Robert Greene, the author of Mastery, is a contemporary American writer known for his books on strategy, power, and human behavior. His works, characterized by historical research combined with psychological analysis, have garnered a wide readership and critical acclaim. Greene’s journey to becoming an influential author illustrates many of the themes he explores in his books. Born in 1959 in Los Angeles, Greene attended the University of California, Berkeley, and later the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied classics. However, it was not his academic background alone that shaped his insights into human nature and mastery; rather, it was his diverse range of jobs and experiences thereafter that influenced his thinking and writing.

Before embarking on his career as an author, Greene worked as a construction worker, translator, magazine editor, and Hollywood movie writer. This eclectic array of experiences provided him with a unique vantage point on human behavior, power dynamics, and the strategies people employ in various fields to achieve success and dominance. Greene’s deep dive into history, combined with his firsthand observations of the machinations within Hollywood, informed his understanding of power and strategy, which led to the publication of his first book, The 48 Laws of Power, in 1998.