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2,075107,734 (3.79)3
Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power.nbsp;nbsp;Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince . . . a king . . . a president.nbsp;nbsp;When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic.nbsp;nbsp;In The Prince he envisioned would be unencumbered by ordinary ethical and moral values; his prince would be man and beast, fox and lion.nbsp;nbsp;Today, this small sixteenth-century masterpiece has become essential reading for every student of government, and is the ultimate book on power politics.… (more)
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The Prince (Bantam Classics) by Niccolò Machiavelli (1532)

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» See also 3 mentions

English (8)  Italian (1)  All languages (9)
Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
Donald Trump’s operating manual along with [b:Mein Kampf|54270|Mein Kampf|Adolf Hitler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395618385l/54270._SY75_.jpg|2049624]. ( )
  Gumbywan | Jun 24, 2022 |
Worth reading if only to understand how some people are able to view power sans morality. Not very prescriptive for real life, but an interesting classic work none the less. ( )
  awesame | Jul 4, 2020 |
A must read for an one developing ethics. ( )
  geniemagik | Dec 5, 2013 |
Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power.
2 vote HanoarHatzioni | Jun 10, 2009 |
Clothed in the indignation of a dearth of ethics, Machiavelli's great masterpiece was met with contempt by his contemporaries, horrified by the preponderances of this political idealist.

Coining the idea that the "ends may justify the means," Machiavelli proposes that rulers should not be restrained by the bounds civilians posess hindering their actions. According to Machiavelli, rulers have the wherewithal to determine the best course of action for their constituents. Correspondingly the ruler should seek to be both loved and feared by their populous but always in the presence of clear thought and cool logic endowed with the desire to benefit their people through the best course of action available. Ultimately, the Prince should have the final say on matters choosing based on his personal digression, not the often muddled yearns of the populous.

Political idealists of today's era recognize the sacrifices necessary to provide for the people. They recognize, as Machiavelli did in the dawn of the 16th Century, that executives cannot afford to be restricted by blind morality, compromising the well-being of their people.

However many people claim that Machiavelli's work is too harsh, too obdurate, leaving supposedly infallible executives in control of a suppressed and subservient people. In response, Machiavelli does not openly welcome immorality. Far from it. Machiavelli offers the ability to rulers to choose an immoral action in the exhaustion of every other alternative. Only then do the ends justify the means.

The Prince's only flaw is that it was written by Machiavelli as a plea for a position in the Medici regime of 16th Century Florence. The Prince was a means to an end for Machiavelli written with an air of obsequiousness commending the glories of Medici in the hopes of a return to politics.

Machiavelli writes a well-thought out political treatise documenting escapes out of the political conundrums that befuddle even the most able and adroit rulers. Machiavelli's message resounds with increasing clarity as the problems facing modern executives grow increasingly cryptic. ( )
1 vote bcjunior13 | Nov 2, 2008 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Niccolò Machiavelliprimary authorall editionscalculated
Donne, DanielTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Donno, DanielEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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To the Magnificent Lorenzo Di Piero De' Medici:

Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are
accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most
precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one
often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and
similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.
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Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power.nbsp;nbsp;Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince . . . a king . . . a president.nbsp;nbsp;When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic.nbsp;nbsp;In The Prince he envisioned would be unencumbered by ordinary ethical and moral values; his prince would be man and beast, fox and lion.nbsp;nbsp;Today, this small sixteenth-century masterpiece has become essential reading for every student of government, and is the ultimate book on power politics.

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