The younger son of Jewish parents,[4] Greene grew up in Los Angeles and attended University of California, Berkeley before finishing his degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.A. in classical studies.[5] Before becoming an author, Greene estimates that he worked 80 jobs, including as a construction worker, translator, magazine editor, and Hollywood movie writer.[6] In 1995, Greene worked as a writer at Fabrica, an art and media school in Italy, and met a book packager named Joost Elffers.[1] Greene pitched a book about power to Elffers and wrote a treatment which eventually became The 48 Laws of Power. He would note this as the turning point of his life.[7]