticipate and overcome obstacles along the way. The key aspect which The 50th Law and Think and Grow Rich have in common is that they both are primers on effectively overcoming fear to achieve results. As the two books share similarities, I can easily suggest that an alternate title for The 50th Law could be "Act and Grow Fearless". In a humorous coincidence, chapter one of Hill's book contains a story entitled "A Fifty-Cent Lesson in Persistence"; how fitting, Mr. Hill.The Book of Five Rings comes not from the traditional business arena but from the business end of a weapon. Miyamoto Musashi was a 17th century Japanese swordsman whose text encapsulates his philosophy of life, death and the warrior's way. Musashi details the mindset he possessed while facing death in his many battles. His control over his emotions and his focused dedication to his craft are what led to his victory against many other skilled adversaries. In essence, the battle was won before it began. He did not wait to win his battles; they were won in training, paid for with long hours of bloody knuckles, sweat, and tears. 50 Cent's approach mirrors Musashi's mindset and dedication to success. One conclusion that can be drawn from both authors is that life is war. The man facing down a blade and the man facing a new business deal are both fighting for their lives. By understanding that fear must not control our decisions, we will attain the mindset that we must strive for as students of The 50th Law. As Musashi would tell us, "You should investigate this thoroughly."An issue that is important within all three of these books is that change is never easy. There is a price to pay for a worthy goal and a price to pay for inaction, indecision, and fear. If one wants to change his or her situation, a sacrifice must be placed on the altar of life. These sacrifices may be time, money, or the blood and sweat of hard work. Never is anything free, and whether by the pain of change or the pain of regret, the pain of life will be paid. There is an admiration for the masters of certain realms; be it sports, business, art, science, or war, these masters have paid the price of admission for greatness in their field. There are no shortcuts.The 50th Law flows well from one chapter to the next. There are some stories from 50 Cent's life that are used as examples which are referred to several times for emphasis. However I did not find this to be as repetitive as some who have stated their criticism of it. I consider the content and writing style of this book worthy of a five-star rating. My only complaints would be the lack of a table of contents and the omission of an index. Nevertheless, 50 Cent and Robert Greene have accomplished a difficult feat in the task of collaboration, producing a work that maintains the style of both parties without sacrificing the quality or integrity of either author. However one may label it, The 50th Law is a significant work and a worthy follow-up to Greene's previous efforts.

We all have fears. Will we get a good job? Will we find love? Will we ever make it out of our current situation in life and achieve something different, something better? The future is perpetually uncertain, and our anxieties about its various potentialities can cause us to make poor decisions in the present. We often let our fears inhibit us and cloud our judgment.When we are born, our very first emotion is fear. As newborn babies, we have no control over any aspect of our lives, and we are inherently scared that our needs will not be met. Fear is our first reaction to life, the “oldest and strongest emotion known to man, something deeply inscribed in our nervous system and subconscious.” Out of this fear, babies necessarily make everyone else cater to their needs and desires. They cry, and mom (or dad) comes running with the food or diaper change. Because of this, fear becomes something that we try to assuage and avoid, an uncomfortable feeling that must be mitigated.There is another way, however, one examined and expounded upon by rapper-entrepreneur 50 Cent and writer Robert Greene in this co-authored book: accept our fears, embrace them, and make them work for us. The goal should not be to eliminate them, for that makes us soft. Instead, we must face them directly, with courage and strategy, and we will undoubtedly emerge from our trials and tribulations stronger.Growing up in Queens, New York, 50 Cent never should have escaped the street life. His mother was murdered when he was only 8-years-old and he was on the corner selling drugs before puberty. How did he ever manage to make a name for himself in music and then business? He out-hustled the other young men on the corner, using a combination of savvy business schemes (like skimming product off the drugs he bought from his supplier in order to start his own hustling gig) and calculated violence (he once slashed a competitor’s face with a razor blade to send an intimidating message to the rest of the hood). By the age of 24, he had managed to sign a record deal with Colombia Records and his first album was set for release.Despite this glimpse of freedom, in May of 2000, his street life caught up with him when a hired assassin fired nine bullets into his body from close range and left him for dead. Miraculously, he survived, only to be dropped by Colombia and see his future success go up in smoke. Did this stop the fearless 50? Absolutely not. It only made him work harder, for he had faced death and lived. He began an underground mixtape campaign on the streets of New York that led to Eminem and Dr. Dre signing him to their label only two short years later.This book is broken down into ten chapters, each a different element of fearlessness, culminating in the ultimate fear: the confrontation of our own mortality. Each of these lessons is expanded upon via the stories of 50’s growth from a hustler on the streets of Queens to a platinum-selling rapper to a business entrepreneur, in addition to Greene’s analysis and inclusion of other relevant stories from history. It is a wonderful tapestry, with 50’s life used as the colors and patterns and Greene acting as the artist.Today, 50 Cent is worth millions. He has sold tens of millions of records, performed around the world, invested in multiple companies including clothing, books, and beverages, and is currently executive producing multiple television shows. Every time life has intimidated him with its punishing unpredictability, he has taken the challenge head on and never doubted himself. He sees the harsh realities of his life for what they are and works within their parameters. Every time events turn to shit, he turns them in sugar.50 Cent is living proof that if a simple street hustler from the hood can make it to the top, we can all improve our lives to the extent that we believe in ourselves, work our corners, and face our fears. After all, the “most intense form of self-belief is to feel a sense of destiny impelling you forward.” We must see things for what they are, master our crafts, and never stop moving forward. We must never let our fears stop us from action.Franklin Delano Roosevelt was resoundingly right when he famously stated that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

I will reread again and again … thank you for writing this book much appreciation … I love it excellent audible by the way