Rating: 
Summary: Machivellian at Heart
Review: After being described as Machiavellian by some of the fellow members of my youth government group, I decided to find out what they meant. I soon discovered that to be Machiavellian, is to be " a person having ruthless ambition, craftiness, and merciless political tactics." I took this comparison as a compliment and learned more Niccolo Machiavelli by reading one of his books, The Prince. The Prince begins with an in-depth historical introduction by Christian Gauss discussing the history of Italy. This background is essential so that readers have a basic understanding of where Machiavelli was coming from with his ideas. Machiavelli, a son of a Florentine lawyer, lived back in the 16th Century. He was a humanist and grew up reading the works of the Romans and the Greeks. It was because of his studies that he was able to analyze history and formulate his own theories on ruling a nation. Following this introduction, Machiavelli essentially provides the first ever "idiots guide to ruling a country" in 26 chapters. Within these chapters he answers questions such as whether it is better to be hated by the people or loved by the aristocracy, whether one should raise armies within a nation or hirer mercenaries, and what happens when you rule as a villain. Machiavelli's philosophy on every aspect of ruling a nation is discussed within this novel. The best part of this novel is how straightforward Machiavelli was in his writing. He cuts the fluff, and is blunt with his points. He is also very original in his thoughts about power. He does not try to conceal the political motives. In one section Machiavelli clearly presents his view on the importance for a prince to have religion:Whoever reads Roman history attentively will see in how great a degree religion served in the command of the armies, in uniting the people and keeping them well conducted, and in covering the wicked with shame. (Machiavelli, pg. 78) In this quote, Machiavelli never talks about how spirituality is important in satiating a God. Instead he talks about how a ruler can take advantage of a religion's power to be a massive propaganda machine. This is just the way Machiavelli presents his ideas. His views are often described as ruthless, but I feel they are just honest, accurate reflections of men's motives in politics. When reading the book, the only thing that bothered me was that my knowledge of European history is severely lacking. Frequently within the novel Machiavelli would make references to ancient battles such as the Venetians and France versus the Duke of Milan, or ancient people such as the Spartans, or the Medici. For this reason I would advise taking an AP or College Class in European History. A important insight is lost by a reader without this knowledge in any number of quotes such as this one: But when one cannot avoid it, as happened in the case of the Florentines when the Pope and Spain went with their armies to attack Lombardy, the prince ought to join for the above reasons. (Machiavelli, pg. 112) In this quote, I was completely ignorant to the fact that Spain and the Pope ever united, and furthermore that they then attacked a country, Lombardy, one that I had never heard of before. It was just frustrating to read a section and be completely bewildered afterwards, so that is why I suggest having a good knowledge of history before reading this book. By the end of the novel, my mind was racing with Machiavelli's theories on being a great ruler and I was anxious to go out and conquer my own nation. Unfortunately, Machiavelli wrote this a while ago and many of the things he described cannot be implemented today. However, a lot of his basic ideas can still be applied and this serves as an inspiration for me in my quest for power. Even though the days of Princes ruling are dead, anyone from modern day politicians to tech-company owners can appreciate Machiavelli's theories about control of power.
Rating:
Summary: Very Logical and Very Well Written
Review: This book is perhaps one of Machiavelli's best work. It was published after he died and it has some of the most logical points I've ever read. There is definitely a more logical philosopher who was Chinese, but I won't go into too many details. In The Prince, Machiavelli's example of ruling by fear is mainly due to the fact that he had noticed how the Church was controlling people and this was also by fear. Machiavelli has used a very good example of this and gives out clear reasons and strategical tips. This is one of the most important chapters in the book. Although I've only listed this thing, there are a lot of arguments here that need to be looked at. Buy this book and take your time to carefully read it. The Prince is a very important work and it has arguments that are logically made. Also, the language is not too difficult. It's also quite interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: An Inspiring Book
Review: The Prince was an excellent book. After all these problems and arguments approached us after the election of the President of the United States, I got into the whole politics idea. I got this book thinking that it was going to be a nice political fiction novel, but instead it was a miniature constitution that defines the whole purpose of a leader and his or her responsibilities to their people. I was wowed by Machiavelli's witt and strong words. This book is read in college political science classes, but I believe it should be read in the public schools for future grown adults. This book tells of the difficult decisions a leader of a country, in this case Italy, must take to ensure the nobility and strength of their country. Maybe if this was required reading for every school, then maybe the people of any country would understand the power and the stress that is on a leader. Perhaps then they would realize they shouldn't think so egotistically of their leaders when they were only acting human. on their leaders so much. This is an inspiring book to the reader's mind. I have learned so much more about politics and a leader's responsibilities. I now can see the leader's viewpoint. Machiavelli is a very gifted writer. The founding fore-fathers of our dear country read this book and sided with it. Perhaps that is why our country is the way it is today. Very strong and powerful. I think this book is very important to human society and should be required reading. I really enjoyed this book and I grasped it well. I undestand politcs more thoroughly now than I ever had. I believe I got what I needed and wanted out of "The Prince".
