Robert Greene is the author of many best-selling books, including "The Laws of Human Nature," "Mastery," "The Art of Seduction," "The 33 Strategies of War," and "The 48 Laws of Power," which is the primary subject of our conversation.

During our conversation, Robert talks about his definition of power, why humans crave power, how a lack of power affects human beings, how individuals might increase their power in their own life, and how his own increase in power has affected his life. He also talks about American's reluctance to speak openly about power, Carl Jung's concept of "the shadow" and how it may apply to that collective reluctance, whether power is fundamentally neutral - neither good or bad - and the relationship between love and power.

"The 48 Laws of Power" is more than twenty years old, yet it is consistently in the top 10 of Amazon's best-seller list. Robert's work can help people understand power's role in human affairs, and with more knowledge and honesty, perhaps individuals can use power both to improve one's life, live with self-awareness, and hold oneself to high standards. As I noted during our conversation, one of my favorite quotes from history comes from Lincoln: