The Prince is a political treatise written by the Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli in the year 1532 A.D. After its publication, the work has been seen either as masterpiece or a road map to all things evil, making it one of the most controversial books of all time.
The Prince is based on Machiavelli’s firsthand account as a Florentine diplomat in Renaissance Europe, which offered him a unique look at one of the most volatile Geopolitical landscapes in the world. The Prince provides an unpromising picture on the nature of power, whether it is concerning an ambitious Italian prince who lived 500 years ago or a CEO of a modern day corporation.
Machiavelli’s writing focuses on the trials and tribulations a leader will go through and what he needs to do in order to achieve his/her goal. Some of the ideas written in The Prince include the ability of leader to make difficult decisions, the need to read, choosing wisely, on cruelty, avoiding flatterers and fools, not being hesitant, etc.
While many ancient texts and books announce with a zealotry fervor that power comes from a divine being or how modern day self-help books rely on self-deception, Machiavelli’s The Prince takes an unflinching look at the nature of power and the result is a hauntingly accurate description on the nature of man.
The Prince is the holy bible for people who seek to govern in an efficient and just manner. Though some of his points are up to scrutiny in this modern world, surprisingly most of his ideas still hold true 500 years after their publication and his ideas are still being adopted into many modern institutions in one way or another.
