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The Black Book of Power
Masters of influence inevitably walk one of three paths. The universe has a way of forcing the choice, usually through presenting you with someone else's manipulation that you can either submit to or overcome.
The White Path: The Liberator You use these tools to free others from their own programming. You become the person who helps friends see their toxic patterns, who diplomatically reframes destructive beliefs, who architects empowering narratives that help people transcend their limitations. You weaponize influence against influence itself. An executive coach who walks this path told me: "Once you see how manufactured most people's limitations are, you can't help wanting to free them. I use the same tools that imprisoned them to engineer their liberation"
The Gray Path: The Sovereign You use these tools purely for defense and strategic advantage. You influence when necessary, manipulate when beneficial, always within your own ethical framework. Neither liberator nor enslaver, just a conscious player in an unconscious game. A diplomat explained it perfectly: "Everyone's trying to influence everyone. I just do it with my eyes open. I protect my interests, advance my goals, and sleep fine knowing I'm playing the same game as everyone else, just better"
The Black Path: The Architect of Shadows You use these tools for pure power. You create emotional dependencies, manufacture desires that benefit you, engineer beliefs that serve your agenda. You become what you once fought against, with infinitely more skill. I won't quote anyone from this path. They wouldn't want the attribution.
The choice might seem obvious from the comfort of this moment. Power has a way of shifting moral landscapes. The first time someone you love uses these techniques against you, the first time you lose something precious to a more skilled manipulator, the first time you realize you could have anything you want if you just... pushed... the right buttons... That's when you'll really choose.
Please note, this book is not sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, or any other publisher outside of Stan Taylor's official website.
The White Path: The Liberator You use these tools to free others from their own programming. You become the person who helps friends see their toxic patterns, who diplomatically reframes destructive beliefs, who architects empowering narratives that help people transcend their limitations. You weaponize influence against influence itself. An executive coach who walks this path told me: "Once you see how manufactured most people's limitations are, you can't help wanting to free them. I use the same tools that imprisoned them to engineer their liberation"
The Gray Path: The Sovereign You use these tools purely for defense and strategic advantage. You influence when necessary, manipulate when beneficial, always within your own ethical framework. Neither liberator nor enslaver, just a conscious player in an unconscious game. A diplomat explained it perfectly: "Everyone's trying to influence everyone. I just do it with my eyes open. I protect my interests, advance my goals, and sleep fine knowing I'm playing the same game as everyone else, just better"
The Black Path: The Architect of Shadows You use these tools for pure power. You create emotional dependencies, manufacture desires that benefit you, engineer beliefs that serve your agenda. You become what you once fought against, with infinitely more skill. I won't quote anyone from this path. They wouldn't want the attribution.
The choice might seem obvious from the comfort of this moment. Power has a way of shifting moral landscapes. The first time someone you love uses these techniques against you, the first time you lose something precious to a more skilled manipulator, the first time you realize you could have anything you want if you just... pushed... the right buttons... That's when you'll really choose.
Please note, this book is not sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, or any other publisher outside of Stan Taylor's official website.
650 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2025
91 people are currently reading
1200 people want to read
About the author
Stan Taylor
1 book48 followersAuthor of The Black Book of Power.
For twenty-three years, I created campaigns you never knew existed. I helped elect presidents in Latin America. I designed the psychological operations that made you buy products you didn't need, support wars you shouldn't have backed, and hate people you'd never met. My fingerprints are on every major manipulation of public opinion since 1998, though you'll find no record of my work.
I was paid handsomely to be invisible, the ghost in the machine, and the shadow consultant whose invoices were routed through shell companies in jurisdictions that don't exist on any map you've seen. Then I discovered what they were really building, what the campaigns were preparing you for, and I realized I'd helped construct my own prison and yours.
They tried to buy my silence. When that failed, they tried to bury me. But my office doesn't exist anymore. My colleagues don't remember my name. The contracts I signed have been shredded, the servers wiped, the backups mysteriously corrupted. Google my real name, any of the six before this one, and you'll find nothing. Not a LinkedIn profile, not a mention in a corporate directory, not even a parking ticket. Digital erasure is remarkably thorough when you know who to pay.
This book contains the playbook they don't want you to have. The frameworks we used, the pressure points we exploited, the algorithms of manipulation that turn free will into an illusion. Every technique, every tactic, every psychological lever we pulled to make you dance to whatever tune was paying us that quarter.
I don't exist. Which means I can tell you everything.
For twenty-three years, I created campaigns you never knew existed. I helped elect presidents in Latin America. I designed the psychological operations that made you buy products you didn't need, support wars you shouldn't have backed, and hate people you'd never met. My fingerprints are on every major manipulation of public opinion since 1998, though you'll find no record of my work.
I was paid handsomely to be invisible, the ghost in the machine, and the shadow consultant whose invoices were routed through shell companies in jurisdictions that don't exist on any map you've seen. Then I discovered what they were really building, what the campaigns were preparing you for, and I realized I'd helped construct my own prison and yours.
They tried to buy my silence. When that failed, they tried to bury me. But my office doesn't exist anymore. My colleagues don't remember my name. The contracts I signed have been shredded, the servers wiped, the backups mysteriously corrupted. Google my real name, any of the six before this one, and you'll find nothing. Not a LinkedIn profile, not a mention in a corporate directory, not even a parking ticket. Digital erasure is remarkably thorough when you know who to pay.
This book contains the playbook they don't want you to have. The frameworks we used, the pressure points we exploited, the algorithms of manipulation that turn free will into an illusion. Every technique, every tactic, every psychological lever we pulled to make you dance to whatever tune was paying us that quarter.
I don't exist. Which means I can tell you everything.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
December 12, 2025
This book is not going to call you out on your shit. It’s going to open you up, explain exactly where that shit comes from, and hand you a path forward.
