The Laws of Human Nature
by Robert Greene
Interest peak #2
A long, example-rich look at why people act as they do, from envy to conformity to the need for control. Dense but rewarding, and it changes how you read people. Read the full description
Best for: Curious readers who enjoy people-watching
The Laws of Human Nature is #27 on BookWard's Top 100 books for September 2026, with a BookWard Score of 72 out of 100.
The Laws of Human Nature: reading interest over the past 12 months
Sources: Open Library’s public reading-log and ratings data (dump of 2026-08-31), Wikipedia page views and Wikidata. Monthly counts are exact; they show relative interest among readers of these public sources, not total readership.
Ranked against the other books on this list, The Laws of Human Nature’s reading interest has run from #2 to #43 over these 12 months. Interest rank blends shelf adds, Wikipedia page views and rating activity, each compared with the other 99 books that month.
Shelf adds by month
The Laws of Human Nature was added to Open Library readers’ shelves 1,309 times in the past 12 months, peaking in October 2025 with 160 (47% above its monthly average of 109). Over the latest three months (Jun 2026 to Aug 2026) shelf adds were down 4% on the three months before. 89% of the adds were “want to read”, 9% “currently reading” and 3% “already read”.
Want to read Currently reading Already read
What the data says about The Laws of Human Nature
- Moderate swings. Monthly shelf adds averaged 109 with some ups and downs.
- Busiest and quietest months. October 2025 was its busiest month (160 adds), about 3.2 times its quietest, December 2025 (50).
- Against its genre. It had 50% more shelf adds than the average Psychology book on this list.
- Share of the list. It accounts for 1.3% of all shelf adds recorded for the Top 100 over these 12 months, #19 of 100.
- Its age. First published in 2018 (8 years ago), it is older than 18% of the books on the list.
Each finding is computed from the public data above and shown only when the numbers support it.
The Laws of Human Nature on the Top 100: rank history
First charted in September 2026. The chart gains a point with every monthly update, so its peak, climbs and falls will show here as they happen.
| Month | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | #27 | 72 |
Is The Laws of Human Nature rising or falling?
Holding steady Its weekly, monthly and yearly ranks are close together, so interest is steady rather than spiking.
On Open Library, The Laws of Human Nature ranks #13 this week, #15 this month, and #20 over the past year. A longer bar means a higher position. Comparing the three windows shows whether readers are arriving faster than the book's long-term pace. Readings as of 2026-09-30.
Why The Laws of Human Nature made the Top 100
The Laws of Human Nature made the list mainly on momentum (+32.5 points) and being read right now (+19.3 points). Its smallest contribution is rising (+0.2). The BookWard Score blends five public signals, each scored from 0 to 100 and weighted as shown.
The reading-now, rating and rank signals come from Open Library’s public data, not from BookWard’s own readers. The score measures reading interest, not quality or sales. How the score works.
Open Library reader stats for The Laws of Human Nature
Source: Open Library public reading logs, as of 2026-09-30. BookWard’s own monthly snapshots are added to the picture, and anonymous BookWard reader data will be layered in as the community grows.
More readers have The Laws of Human Nature open right now than 58% of the other books on this list. These counts come from one public source, so they show relative interest rather than total readership.
Where it sits among Psychology books
It is #3 of the 6 Psychology books on this month’s list.
About The Laws of Human Nature
A long, example-rich look at why people act as they do, from envy to conformity to the need for control. Dense but rewarding, and it changes how you read people.
Why it’s here: It pairs psychology with stories, which makes big ideas easy to remember.
Best for: Curious readers who enjoy people-watching
At a glance
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Psychology
- Length
- about 617 pages (the median across its editions)
- Editions
- 7 on Open Library
From Open Library and Wikidata public records. Missing rows mean the records do not list that fact.
Themes
- Why people act as they do
- Emotions and self-awareness
- Social dynamics
What reading it is like
Long, structured chapters full of historical anecdotes, in the same style as the author's other books.
At about 617 pages it is a long read: roughly 12 hours at an average reading pace (about 250 words a minute, 300 words a page). Audiobook and edition lengths vary.
Good to know
Each chapter takes on one human trait. It is a companion in spirit to The 48 Laws of Power.
The premise
Robert Greene explores eighteen traits that drive human behavior, including envy, conformity, and aggression, and explains how to understand and handle them.
What you’ll get
- Many historical examples
- Insights into people at work and home
- A useful companion to Greene's earlier books
You might skip it if you want a short, light read.
More by Robert Greene on the Top 100: The 48 Laws of Power
Pairs well with: The 48 Laws of Power · Influence
Keep exploring the chart
Also on the chart at #26 and #28
Questions about The Laws of Human Nature
What rank is The Laws of Human Nature on the Top 100 books?
The Laws of Human Nature is #27 on BookWard's Top 100 books for September 2026, with a BookWard Score of 72 out of 100.
Is The Laws of Human Nature rising or falling?
Holding steady. Its weekly, monthly and yearly ranks are close together, so interest is steady rather than spiking. On Open Library, The Laws of Human Nature ranks #13 this week, #15 this month, and #20 over the past year.
Why is The Laws of Human Nature on the Top 100?
The Laws of Human Nature made the list mainly on momentum (+32.5 points) and being read right now (+19.3 points). Its smallest contribution is rising (+0.2).
How many people are reading The Laws of Human Nature right now?
Open Library's reading logs show 340 readers currently reading The Laws of Human Nature, 5,214 who want to read it and 108 who have logged it as read (as of 2026-09-30). These are counts from one public source, not all readers.
How much interest has The Laws of Human Nature had over the past year?
1,309 Open Library shelf adds in the past 12 months (peak October 2025, 160); latest three months down 4% on the prior three. Figures come from Open Library and Wikipedia public data.
Who is The Laws of Human Nature best for?
Curious readers who enjoy people-watching.
Ask a question about The Laws of Human Nature
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How we know
This page is built from public data: Open Library’s dated reading-log and ratings dumps, Wikipedia page views, Wikidata, and BookWard’s own monthly Top 100 snapshots. The interest rank blends shelf adds (45%), Wikipedia page views (30%), rating activity (10%) and, for months where a snapshot exists, BookWard’s own score (15%), each as a percentile among the Top 100 books. Every month shown is real data; nothing is estimated. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Last updated September 2026. Read the full methodology.
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