The Prince
by Niccolò Machiavelli
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“Books on strategy that stand the test of time: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides All the works of BH Liddell Hart The Book of Five Rings by Musashi The Prince by Machiavelli 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene | Everyone in politics should read Machiavelli's The Prince. That book argues that a core principle of power is that the prince governs by creating both love and fear: holding out a carrot to his supporters but also being willing to destroy his opponents with a stick. | To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”
Source →“Books on strategy that stand the test of time: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides All the works of BH Liddell Hart The Book of Five Rings by Musashi The Prince by Machiavelli 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene | Everyone in politics should read Machiavelli's The Prince. That book argues that a core principle of power is that the prince governs by creating both love and fear: holding out a carrot to his supporters but also being willing to destroy his opponents with a stick. | To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”
Source →Recommended by 4 notable people, including Ryan Holiday and Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Should I read this?
Recommended by 10 sources and appears in Books Recommended by Ryan Holiday, Politics, and Philosophy.
Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. 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. When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatis...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 10 sources and appears in Books Recommended by Ryan Holiday, Politics, and Philosophy.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Genevieve Guenther
“Books on strategy that stand the test of time: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides All the works of BH Liddell Hart The Book of Five Rings by Musashi The Prince by Machiavelli 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene | Everyone in politics should read Machiavelli's The Prince. That book argues that a core principle of power is that the prince governs by creating both love and fear: holding out a carrot to his supporters but also being willing to destroy his opponents with a stick. | To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”
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Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
The Prince
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