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| The Prince (Modern Library Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Niccolo Machiavelli
Creators: Albert Russell Ascoli, Peter Constantine
Publisher: Modern Library
Category: Book
List Price: $8.00
Buy New: $3.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 20532
Media: Paperback
Edition: Modern Library Pbk. Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0812978056
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.1
EAN: 9780812978056
ASIN: 0812978056
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The first modern treatise of political philosophy, The Prince remains one of the world’s most influential and widely read books. Machiavelli, whose name has become synonymous with expedient exercises of will, reveals nothing less than the secrets of power: how to gain it, how to wield it, and how to keep it. But curiously, this work of outspoken clarity has, for centuries, inspired myriad interpretations as to its author’s true message.
The Introduction by noted Italian Renaissance scholar Albert Russell Ascoli provides a perfect opening to Peter Constantine’s illuminating new translation of this seminal work.
"Constantine elegantly captures in English the pith of Machiavelli’s brilliant Italian prose."
–Edward Muir, Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
“Peter Constantine’s excellent translation belongs in everyone’s library. Perhaps now more than ever we have much to learn from this Renaissance thinker, present at the birth of the modern world.”
–John Jeffries Martin, professor of history, Duke University
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| Customer Reviews:
A guide to gaining and maintaining power March 27, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book was written by the famous Italian statesman Niccolo Machiavelli in 1531. This book is a classic and I was pleasantly surprised that the content was not dated and the principles translate easily into the modern worlds of business and politics.
The author wrote this book as an instruction guide for governing princes in the 1500's when Italy was divided into city states and were being defeated by many foreign powers. I belive that the work is directed to Lorenzo de Medici by a letter included in the work and because at the end of the writing Machiavelli calls for a prince to unite and lead Italy against its oppressors.
The book is not unethical as I had imagined from my understanding of the ruthlessness of Machiavellian ethics. The author is only explaining tactics to use to maintain power in a kingdom or city state that are pragmatic for his time period.
Here are some examples from the book:
1. When conquering a territory keep the current laws and institutions in place, but eliminate all the family of the defeated prince.
2. When trouble is sensed ahead of time it can be easily remedied, if you wait for it to show itself, it is to late.
3. Whoever is responsible for another becoming powerful, ruins himself.
4. There is no surer way of keeping possesion than by devastation.
5. Men do you are harm either because they hate you or they fear you.
6. Violence must be inflicted once and for all, it must be over quickly.
7. Build your power through the people.
8. Power is maintained through religious institutions.
9. Neglect the art of war and you lose your state.
10. If you act virtuously, you will be undone by those who are not, make use of this or not according to need.
The above is just a small sampling of the lessons in this book. My review can not do this book justice, it is full of wisdom and life lessons. It is a guide book for business leaders and politicians. I strongly suggest adding this book to your home library and referring to it often.
A Great Leadership Guide May 11, 2008
"The Prince" by Machiavelli is one of the greatest classics of political science. Unfortunately, Machiavelli has developed a reputation for encouraging leaders to stop at nothing in order to get power. While it is true that Machiavelli advocates that leaders must sometimes do wrong in order to maintain power, he doesn't advocate doing wrong only to hold power. In Machiavelli's world view, the stability of a leader's power is actually a greater good for a society. It must be remembered that the world in which Machiavelli was writing in was a war-torn 16th century Italy. In this world, leaders would often change and this would lead to economic instability and violence. A strong leader would reduce this instability and bring prosperity to the citizens of his country.
Another thing that might surprise readers is that Machiavelli is a believer in the power of the people. As a staunch republican, he believed that the strongest base of power for a leader is the people that he leads. As you read through this book, you'll notice an interesting split between Machiavelli's opinion of individuals and of the people. Machiavelli is very critical of individuals--setting them up as people who can't be trusted and which must be held at arms-length. However, when talking of the people, he claims that a ruler cannot rule for long without the support of the people. In fact, he goes so far as to say that the support of the people is stronger than any fortress. The citizens of a state are it's strongest fortress.
There are many intriguing ideas presented in "The Prince". No doubt you'll be able to find something that applies to your situation. I highly recommend this especially to anyone involved with people management whether in business or in school.
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