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Summary: The Greatest Book On Real Life I Have Ever Read!
Review: This is a great book on how real life works. Some of the military tactics he described are used now in war, and business. If Napolean had read this, he wouldn't have lost at Waterloo!!
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Summary: "Il Principe" - the manual to dictatorship
Review: Machiavelli's "Prince" is set in 16th century Italy, in the Republic of Florence. Italy is dominated, and lets itself be ruled by foreign forces. The Italian people is socially split, and geographically divided into countless states of, in some cases, ridiculous size. The once so flourishing Italy is politically subdued. Machiavelli, a renowned politician and diplomat, is aware of the current situation, and feels the necessity for a change. He wants to bring Italy back to union, back to political power. The "Prince" is a manual which is supposed to instruct the de facto ruler of Florence Lorenzo de' Medici how to regain order in Florence, and then conquer Italy and bring it back to union. Machiavelli suggests that in a moment of political crisis, the prince, or another monarch, must take the power and rule dictatorially, until the country is again in the state of being able to govern itself. Although Machiavelli is a convinced republican, he is in favour of temporary dictatorship when the political circumstances require it. The author theorizes this in a short book consisting of 26 chapters. He instructes the monarch how to gain power and how to exercise it as a dictator. The book is not particularly gripping to read, but leads to a greater understanding of Western politics, as it is a milestone in the European political thought. It is a proof of political genius - had Machiavelli been a sovereign powerful enough to realize what he theorizes in the "Prince", I daresay that the political world might look quite different know. It is a book of great impact, and I can highly recommend it to all interested readers.
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Summary: My new bible!
Review: My new bible! If the King of England would have read this when dealing with the US colonies in the 1700s, the US may still be a part of England!!! Superb! A masterpiece! - A 16 year old
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Summary: A CLASSIC!
Review: This is a great book.All children above the age of nine should read it.What pisses me off is that it states the obvious(eg:- Might makes right) and yet very few people are willing to accept that life is like that.I blame Christianity for this.Needless to say, Macchiavelli himself was attacked by the Pope for merely stating the truth.
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Summary: Ageless
Review: Stand a coin on its edge, (one side is pragmatism [what is],the other, romanticism [what could/should be]). The PRINCE is a purely pragmatic look at life, politics and power; cold and dispassionate. At first reading it is very troubling, until one realizes that no-one is totally pragmatic and thus nobody can carry out the principles of The PRINCE in toto. However, at any given time a human can invoke Machiavellian principles of pragmatism: emotionalessness) to deal with a given situation. For this reason, The PRINCE should be required reading.
There are two sides to the workings of all peoples brains. Fortunatelly, they interact. In real human experience it is impossible to be totally pragmatic without the romantic side creating a balance. This phenomenon is what makes The PRINCE so unique, not only in literature, but also, psychology, because Machiavelli wrote a purely pragmatic treatise.
The PRINCE has had a profound influence on my life, along with Mark Twains LETTERS FROM THE EARTH. What a dichotomy! Take half of one and half of the other, mix well, and you have a balanced view of life. Kind of like listening to Rush Limbaugh and Larry King and realizing the truth is somewhere in the middle.
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Summary: A 'must read' for ambitious two-faced megalomaniacs!
Review: Politicians usually read this text in the first political science class which they take. Actually, understanding Politics without understanding the principles in this text is an impossibility. A person who does not understand the principles of this text is too naive to understand why their leaders do what they do. Politics occurs in business, family life, and other settings, as well as government; Machiavelli's rules may be applied in all of these. Though living by these rules isn't necessary, a successful politician must act with mindfulness of their implications, or face failure. Considering the far reaching implications of Machiavelli's thought, one might wonder why elementary school children do not study "the Prince." Many people don't have the guts to face what Machiavelli says. He presents the rules of 'hardball' politics; the only time that he mentions morality is when he describes the occasions in which a leader may need to fake it. Politicians have become so adept in following these rules that those whom they lead will often take offense at the suggestion that their leaders live by them. Read this book and understand the daily news. "The Prince" is the quintessential text of Political Science. The Dover edition, though small, does not lack any of the origional text. It does lack the clutter of scholarly commentaries. It belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the politics which impacts their life, but it will merely irritate the gullible
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Summary: Great book
Review: People so twisted, disturbed and lonely as to use a book review as yet another excuse to lash out at a man who left office four years ago, even though the book has nothing to do with that man, may not be Machiavellian ... but they sure are pathetic. One wonders how their life got to be this empty.
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Summary: Next to Chanakya
Review: The prince" is an honest document ,but it is not single document in political history .Chanakya was a minister of Chandra Gupta. He wrote a book "ARTH SHASTER" like "THE PRINCE" for his king.This book is very notorious in civil societies.
I think the writers of these books were very honest and faithful to thier ideas.Machiavelli was very sincere with his country and he wanted to restore ex status of his great and historical country .He studied history and lives of great rulers ,and analysis their struggles ,indeed there was a bright background of his country and some rulers Machiavelli,s approach was quite right ,and he adivesed his ideal ruler whith sincerity and honesty .His principles for ruling are unique like Roman laws Advices of Chanakya and Machiavelli to thier rulers are same ,therfore i can say easily that they are correct due to their vast experiences After Machiavelli all great rulers read this book and kept it behind their beds and acted upon its instructions .No one of them denied its principles and suggestions. This book is historical document and will be read in every age by every great ruler
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Summary: The Foundation of Political Science
Review: The Prince's place in history as the cornerstone of political science is well deserved. Machiavelli uses deductive reasoning and organizational logic to break down complicated political situations and clearly demonstrates how a leader should act in these situations. To support his analysis, he provides specific examples of successes and failures of Princes governing hereditary principalities vs. new principalities, dealing with mercenaries and auxiliaries, and many other examples. In addition to the political advice, the Prince also provides a wealth of contemporary information about renaissance age politics and figures such as Julius II, Alexander VI, Savonarola, Louis XII.
The reinterpretation of the Prince as a modern day management guidebook, however, is a bit exaggerated. While many of the underlying themes still hold true today, few of them are specifically relevant to the modern corporate environment. Some of Machiavelli's themes require specific knowledge of the historical figures to grasp while other themes are nothing more than common sense today. Still, this book should not be casually dismissed by the aspiring corporate manager. There are valuable lessons to be learned that go beyond the well known cliché that "the end justifies the means."
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Summary: one of the books to read continuously
Review: If you take life as a game of chess, and put your fears, inhibitions, morals, upbringing etc. aside, Prince, just as Book of Five Rings and Art of War, is one of the books that can help you win the game. Read it over and over.
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