This isn’t a short read that will make you feel good about where you are in life. It’s goes for blood and dares you to change everything about yourself you hate, because you can. But you have to do the work for it to work. It does work.
This isn’t a scam. People who pay $10 for a self help book won’t treat it with the same importance as paying $100. The price is a gate, and a test: how willing are you to take this seriously? I had to save up for a bit, and it’s worth it.
Don’t bother if you’re genuinely happy with your life, body, mind, job, etc. But if you aren’t, this is the best investment you can make, because it forges your best self.
This isn’t a short read that will make you feel good about where you are in life. It’s goes for blood and dares you to change everything about yourself you hate, because you can. But you have to do the work for it to work. It does work.
This isn’t a scam. People who pay $10 for a self help book won’t treat it with the same importance as paying $100. The price is a gate, and a test: how willing are you to take this seriously? I had to save up for a bit, and it’s worth it.
Don’t bother if you’re genuinely happy with your life, body, mind, job, etc. But if you aren’t, this is the best investment you can make, because it forges your best self.
December 12, 2025
This book is not for everyone, and Stan Taylor makes no attempt to pretend otherwise.
The Black Book of Power is helping me to deeply grasp what power actually is—and why understanding its dynamics matters in every relationship, negotiation, and conversation. Power is not something we can opt out of. Avoiding it is often one of the most irresponsible things we do, because we still wield it—just unconsciously.
Page by page, Taylor reveals how deeply power’s shadow side lives in our private thoughts and self-deceptions, and how easily we convince ourselves we are powerless—or superior—both of which evade responsibility.
This book made it far easier to engage in candid, grounded conversations about power, especially in a world where so many feel increasingly less powerful. For those willing to look directly at power rather than moralize it away, this is a clarifying and necessary read.
…And I’m still reading it… it’s a profound work in practice.
The Black Book of Power is helping me to deeply grasp what power actually is—and why understanding its dynamics matters in every relationship, negotiation, and conversation. Power is not something we can opt out of. Avoiding it is often one of the most irresponsible things we do, because we still wield it—just unconsciously.
Page by page, Taylor reveals how deeply power’s shadow side lives in our private thoughts and self-deceptions, and how easily we convince ourselves we are powerless—or superior—both of which evade responsibility.
This book made it far easier to engage in candid, grounded conversations about power, especially in a world where so many feel increasingly less powerful. For those willing to look directly at power rather than moralize it away, this is a clarifying and necessary read.
…And I’m still reading it… it’s a profound work in practice.
December 12, 2025
Skepticism is normal and protective. And, in this case, will leave you behind. Choose. If you are brave, this book is game changing.
April 11, 2026
I’ve only read the sample chapter (Chapter 1 – The Walking Dead) and the author’s sales material, so I can’t speak to the full book. What I read was both compelling and unsettling.
The book taps into real dynamics around influence and conditioning, which is why it lands so strongly. It also reduces complex psychological and social realities into a level of certainty that feels calming at the cost of human nuance and complexity.
To deliver his message, the author leverages the same psychological mechanisms he claims to expose. He frames the reader as already “programmed,” then positions the material as the way out. This creates a closed loop where skepticism, hesitation, or independent thought are recast as part of the problem.
The author’s refund policy reinforces this concern. The criteria for a refund are not clearly defined, and the language frames doubt or dissatisfaction as “self-sabotage,” which introduces its own form of psychological pressure. I anticipate, without substantiation, that a refund request would be met with the narrative that you are “giving up,” or as proof that you didn’t truly do “the work.” In that sense, “the work” risks becoming synonymous with compliance instead of discerning engagement.
This book is engineered to speak to the part of us that wants certainty and control. The part that wants a clear answer from someone who will define what a “real” experience looks and feels like. The material raises as many questions about influence as it answers. Instead of the definitive answer, this is one perspective among many to engage with in your own way.
The book taps into real dynamics around influence and conditioning, which is why it lands so strongly. It also reduces complex psychological and social realities into a level of certainty that feels calming at the cost of human nuance and complexity.
To deliver his message, the author leverages the same psychological mechanisms he claims to expose. He frames the reader as already “programmed,” then positions the material as the way out. This creates a closed loop where skepticism, hesitation, or independent thought are recast as part of the problem.
The author’s refund policy reinforces this concern. The criteria for a refund are not clearly defined, and the language frames doubt or dissatisfaction as “self-sabotage,” which introduces its own form of psychological pressure. I anticipate, without substantiation, that a refund request would be met with the narrative that you are “giving up,” or as proof that you didn’t truly do “the work.” In that sense, “the work” risks becoming synonymous with compliance instead of discerning engagement.
This book is engineered to speak to the part of us that wants certainty and control. The part that wants a clear answer from someone who will define what a “real” experience looks and feels like. The material raises as many questions about influence as it answers. Instead of the definitive answer, this is one perspective among many to engage with in your own way.
February 5, 2026
I find the Black book of Power kind of disturbing. It hits hard, like I'm reading a book that has me wondering how can I be so predictable that this book can call me out in each chapter.
There are many areas and examples I read and think, yea I know someone like that, only to keep reading and discover it's me. Oh, sure, I can see many people in this book, but I also found out, I was just like all of them, being used for others gains.
The Black Book of Power will make you upset at times, and feel free others. Your emotions will be all over the place. It is a process. A hard lesson, but so worth it. so revealing.
I've put the book and audio on hold a few times, thinking no that is not me, only to discover it's the parasite holding me back. I go back and reread and listen a couple days later and find I can understand the process a little better. It takes a lot of effort and a desire to change.
I'm not going to be controlled by my parasite or anyone manipulating me any longer.
