The Prince

In the treatise, Machiavelli describes in detail the ways of gaining and retaining power. The author supports each of his theses with an example from history. He analyzes the actions and strategies of such historical figures as Alexander the Great and King Cyrus, Pope Alexander and his son Cesare Borgia, Charles VII and Louis XI, the biblical David and the ancient Greek Achilles, and many others. He reflects on what they did right, where they went wrong, and what solution would make things right again. The Prince is useful to read not only for every politician, but also for every manager. Incredibly, half a millennium has passed since the writing of this treatise, and the advice that Niccolò Machiavelli gives to his sovereign is still very relevant.