Book Review (Rucksack): The Prince

The Prince

Written by Niccolò Machiavelli in 1532

The Raccoon: Machiavelli’s infamous political treatise is considered the groundbreaking work of modern political philosophy.  His collection of advice on ruling, originally intended to secure him a job with the Italian monarchy, has evolved into a controversial leadership manifesto.

UNMASKED: I was introduced to Machiavelli’s work twice before I ever touched the book.  The first time was in eighth grade, when the topic arose in my American history class and my teacher advised me, “If you want to take over the world, read The Prince.”  The second came two years later, when my European history teacher was discussing provincial Italy.  He elaborated, “Have any of you watched House of Cards?  That’s all Machiavellian politics.”  One praised The Prince as practical and useful; the other condemned it as manipulative and inhumane.  Having finally gotten to read Machiavelli and judge for myself, I find neither interpretation to be entirely correct.

Unfortunately, entire sections of the book hold no value to a layman, and, out of the worthwhile content, only very little has stood the test of time.  I had to slog through descriptions of the different types of Princedoms and armies-- Machiavelli has proven himself to be the king of subheadings and word count-- to gather the few quotes that were meaningful and applicable to modern life.

On the other hand, there certainly is gold to be found in The Prince, namely, interesting lessons that I believe will improve both my career and my relationships.  Yet, the book falls short of being a comprehensive guide to leadership.  Of course, The Prince is not heartless propaganda preaching that “the ends justify the means” either.  For example, it is a simple truth that seeming noble in public will help you build up a positive reputation faster than being truly noble but without recognition.  Yet Machiavelli does not claim that this is how one should live their life, and the reader is, of course, free to utilize the book as a buffet, taking only what he/she finds helpful.

Strengths:

• “Still, to slaughter fellow-citizens, to betray friends, to be devoid of honour, pity, and religion, cannot be counted as merits, for these are means which may lead to power, but which confer no glory.”  In other words, Machiavelli advises against becoming so power-hungry that one sacrifices his/her humanity.
• The many methods by which one can acquire a princedom are synonymous to the ways people rise in business, so Machiavelli’s commentary on the actions to take to retain one’s newfound authority is worth studying.

Weaknesses:

• “...he who is the cause of another’s greatness is himself undone,” is a terribly misguided catchphrase, even in competitive situations.
• Machiavelli contradicts himself on a few significant points, and much of his other advice is unclear as well.
• Simply reading a summary of The Prince could bestow up to 90% of the benefits.

Rating: 8/20 mercenaries

Ideal Setting: Read this the day before you start your next job, to equip yourself to rapidly rise to the position of CEO and win any Renaissance-era wars that may occur in your office.