It's a hard lesson to realize how much I'm manipulated and how much I manipulate others. My entire outlook has been altered, I am no longer a tool to be used, I am becoming the person that can use the tools.
I learned I don't need to stay in a toxic relationship. I see the manipulation as it happens. I am learning to read others intensions and have a way to not be the victim again.
I am a marble statue. I am in control.
The Black Book of Power is exactly what I needed.
Be ready for a crazy ride and a life changing trip. You will see things as the really are, no more rose colored glasses. Take charge of your life, don't let others use you like a puppet.
Thank you Stan for writing this book. I needed it.
There are many areas and examples I read and think, yea I know someone like that, only to keep reading and discover it's me. Oh, sure, I can see many people in this book, but I also found out, I was just like all of them, being used for others gains.
The Black Book of Power will make you upset at times, and feel free others. Your emotions will be all over the place. It is a process. A hard lesson, but so worth it. so revealing.
I've put the book and audio on hold a few times, thinking no that is not me, only to discover it's the parasite holding me back. I go back and reread and listen a couple days later and find I can understand the process a little better. It takes a lot of effort and a desire to change.
I'm not going to be controlled by my parasite or anyone manipulating me any longer.
It's a hard lesson to realize how much I'm manipulated and how much I manipulate others. My entire outlook has been altered, I am no longer a tool to be used, I am becoming the person that can use the tools.
I learned I don't need to stay in a toxic relationship. I see the manipulation as it happens. I am learning to read others intensions and have a way to not be the victim again.
I am a marble statue. I am in control.
The Black Book of Power is exactly what I needed.
Be ready for a crazy ride and a life changing trip. You will see things as the really are, no more rose colored glasses. Take charge of your life, don't let others use you like a puppet.
Thank you Stan for writing this book. I needed it.
January 29, 2026
My whole life, I've always questioned the rituals and behaviours of those around me. The popularity of seemingly stupid trends and topics. I always asked why I was supposed to do things a certain way. I saw patterns that others ignored, always questioned, instead of mindlessly obeying. I was constantly bullied and punished for not conforming. I thought I was broken. Turns out, I was autistic. Authority figures didn't like me, because I was naturally resistant to their programming. I never could quite figure out how seemingly stupid and horrible people managed to get what they wanted, while I always got shortchanged. Why was I being chewed up and discarded by the machinery of society? Then this book found me. I was skeptical at first, just like you. Everyone is selling salvation, an easy and simple system to change your life. This book isn't easy. It contains the hardest work you will ever do. What emerges on the other side of it? Find out. Or don't. Become indigestible by the puppet masters pulling your strings, or be strangled by those strings. I, for one, refuse to let this world forget me.
March 17, 2026
Notebook LM wrote a Medicare book that regurgitates others ideas in a non meaningful way and uses creepy AI metaphors.
Read
April 10, 2026I was a growth junkie addicted to living on the threshold of progress never truly crossing over. Seminars, retreats, video programs, books, expensive coaches. All of which helped some but never truly transformed. More like more and more advanced negotiation with my past. But the conversation with the past never ends. Like most books there's an education component. But the real juice is in the exercises that literally change your brain chemistry. Quickly. Not easily. Hardest and most painful thing I've ever done. And also the easiest at the same time.
January 27, 2026
After 25+ years in corporate sales, I've developed a pretty sharp nose for what's real and what's theater. You learn, often the hard way, that deals don't close because of logic, org charts don't reflect actual authority, and "best practices" are usually just folklore passed down by people who survived the game, not mastered it. The Black Book of Power is one of the few books I've read that actually names that reality without flinching. The real value, though, is defensive. After decades of being manipulated by internal politics, buyers, and incentive structures, the book feels like counter-intelligence training for professionals who are tired of bleeding influence. It doesn't make you cynical; it makes you clear.
If you're early in your career, this book might feel dangerous. If you're 45+ and wondering why the rules stopped working, it feels like relief. Stan Taylor isn't handing out shortcuts—he's explaining the machinery.
If you're early in your career, this book might feel dangerous. If you're 45+ and wondering why the rules stopped working, it feels like relief. Stan Taylor isn't handing out shortcuts—he's explaining the machinery.
February 2, 2026
Just started Chapter 3 and so far I've learned many things about how I've been conditioned by early relationships and society. Can't wait to get further into the book and see what else is in store. Also looking forward to the accompanying journal and continuing to learn more and do this deep personal work.
April 21, 2026
This is the most important book I have read in the last few years. Beautifully written, raw, powerful and honest!
No bullshit, just straight to the unvarnished truth. Everyone should read this irrespective of if they decide to act upon the lessons it contains. Reading Chapter 1 was hard but revelatory! This book might be the most important operating system manual we have for living in modern times.
No bullshit, just straight to the unvarnished truth. Everyone should read this irrespective of if they decide to act upon the lessons it contains. Reading Chapter 1 was hard but revelatory! This book might be the most important operating system manual we have for living in modern times.
April 10, 2026
In a few short weeks, this book uncovered what years of therapy, self-help books, and healing work did not. I am astounded at the change in myself. I no longer feel puzzled about what motivates me and feel like I know myself for the first time. This is absolutely the best investment I have ever made in my personal growth journey. I started with just the audio book, but within a week was back to buy the hardcover and the journal.
January 29, 2026
I'm not even finished with this book yet and it's already the most highlighted thing I own.
The Black Book of Power isn't a read-once-and-forget situation, it's a reference manual. I keep coming back to it, over and over. Every time I open it, something else clicks.
This is the game. This is epic. If you're serious about understanding how influence actually works - get it.
The Black Book of Power isn't a read-once-and-forget situation, it's a reference manual. I keep coming back to it, over and over. Every time I open it, something else clicks.