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, but Don't Miss the Comedy
Review: Speaking as it does about popes who break their word, Roman emperors with criminal tendencies and the illustrious saviors of Italy, The Prince would seem, on the surface, to be a most serious book. And it is. On the surface. However, anyone who is well-acquainted with Machiavelli will recognize a recurrence of much of the lighter terminology of his comedy, The Mandragola, in The Prince. In fact, Callimaco, the protagonist of The Mandragola, is also a fine example of a prince, in Machiavellian terms. In Chapter Six of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses princes who seem to rule thanks to their own powers. One such prince is Moses, although Machiavelli is quite unsure about exactly what it was that made him a ruler and he doesn't say much more about him than "(Moses) had such a good teacher." When discussing ecclesiastical states in Chapter Eleven, Machiavelli expresses a certain modesty. "It would be a rash and imprudent man who ventured to discuss them." This modesty, however, needs to be taken with a very large grain of salt, as Machiavelli does go on to discuss the history of the papacy, treating popes in much the same way as secular princes, i.e., in military, political and temporal terms. In fact, the only indication Machiavelli ever gives about the nature of power sanctioned by God is in his brief reference to Moses. "(Moses) should still be admired, if only for that special grace which made him worthy of talking with God." Whatever power God transfered to Moses was transferred verbally, at least according to Machiavelli. Attention to language, when reading The Prince, is crucial. Much of the force of this book derives from a single set of terms: Fortuna and Virtu. While Virtu has been translated in many different ways, the closest interpretations are "power" or "strength of character." While it can refer to one's strength of body or mind, it can also refer to the strength of an entire nation. Fortuna, which is usually translated as "fortune" or "luck," is a term that carries much tradition, deriving mainly from Boethius's The Consolation of Philosophy. In Chapter Twenty-Five of The Prince, Machiavelli alters both the denotation and connotation of Fortuna. Rather than portraying Fortuna as a goddess who has complete control over human affairs, he insists on joint control. "I think it may be true that Fortune governs half more or less of our actions, but that even so she leaves the other half more or less in our power to control." Fortune, he says, is a woman, and she will give men room to act if they will only treat her right. In the penultimate chapter of The Prince, Machiavelli explains how human affairs are ruled by both Fortuna and Virtu. If Fortune seems to be unfavorable, a man must create his own destiny, but only if Virtu will let him! Machiavelli uses the example of Pope Julius II who "proceeded boldly" where all circumstances seemed to oppose him. This echoes Callimaco in the Mandragola: Will he have enough Virtu to overcome Lucrezia's virtue and anything else Fortuna may decide to throw at him? Will he even get to see her? Another notion used in The Prince is that of Occasione, or opportunity. This is a concept that is very important to Machiavelli, attested to by his re-writing of an epigram by Ausonius in which Machiavelli depicts opportunity as a woman who is always on the move and one that is very difficult to catch! In the final chapter of The Prince, Machiavelli addresses the importance of Occasione, exclaiming that the time is ripe for a prince to stand up and deliver Italy from the barbarians. He also remarks on how an Occasione, and the more difficult the better, can bring out a character's Virtu. Throughout all of The Prince we see the use of example and experience. In the dedication to Lorenzo de Medici, Machiavelli speaks of his "knowledge of the actions of great men, acquired through long experience of contemporary affairs and extended reading in antiquity." The semantics of The Prince, the field of reference of Machiavelli's poetic rhetoric, connect the drama to the political tract. The description of Fortuna as a "ruinous river" is only one example of how the semantic field of The Prince is one of action, of the here and now, and of force. "Fortune is a woman, and the man who wants to hold her down must beat and bully her." It is important to act now because the opportunity for the rescue of Italy will not wait on the arrival of a prince. Machiavelli's strategy in The Prince is to establish the validity of his general remarks and principles, using examples from history, recounting brief episodes that prove his point. The rhetoric that Machiavelli uses in The Prince is impressive, and it has proven very convincing, even after five centuries. But if we aren't aware that, in the end, it is rhetoric, we may fall for any of Machiavelli's many traps. Language is what reconstitutes our reality. In The Prince, Machiavelli uses impressive terminology and rhetorical strategies for the worthiest of causes: the unification of Italy. The argument in The Prince, however, is a rhetorical one and that rhetoric is, itself, just a tool for constructing reality rather than a means for getting at some truth about a pre-existing reality. Perhaps it even shows that corruption and nobility are matters of perspective and not inherent opposites. A prince is, after all, likely to have far different objectives than a common young Florentine, although both may well use the same method of satisfying their desire.
