by Luke Butner

“It is necessary to know well how to disguise [your faithlessness], and to be a great pretender and dissembler; [because] men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”          -Machiavelli, “The Prince”

“The Prince” by Nicolo Machiavelli is not your typical Sunday afternoon read. Instead, “The Prince” includes many heavy subjects, particularly focusing on what it takes to be the ruler of a state. Many scholars adore “The Prince” because it uses extensive Italian and ancient history and applies it to leadership methods. This reading was both very interesting and humorous to read.

Some of the topics covered in “The Prince” include how a ruler’s reputation will affect them, how princes avoid being conspired against by their subjects and even why it is important to murder the previous ruling family. Machiavelli provides historical evidence to support his views on each of his claims.

In one such instance, Machiavelli writes about how a ruler can establish themselves if they are from the private sector, in other words, how a regular civilian can become a ruler over a state. He says that a ruler can either gain power by taking the kingdom over by force or by gaining the favor of the people. Machiavelli uses Agathocles, King of Syracuse, as an example of a king who took his kingdom by brute force. The king, Machiavelli claims, was a poor man in his principality. Then, by mastering the art of war, was able to achieve a high rank in the military. He used this power to overthrow the previous ruler of Syracuse and achieve kingsmanship through brute force.

Overall, “The Prince” is an excellent book to read for people who are interested in leadership theory and/or history. It provides not only a very satirical view on the philosophy of leading, but he also uses lessons from history to solidify and provide evidence for his views. Machiavelli goes very in-depth and expands on his points in a well-written manner. Although the language can be convoluted at first, his arguments are repeated at the end in a concise manner, making it easier to track when he expands on those points. Because he provides so many histories, his points feel less like his own opinion and more like he researched them.

This book gets a 4/5 star rating from me because of its unique and humorous nature, but not give it a 5-star review because it is very convoluted, especially in the beginning which may turn off some readers.