This is the game. This is epic. If you're serious about understanding how influence actually works - get it.
January 30, 2026
Hard. But very rewarding. This book is hands down the most eye opening book I have ever read.
April 9, 2026
I was on the edge. Hovering. Reading reviews. Wondering if this would actually change anything or just become another well-intentioned book on my shelf. I'm so glad I took the leap. This isn't just information. It's activation. It doesn't talk at you—it calls you forward. It names the quiet helplessness so many of us feel and then systematically dismantles it. Page by page, it replaces paralysis with clarity, and clarity with action. What surprised me most was how personal the transformation felt. This book didn't just give me tools—it gave me back my sense of agency. I stopped consuming and started executing. I stopped waiting and started building. This is bigger than one person. This is the beginning of a movement—of sovereign, capable, awake people in a culture that profits from keeping us small, distracted, and dependent. If you're reading reviews right now, wondering if this is "the one," let me save you some time: it is. Read it. Use it. Let it change you. Then be the proof for someone else.
April 10, 2026
I'm only seven days into the protocol and this book has already called out parts of me I've been avoiding for years. I'm seeing how I used “empathy” as a tool for validation, and how much of my identity was built around that. But the biggest punch in the gut was realizing how much I've lied — to others, yes, but especially to myself. It's painful. It's humbling. But I'm strangely excited for it. I can feel things breaking down inside me, and instead of resisting it, I'm ready to rebuild with honesty as the foundation.
April 9, 2026
This book has been such a game changer in my life. The more you follow these steps the easier life gets. The more empowered you feel to continue making these changes to create more freedom in your life the better you will feel. It's about cutting the dead wood so more growth can happen. It's the perfect book to have in your life during the dark night of the soul. It all becomes clear and the path is there. Highly recommended and can't stop talking to my friends about this book.
January 24, 2026
Your parasite knows your every weakness. Destroying it will seem almost impossible, incomprehensible because it genuinely feels like you. Your quite literally in a toxic relationship with your shadow self. Its hard to comprehend that all this time you weren't even being your true self. Its even harder to unlock the cage you put yourself in, step out of that cage and into the light. Why? Your shadow self, the parasite, will do everything in its power to keep you there. Even if you manage to step out of your cage, you have to prepare for a truly terrifying fight for your life.
Your not just fighting your shadow self, your literally facing fear itself! All of your fears and insecurities stand before you once you step out of that cage, like a prison guard with an entire army going after an escaped convict. You may be thinking that its only a matter of winning that battle....that's not the only fight you'll have to win. The last battle you'll have to face would be stepping into the light and becoming your true self. Sounds easy enough, that is, until you realize you know nothing of the light or what will come from it. You face the last threshold of your life, do you stay in the dark? Where you lived your whole life, you know its hell but its a familiar hell, familiar darkness, misery, the bitter cold of disappointment and inner death you've been around for so long that it literally feels like home. On the other side, the light, warmth, life. its easy to say, "obviously, you step forward into the light" is it really that simple though? The light represent the endless possibilities of life. the problem with this is that you'll have no shape, no form, you wont know who you truly are because you stepped into the unknown...think about that.
Quite honestly, I've not had the courage to do the first challenge, "The Irreversible Move" I proceeded to Ch. 4 "The Marble Statue" but haven't read further. I had the book for 2 weeks now and can honestly say that this is the hardest book that I have ever gotten. I got the key to my cell, I've unlocked the cage door and swung it open...unfortunately for me fear has me gripped in its clutches...I have no right to read any further until step out of that cage and face fear head on...easier said than done.
To Mr. Taylor, I thank you for creating such a book. The first 4 chapters have opened my eyes, my mind to another dimension I never knew was there. Ive listened to those 4 chapters on repeat and always spot something I've missed before. Continue your work, continue changing peoples lives.
To anyone considering getting this book, I have 2 questions...
Are you willing and capable of unlocking that cage door and stepping out to fight all your insecurities, your doubt's, to fight fear itself?
Would you be willing to step into the light, into infinite possibility, into the unknown?
To anyone that bought the book...get ready for the fight of your life...literally
Remember:
"Imagination is everything. its the preview to life's coming attractions and the evidence of things not seen"
Your not just fighting your shadow self, your literally facing fear itself! All of your fears and insecurities stand before you once you step out of that cage, like a prison guard with an entire army going after an escaped convict. You may be thinking that its only a matter of winning that battle....that's not the only fight you'll have to win. The last battle you'll have to face would be stepping into the light and becoming your true self. Sounds easy enough, that is, until you realize you know nothing of the light or what will come from it. You face the last threshold of your life, do you stay in the dark? Where you lived your whole life, you know its hell but its a familiar hell, familiar darkness, misery, the bitter cold of disappointment and inner death you've been around for so long that it literally feels like home. On the other side, the light, warmth, life. its easy to say, "obviously, you step forward into the light" is it really that simple though? The light represent the endless possibilities of life. the problem with this is that you'll have no shape, no form, you wont know who you truly are because you stepped into the unknown...think about that.
Quite honestly, I've not had the courage to do the first challenge, "The Irreversible Move" I proceeded to Ch. 4 "The Marble Statue" but haven't read further. I had the book for 2 weeks now and can honestly say that this is the hardest book that I have ever gotten. I got the key to my cell, I've unlocked the cage door and swung it open...unfortunately for me fear has me gripped in its clutches...I have no right to read any further until step out of that cage and face fear head on...easier said than done.
To Mr. Taylor, I thank you for creating such a book. The first 4 chapters have opened my eyes, my mind to another dimension I never knew was there. Ive listened to those 4 chapters on repeat and always spot something I've missed before. Continue your work, continue changing peoples lives.
