How to Rule the World: A Handbook for the Aspiring Dictator

By André de Guillaume

Book Overview

Everyone wants to rule the world, but only a precious few have the skills to create an ironclad plan of attack. Simple, direct, and delightfully unprincipled, this guide to ruling the world contains tales of global power mongering from every age and endeavors to show dilettante dictators and tyrants-to-be just how it's done. Tips are provided on creating a personal flag, what type of puppet government to establish, how to squelch free speech, and, most important, how to handle enemies. Also included are humorous full-color illustrations, sidebars on admirable despots, and self-quizzes that allow readers to see if they have what it takes to conquer the world. This fun college graduation or father's day gift is perfect for those who have their hearts set on world domination.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556524978
• ISBN13: 9781556524974
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.5" x 0.6" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Not Since Machiavelli

Said to have inspired Karl Rove, Dick Cheney (whose name does rhyme with weenie, when properly pronounced) and John Boehner (whose name, properly pronounced, rhymes either with loaner or leaner) and other neo-conservative radical revolutionaries, this book obviously has more than one tongue in its cheek. And no, I don't have any idea what that means, but after reading this book I quit the reality based community (Rove's label for people who read and write) and embarked on my own world conquest trip. Every political observer should read this little book.

Must Have for Dictators in Training

Though this book offers little practical advice you couldn't figure out yourself, it's an interesting read. I enjoyed the profiles of famous Dictators and rulers and witty humor of Guillaume. He offers advice on how to get your own political coup and which advisors you should eliminate to avoid conspiracies. This is a neat book to have, if not simply for the novelty of it.

Instant Power. Just read this book.

Although this book is aimed mainly at men (I'm an 18 year old social princess), it is one of the best books I have ever read on power in every sense of the word.The difference between this book and others is that it actually tells you the true secrets to success. Andre de Guillaume is 100% on the money when he said that, "power rarely goes to people who deserve it; it must be taken by force". The minute I finished reading this - controversial - book, I noticed an immediate change in my mindset. I have probably gone through the book fifty times by now, and I never get sick of it. My life has changed considerably for the better if only because I now see things from the eyes of a despot.It's humorous, cruel and unnecessarily violent, but Goddess is it ever true. Feel free to test out the books therories immediately - I have, with impressive results.You may not want to rule *the* world, but you will definitely know how to rule *your* world and everyone in it. And that's all that really matters, anyway.

Lets get ready to rule!!!

Samuel Johnson said "There are few minds to which tyranny is not delightful", and when it comes to this amusing little book, how right he was. Serious students of world domination may start with Machievelli's "The Prince", the rest of us can have a laugh over this.The chapters are an interesting tempters - they include "Have You Got What it Takes?", which details the ideal personality of a leader; "Career Paths to the Top" which lists 10 jobs likely to lead to world domination (one is a parking inspector); "Advanced World Rule" which discusses among other things founding a faith and "Posterity - Leaving Your Mark" - the joy of large monuments and best selling memoirs. There are enough real life tales here, told very tongue in cheek to make this quite an informative little book, but really it is just a very funny dig at the dictators and autocrats of the world. An agonisingly serious topic no doubt, but very funny here! Enjoy!

Hilarious!

Often being referred to by my friends as some future world despot, I was intrigued by an article about this book. So I picked it up today at Borders and I thought it was hilarious. Pretty thought provocking strategies of global domination - to be taken lightly, of course. It's funny to see the book's strategies used to impress the media (quoting philosophers and the like) and then to see them imitated in real life by some clueless idiots. Anyway, haven't finished it yet, but I thought it was worth buying.