The 50th Law – My First Book Review (3.9/5)

This is not a typical review. It’s more of what I learned from the book.

I finished The 50th Law. Took me almost two weeks. I took breaks here and there but tried to read about an hour every day. Real reason I started was to stop scrolling on my phone. Most people spend so much time trying to figure out why they feel tired in the morning. Looking at your phone right before bed is a big part of it. Saw a YouTube video about that and decided to test it. Long story short, it worked. I slept way better after reading for an hour before bed. Checked my watch before and after and it showed more REM and deep sleep.

I’m giving it a 3.9 out of 5.

The main idea of The 50th Law is simple: fear is the biggest crutch. Because you’re afraid, you never do the things you actually want. We spend so much time scared of failure, rejection, and just being ourselves that we never get where we want to go. 50 Cent and Robert Greene break it down into different ways fear shows up and how to push past each one. Some of it is about seeing reality clearly, some is about turning bad situations into advantages, some is about keeping momentum, and the last part hits hard on facing the fact that you’re going to die one day.

The way I see it is this: we’re so afraid of dying and failing that we forget to actually live. We double-think everything because if we fail people might laugh, or we think it’s the end. 50 Cent’s point is that the only time you can really live is when you stop being afraid of death. That’s hard for a lot of people if they’ve never been close to it.

I have. When I was about 12 I caught pneumonia and bronchitis at the same time. Doctors told my mom there wasn’t enough medicine to treat both. One of them basically whispered that the pneumonia was going to kill me because I was burning up inside. Temperature was ridiculous. Spoiler: I survived. A WW2 nurse is the reason I’m still here, but that’s a different short story.

Then later I had appendicitis that had already ruptured for a week or two. Doctor said I could’ve died from that too. Looking back, I never really thought much about either of those times.

After reading this book I realized I’ve kind of been living by that idea since then without knowing it. The book just puts it into words: live now. Stop wasting time thinking about living and actually go do it. Don’t be afraid to apply for the job or ask out the person you like. The worst real outcome is death. Everything else you can try again as long as you’re still here.

Some people may never have a near-death experience. This book is probably the wake-up call for them, especially since it comes with 50 Cent’s real experiences. Reading what he’s been through makes you look back at your own life and see the times you wanted to do something but let fear stop you. That means go for the promotion, the position, the job, or even just talking to people. Life’s too short and being afraid makes it shorter.

The writing itself is a mix. Robert Greene brings in a lot of historical examples and 50 Cent brings in his own stories from the streets and the music business. Sometimes the two styles click and it feels strong. Other times it feels a little forced, like they’re trying to make every story fit the point.

It does drag a bit though. You kind of get the concept after the first seven chapters, and the last three feel like they’re just building on it. They work, but at the cost of feeling stretched out.

I’m not a professional reviewer. I’m just making this for people like myself who want simple and honest reviews from someone regular, not all these paid reviewers. If you’ve been stuck in your own head about failing or looking stupid, this book is worth reading once. Just know the second half moves slower.