To anyone considering getting this book, I have 2 questions...
Are you willing and capable of unlocking that cage door and stepping out to fight all your insecurities, your doubt's, to fight fear itself?
Would you be willing to step into the light, into infinite possibility, into the unknown?
To anyone that bought the book...get ready for the fight of your life...literally
Remember:
"Imagination is everything. its the preview to life's coming attractions and the evidence of things not seen"
March 22, 2026
Initially I had moments when I had my doubts. Left the book on the cart, came back to it, and let it sit.
I decided to make a choice, a decision that allowed me to further investigate and question the programming we were raised and brought up with. The mental parasite we always deal with, the shadows we fail to see, the mirrors and windows of life that blind us to the path of being able to fully walk through the door; consciously, awake, and sovereign.
This book has given me that nugget I was waiting for my whole life. It allowed me to transform by doing the work and staying true to my self above all.
This book isn’t just an investment for it to be on the shelves. It’s for one’s self.
I decided to make a choice, a decision that allowed me to further investigate and question the programming we were raised and brought up with. The mental parasite we always deal with, the shadows we fail to see, the mirrors and windows of life that blind us to the path of being able to fully walk through the door; consciously, awake, and sovereign.
This book has given me that nugget I was waiting for my whole life. It allowed me to transform by doing the work and staying true to my self above all.
This book isn’t just an investment for it to be on the shelves. It’s for one’s self.
March 20, 2026
The Black Book of Power is written in away that gets to my core, self introspection began to happen almost immediately as I read the pages and yes, my "parasite" fought back and is still fighting as I continue to read and do what is required for actual change. Not only does this book tell what is wrong with our culture, society, media, government, etc.. It offers a solution and that solution is, you, me, to do the work and become self sovereign. I have been able to look my programing, beliefs, and at the authorities in my life realizing what I was taught was a lie and what they were taught was a lie. Growing up as a single child I could tell something wasn't right with this world. This book has given me the confirmation that yeah something is not right. All the fears that have held me back are rearing their heads as go through this book. So, yeah its a good fucking book.
March 19, 2026
The Black Book of Power by Stan Taylor is a highly practical and eye-opening read. I found it both insightful and applicable to real life, leadership, and decision-making. The book does an excellent job of breaking down how power actually works—not in theory, but in everyday situations.
What I appreciated most is its directness. It encourages awareness, strategic thinking, and personal responsibility rather than manipulation. Many of the lessons immediately made me reflect on leadership, relationships, and how influence is built, maintained, or lost.
Overall, I learned a great deal from this book, and much of it is immediately applicable. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in leadership, self-awareness, and understanding the dynamics of power.
What I appreciated most is its directness. It encourages awareness, strategic thinking, and personal responsibility rather than manipulation. Many of the lessons immediately made me reflect on leadership, relationships, and how influence is built, maintained, or lost.
Overall, I learned a great deal from this book, and much of it is immediately applicable. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in leadership, self-awareness, and understanding the dynamics of power.
March 22, 2026
So far it's been a massive revelation. Excited to be starting the next chapter where the real work begins...
February 12, 2026
My interest was piqued after I saw one of Stan Taylor’s social media posts about his book “The Black Book of Power”
I read some of the posts aloud to my husband D; he seemed interested while appearing to be doom scrolling. In reality he was tracking down the website.
Upon opening the website and reading a few items, my brain began to wake up. I devoured more and read some aloud.
D interjected, “Did you order it?”
I balked at the price, “Seriously?!? I can’t justify spending THAT much on a book, let alone an e-book!”
As I continued to read more excepts, my cell chirped a notification of an email from D.
He glanced up from his cell, “I just order you the ebook.”
I immediately dove in and blew through the first 100 pages that evening.
Part I- I felt like someone had crawled around in my brain and bore witness to my life/all of the observations I’ve made over the years, then put pen to paper.
Validating is an understatement.
Full Disclosure- I paused my reading at the end of Part I and ordered the hard copy; I want to highlight, write notes in the margins and take down my thoughts as I go and (for me) I couldn’t do that with an e-reader.
I started at the beginning and am reading with much more intention. I haven’t even started Part II and already feel the stirrings of a major change on the horizon.
I read some of the posts aloud to my husband D; he seemed interested while appearing to be doom scrolling. In reality he was tracking down the website.
Upon opening the website and reading a few items, my brain began to wake up. I devoured more and read some aloud.
D interjected, “Did you order it?”
I balked at the price, “Seriously?!? I can’t justify spending THAT much on a book, let alone an e-book!”
As I continued to read more excepts, my cell chirped a notification of an email from D.
He glanced up from his cell, “I just order you the ebook.”
I immediately dove in and blew through the first 100 pages that evening.
Part I- I felt like someone had crawled around in my brain and bore witness to my life/all of the observations I’ve made over the years, then put pen to paper.
Validating is an understatement.
Full Disclosure- I paused my reading at the end of Part I and ordered the hard copy; I want to highlight, write notes in the margins and take down my thoughts as I go and (for me) I couldn’t do that with an e-reader.
I started at the beginning and am reading with much more intention. I haven’t even started Part II and already feel the stirrings of a major change on the horizon.
February 12, 2026
Excellent source for self reflection and actively participating in your own journey for self improvement and addressing long standing challenges. Thank you so much for writing this book! The workbook is essential .
January 12, 2026
I wrote this and then got kicked out of his facebook group 😆 I guess for "Not staying on target". I guess"on target" is to follow blindly and swallow your issues with the book instead of get support with where it leaves yoy stuck or talk about your reading process with it. Weird. And a bad look not to address it.
...
The one irreversible action was a small enough buy-in to be able to do in the intro without leadership example.
