to this day this book is a cornerstone of modern political theory

Reading The Prince made me realize that I liked Machiavelli's take on the justness and rightness of war better than the Catholic philosophers. To use a metaphor from a class I took on the Great Books on World Politics, where the Catholics tried to fit a square peg into a round hole, Machiavelli just used the round peg. In other words, rather than using convoluted logic to make a dubious argument as Aquinas insisted upon, Machiavelli used one maxim--uphold the benefit of the people of the state above all else--and drew conclusions from that. Sure, this may require unsavory acts, but at least he is upfront and honest about it. He doesn't cloak it in the way Aquinas and Augustine do. ( )

The best way to manipulate a group of people. Very readable translation. GMA's bible in controlling the Filipino masses. ( )