Rating:
Summary: Read it often!
Review: I read The Prince and the Discourses about twice a year. The only other book I do this with is The Art of War. I've found something new in it every time. It's too bad that "Machiavellian" has become somewhat synonymous with evil. On a practical level, I find that reading the Prince helps me actually react more calmly and pleasantly to troublesome co-workers, a skill more people need. It is too often and to simply summed up with the phrase "The End Justifies The Means." There is far more to the Prince than that. The American Founding Fathers were big fans of Machiavelli, with good reason. It should be required reading for future grown-ups.
Rating:
Summary: Desnudando al hombre
Review: Frecuentemente se ha calificado a Maquiavelo como un pensador pesimista en cuanto a su visión del hombre. ¿Por qué? Si leemos su obra, sin tapujos, sin prejuicios, sólo podemos aceptar sus dictados. Este genial primer hombre moderno consigue retratar atemporalmente el comportamiento del hombre es sociedad; y no sólo de una forma global, encontraremos también reflexiones sobre el individuo de gran valor. Nadie debería perderse esta lectura.
Rating: 
Summary: Danny Does Donna
Review: "The Prince" is one of the view books from college that I've actually kept. It is splendid reading on several levels. First, one appreciates Machiavelli as a problem solver. Italy is divided; what is the most practical and efficient means for a wise prince to consolidate his power and unify it? But one also appreciates Machiavelli as a person. A florentine intellectual banished to the countryside--it wouldn't be a bad life for some of us, but to him it must have been torture. I was once asked whether Machiavelli was a cynic, a realist, or a patriot, and I believe the correct answer is all three. Much of Machiavelli's advice contains an under current of cynicism and ruthlessness, and this has undoubtedly come to be the dominant portion of his reputation. One of the terms for devil, "Old Nick" is derived from Machiavelli. When one speaks of destroying an enemy or performing a ruthless, sneaky act, that person is likely to be called "machiavellian". But Machiavelli's advice was as realistic as one could get in those times. This was an era when despots and mercenaries ruled by force and assasination. It was a time when popes fathered children and carved out little principalities for themselves. One was not going to remain in power, much less get ahead of one's enemies by being virtuous. It isn't that Machiavelli despised virtue so much as he realized how useless it was in the political context of the times. But in the end Machiavelli was also an idealist. He dreamed of a united Italy under a strong (and practical) prince. When he dedicated his treatise to Rodorigo Borgia, he did so in the hopes that he might be the man to perform such a task. This book provides timeless practical advice for anyone who wishes to succeed in a hostile, divisive environment. It also illuminates the peculiar political circumstances of Renaissance Italy.
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Summary: Read it in school...
Review: Hey. I read a part of this in school for World Civilizations class and for an assingment we had to change parts into our own words and once we did that it was SO much easier to understand what Machiavelli was trying to say. It was very interseting.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let others tell it to you. Read it on your own
Review: Few new things can be said about this must-read classic. I strongly recommend its reading due to the frequent misunderstandings about its learnings. He doesn't support any action to get your goals no matter the means. "no glory can be get from that way of acting", even though you must weigh the chance of doing so. The rational behind that is simply: "men are fickle". So, even if you are not ready to act this way, others will do. So, get ready!!!. Do not let the others cheat you. One more learning: If you take over a situation, don't rely on who supported you against the former leader (If you betray onefold, you will do it twofold), try to get the buy-in from who fighted against you upfront. They seems much more reliable. Even better, do not rely on anyone.
Rating:
Summary: How to best your enemies and friends!
Review: Learn what not to do in your next encounter in the modern day battlefield - the board room. These strategies can easily be translated into situations that exist today.
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