The 21 day protocol however... needs the author to lead by example. At least from my own POV. There is no proof, a before and after story, or journal entries from their own run-through of this gamut for the reader to trust enough to follow. At least at this point in the book, which is where I think it matters the most.
I hope this feedback is welcome and useful and am sorry if it hurts any feelings. It takes a lot of work to make something this big, book, audiobook, ebook, journal, posts, ads.... and I acknowledge that. You actually made something in this world and I want to show where it's not working for me and could work better in its iterations.
There is a large void of real world example at this point in the book and is likely why so many quit here instead of charge through into the exciting though painful challenge for transformation that we crave.
At this point it all sounds like "Trust me! Just trust me!" - "Why? ...prove it."
Not with theory. With proof. With photos. With personal before and after data. With real journal entries. With what you went through.
I currently don't trust you enough to follow such extensive instructions because I don't believe your system works if not even one real example of your own transformation is presented in confidence.
We don't follow where one has not led. We lead ourselves instead if you won't and will take risks on our own theories or trusted others instead of yours. Unless you do the work to present that you actually tested it first and present that data.
Beyond everything making sense in theory and backing up the theory with anything other than real personal example at this point in the book....it just makes the reader feel like a guinea pig instead of an inspired secondary follower of the protocol.
I'll keep reading for my own curiosity at this point and maybe the later parts of the book will change my mind and I will return, but this is currently a sticking point in the book that could do with some support. Revision/Addition right here would help so much. Small wins leading to medium wins leading to larger ones. And leading by example. Instead of jumping from one small win to giant challenge with no leadership. Like showing your kid it's not scary by doing the thing yourself in front of them first. Doing something like that inspires so much faith and follow through action.
Okay, thanks for listening to this feedback if you do. I'm still enjoying the book. Cheers :)
...
May not finish because of the gross aftertaste of the interaction now...
...
The one irreversible action was a small enough buy-in to be able to do in the intro without leadership example.
The 21 day protocol however... needs the author to lead by example. At least from my own POV. There is no proof, a before and after story, or journal entries from their own run-through of this gamut for the reader to trust enough to follow. At least at this point in the book, which is where I think it matters the most.
I hope this feedback is welcome and useful and am sorry if it hurts any feelings. It takes a lot of work to make something this big, book, audiobook, ebook, journal, posts, ads.... and I acknowledge that. You actually made something in this world and I want to show where it's not working for me and could work better in its iterations.
There is a large void of real world example at this point in the book and is likely why so many quit here instead of charge through into the exciting though painful challenge for transformation that we crave.
At this point it all sounds like "Trust me! Just trust me!" - "Why? ...prove it."
Not with theory. With proof. With photos. With personal before and after data. With real journal entries. With what you went through.
I currently don't trust you enough to follow such extensive instructions because I don't believe your system works if not even one real example of your own transformation is presented in confidence.
We don't follow where one has not led. We lead ourselves instead if you won't and will take risks on our own theories or trusted others instead of yours. Unless you do the work to present that you actually tested it first and present that data.
Beyond everything making sense in theory and backing up the theory with anything other than real personal example at this point in the book....it just makes the reader feel like a guinea pig instead of an inspired secondary follower of the protocol.
I'll keep reading for my own curiosity at this point and maybe the later parts of the book will change my mind and I will return, but this is currently a sticking point in the book that could do with some support. Revision/Addition right here would help so much. Small wins leading to medium wins leading to larger ones. And leading by example. Instead of jumping from one small win to giant challenge with no leadership. Like showing your kid it's not scary by doing the thing yourself in front of them first. Doing something like that inspires so much faith and follow through action.
Okay, thanks for listening to this feedback if you do. I'm still enjoying the book. Cheers :)
...
May not finish because of the gross aftertaste of the interaction now...
December 12, 2025
I’m on Chapter 5 of The Black Book of Power, and this is one of those books that has quietly been removing all my excuses. It's not a motivating book… it is exposing me to myself. This isn’t a “read and feel inspired” kind of book. It’s a do the work or stay exactly the same kind of book. I’m completing the exercises, catching myself in real time more often, and realizing how much of my go-to or default behavior has been unconscious for so many years. I started running because of this book. Freaking running! I thought I hated running! I ran my first 5k with my son and he won 1st place and I won 3rd! I also took all my 3 kids to Paris all by myself. Me , I did that... There's other changes in my life I won't share here for privacy reasons especially since I know many people in my life want this book. That alone should tell you something about what happens when you stop arguing with yourself and start applying the work.
So far, this book has been uncomfortable, humbling, confronting, funny and revealing especially if you have spent a lifetime being the empath, the fixer, the agreeable one (like me). Chapter 5 first day made me want to vomit. I have had to close the book several times, some because I needed to breath and digest and others because Stan called me out and asked me to come back when I am ready for actual change. I realized just how much I have been needing my parasite in order to feel safe. Figuring out why I am resisting to let it go has been a hard pill to swallow. There’s nowhere to hide in this book. It holds a mirror up to yourself and makes you to look without your rose colored glasses on. The facebook group has been instrumental in practicing some of the protocols some days and to hold each other accountable.
I can see why this book might trigger resistance. Comfort, playing small and familiar patterns are easier. This book is about power, responsibility, and raw self-honesty.
If you’re willing to engage fully, play hard, be honest with yourself, and actually apply what’s being asked, this book can change you at your core. If not, you’ll likely push back against it, criticize it, or dismiss it. There’s also no religious framework or aspect in this book but if you have one, you can absolutely bring it with you.
A couple of friends have asked to borrow my copy but for once, I’m holding onto it. I’m buying another one to gift to my son. What a gift it would have been to have done this work earlier in my own life. I want that for him. My friends can buy their own books :) Also, having people around you be able to "speak your same language" will help you thrive and move forward together and hold each other accountable.
The most rewarding change so far has been realizing my kids are witnessing my growth in real time and they are seeing a real shift in me.
So far, this book has been uncomfortable, humbling, confronting, funny and revealing especially if you have spent a lifetime being the empath, the fixer, the agreeable one (like me). Chapter 5 first day made me want to vomit. I have had to close the book several times, some because I needed to breath and digest and others because Stan called me out and asked me to come back when I am ready for actual change. I realized just how much I have been needing my parasite in order to feel safe. Figuring out why I am resisting to let it go has been a hard pill to swallow. There’s nowhere to hide in this book. It holds a mirror up to yourself and makes you to look without your rose colored glasses on. The facebook group has been instrumental in practicing some of the protocols some days and to hold each other accountable.
I can see why this book might trigger resistance. Comfort, playing small and familiar patterns are easier. This book is about power, responsibility, and raw self-honesty.
If you’re willing to engage fully, play hard, be honest with yourself, and actually apply what’s being asked, this book can change you at your core. If not, you’ll likely push back against it, criticize it, or dismiss it. There’s also no religious framework or aspect in this book but if you have one, you can absolutely bring it with you.
A couple of friends have asked to borrow my copy but for once, I’m holding onto it. I’m buying another one to gift to my son. What a gift it would have been to have done this work earlier in my own life. I want that for him. My friends can buy their own books :) Also, having people around you be able to "speak your same language" will help you thrive and move forward together and hold each other accountable.
The most rewarding change so far has been realizing my kids are witnessing my growth in real time and they are seeing a real shift in me.
March 15, 2026
I have dozens upon dozens of self help books . I have tried for the better part of my adulthood to find out why I do the things I do, why I attract the relationships I attract and how I got to this point in my life. I've spent thousands on counseling and I walked away more confused and searching for answers. I saw The Black Book of Power on my Facebook feed and instantly thought, this must be some gimmick.. I looked it up on Reddit I googled.. I was intrigued but on the fence. I went to Stan's website and read through and for once the words I read made complete sense and hit home in a way I've never experienced. I bought the book.. I anxiously waited for it to come in the mail. The book came with the Black Journal which is the companion journal to the book. Chapter one - The Awakening opened my eyes.. Honestly, I have never had any person, book, counselor, etc. relay the wisdom and understanding that Stan does. He GETS IT..it felt like the pages were written specifically for me.. I felt seen.. I felt exposed.. it all started to click.. a few days into reading, I was driving home from the store and out of no where, I started to cry.. big loud raw.. almost like something inside me finally unleashed.. it had been years since I felt... anything. Good or bad. I was numb from the inside out. At some point in my life I stopped feeling, stopped caring and just went through the motions of survival. That was the clue and acknowledgement that this book hit a nerve and was doing the very thing it was meant to . Saving us from ourselves.. teaching us how to have healthy relationships and interactions. Showing page by page how we hold the leash and allow these things to happen..and how to take charge and do something about it. If you are on the fence... Buy the book.. if you are tired of feeling that empty void that you can't quite put your finger on..buy the book.. if you think your life is perfect and you don't need any help... definitely buy this book. Although, I am only on day 8 of the empathy protocol, I have learned more and have seen more changes in the way I interact with people, how I view and see myself, how I parent my children, and so much more. Do yourself a favor and take the step to freedom. Stan does not aim to sugar coat, or tread around your feelings.. that was exactly what I needed.. Don't let your parasite run your life another single second.. buy the book.
January 3, 2026
I was nervous to buy this book. I floundered for multiple days. I was disturbed by the promise of power and the ability to manipulate. I am a good and caring person. Was this book going to make me "bad"?
Despite these fears, I resonated deeply with the free first chapter. And everything I read of his felt coherent, honest, and true. I have a strong radar for bullshit, so I decided to dive in and purchase the hardcover book.
That was only two weeks ago. I'm only four days into the "empathy protocol", which trains you to recognize false empathy. Day four encourages you to talk to someone who complains a lot to ask them meaningful questions.
This led to a two-hour conversation with my step-mother (who I rarely speak to), where we both felt as though we connected as well as we ever have. She thanked me deeply and told me I make her heart feel good. She offered me personal gifts I would never have expected. This was just today.
In day 2's protocol, I learned things about my housemate I had never learned in almost two years. In day 3's protocol, I held space for a friend while she wept deeply about a recent loss. She told me the conversation was deeply healing for her.
But here's the difference. I'm a somatic practitioner. Providing witness, healing, and support to people is literally my job. And I do it whether or not I'm being paid. Though, it's often been emotionally taxing for me in significant ways.
But in the past four days I've connected to people with ease. And guess what? I don't feel emotionally taxed by it. I feel fed.
And to my surprise, in just about every conversation, the people are THANKING me for my presence in a way I don't think they otherwise would.
This book isn't making me "bad". It's making me a more attentive listener. It's helping me track my own emotional boundaries which helps me be more present. And apparently, it's nourishing the people in my life.
This is day 4 of a protocol that lasts 21 days and promises to create lasting change.
And I believe it, as the 1900 people in the facebook group all seem to attest.
I have heard nothing but positive things from anyone in the group. It is as loving and supportive a space as ever I've been in.
If you're on the fence, you have nothing to lose. Just go ahead and buy this book.
(and no I won't sell you mine)
Despite these fears, I resonated deeply with the free first chapter. And everything I read of his felt coherent, honest, and true. I have a strong radar for bullshit, so I decided to dive in and purchase the hardcover book.
That was only two weeks ago. I'm only four days into the "empathy protocol", which trains you to recognize false empathy. Day four encourages you to talk to someone who complains a lot to ask them meaningful questions.
This led to a two-hour conversation with my step-mother (who I rarely speak to), where we both felt as though we connected as well as we ever have. She thanked me deeply and told me I make her heart feel good. She offered me personal gifts I would never have expected. This was just today.
In day 2's protocol, I learned things about my housemate I had never learned in almost two years. In day 3's protocol, I held space for a friend while she wept deeply about a recent loss. She told me the conversation was deeply healing for her.
But here's the difference. I'm a somatic practitioner. Providing witness, healing, and support to people is literally my job. And I do it whether or not I'm being paid. Though, it's often been emotionally taxing for me in significant ways.
But in the past four days I've connected to people with ease. And guess what? I don't feel emotionally taxed by it. I feel fed.
And to my surprise, in just about every conversation, the people are THANKING me for my presence in a way I don't think they otherwise would.
This book isn't making me "bad". It's making me a more attentive listener. It's helping me track my own emotional boundaries which helps me be more present. And apparently, it's nourishing the people in my life.
This is day 4 of a protocol that lasts 21 days and promises to create lasting change.
And I believe it, as the 1900 people in the facebook group all seem to attest.
I have heard nothing but positive things from anyone in the group. It is as loving and supportive a space as ever I've been in.
If you're on the fence, you have nothing to lose. Just go ahead and buy this book.
(and no I won't sell you mine)
Read
April 10, 2026This book is for people serious doing the work on ourselves. It is not a book to browse. It is not a book to read casually. It is not a book to read to learn more facts, or gain more knowledge.
It is a book about brutal, uncomfortable truth. What makes it more challenging is that, in doing the work involved, we discover brutal, uncomfortable truths about ourselves.
This is a book about doing the work to become the person for whom all attempts to manipulate are transparent. The emphasis here is on the work. Chapter 4 alone is a 21 day protocol in which you will learn, through conversations with people in your orbit, how to be impervious at attempts to play or prey on your emotions to manipulate you. You will learn to use language, and silence, to read people, and maybe even experience how using power for selfish gain diminishes us, each, individually.
When you purchase the book, the author asks us a question and encourages us to answer. He promises to respond to each email we write. He is a man of his word, but don't expect anything warm and fuzzy. His replies may sting with brutal honesty.
I've been a seminar junkie and a learning junkie for over 30 years. The author wrote back, in part:
"What breaks my heart about your email is that you know everything about transformation except how to transform you...."
I am a better man for that. I am told that I am a better husband for that. I am a better father, a better boss. I am stronger mentally, no longer sucked into someone else's emotional state, able to avoid being sucked into debates like a fish biting on a hook, able to understand the spoken and unspoken language of those around me.
And I am only in chapter 4.
This work is a struggle against the part of ourselves that resists change, the part that is unconsciously manipulated into feelings, before we can even process the manipulation consciously.
Don't waste your money unless you are willing to also invest yourself into the process.
This work of this book is hard. You will struggle. It's not for everyone.
It might be for you.
It is a book about brutal, uncomfortable truth. What makes it more challenging is that, in doing the work involved, we discover brutal, uncomfortable truths about ourselves.
This is a book about doing the work to become the person for whom all attempts to manipulate are transparent. The emphasis here is on the work. Chapter 4 alone is a 21 day protocol in which you will learn, through conversations with people in your orbit, how to be impervious at attempts to play or prey on your emotions to manipulate you. You will learn to use language, and silence, to read people, and maybe even experience how using power for selfish gain diminishes us, each, individually.
When you purchase the book, the author asks us a question and encourages us to answer. He promises to respond to each email we write. He is a man of his word, but don't expect anything warm and fuzzy. His replies may sting with brutal honesty.
I've been a seminar junkie and a learning junkie for over 30 years. The author wrote back, in part:
"What breaks my heart about your email is that you know everything about transformation except how to transform you...."
I am a better man for that. I am told that I am a better husband for that. I am a better father, a better boss. I am stronger mentally, no longer sucked into someone else's emotional state, able to avoid being sucked into debates like a fish biting on a hook, able to understand the spoken and unspoken language of those around me.
And I am only in chapter 4.
This work is a struggle against the part of ourselves that resists change, the part that is unconsciously manipulated into feelings, before we can even process the manipulation consciously.
Don't waste your money unless you are willing to also invest yourself into the process.
This work of this book is hard. You will struggle. It's not for everyone.
It might be for you.
January 30, 2026
I zipped up my coat as I stepped out to brace the frigid air. I did a few stretches to warm up and the unconscious conversation started. It wasn't words. It was just the constant presence that I breathed in and out without thinking. But ill put words to that presence. "So you think you're doing something important by doing this run every night. Its only one mile and the only reason you think its important is because you want a feeling of self-importance. Its not important. Stop trying to fool yourself." This night I listened to "The Chrysalis" chapter of "The Black Book of Power" as I ran. I could relate to the experience the woman felt as she didn't know whether to choose one cereal box or the other. I didn't know if I should keep running or not. My insides felt like a heavy glob that was vacant inside. That night I had a hard time sleeping, trying to figure out what was really my voice. I shared my experience with someone else and they thought all the voices were all parts of me and I needed to love them. I recoiled at the thought of all that contradiction and confusion being me. The next morning I called my son who is reading this book too and is further along than me. He got the book for me as a gift. I asked him if he knew what was going on, and he said "Yes, that was the parasite living inside you that is trying to sabotage your control of your life." I immediately felt relief. That made total sense. The next night felt different as I braced the cold air. I felt strong and uncompromising. Again it was a presence without words, but if I were to give it words, they would be "This is important because I say its important - this is my life." When my kids gave me the gift of this book, they really gave me the gift of empowering me to actually live my life as me. And im only to chapter 4!
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