100. The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

100!! I did it!!

What a fascinating book! Published in 1532, this political treatise is basically Machiavelli's master plan for seizing and holding power. Apparently, Machiavelli sent it to Lorenzo de Medici, a member of the Florentine family that basically ruled the center of the Renaissance. In it, Machiavelli discusses the qualities of principalities (basically, what a prince has control over) and the reasons for their successes and failures. He also shows how many men try to acquire and keep these principalities, and discusses means of attack and defense that can be applied to defend them.

Some of Machiavelli's assertions are, in my opinion, quite true and realistic ... while others are quite disturbing. While I was reading this book, I found myself taking so many notes: this will definitely be a book that I buy and will have to re-read. I'll share some parts that stood out to me.

Cruelty can be called well used (if it is even permitted to use the word "well" in connection with evil) if it is executed at a single stroke out of the necessity to secure one's power, and then is not continued but converted into the greatest possible benefit for one's subjects. Badly used cruelty is cruelty that, even if initially limited, increases with time rather than subsiding.

Also, from the chapter entitled "Of The Different Types of Armies, and of Mercenaries":

The prince must therefore never shift his attention from the exercise of war, even in times of peace, and he must do this both in action and in mind. As for action, he must not only keep his troops well trained and organized, but must also himself continuously go out hunting, keeping his body accustomed to hardship, while learning the lay of the land ... He must do this with the greatest application[.]

In other words: be prepared, and know your enemies! This is a great quote that every president should read:

The choice of advisers is very important for a prince: Advisers are able or not, depending on the prince's wisdom. One can assess a prince's intelligence by looking at men with whom he surrounds himself. If they are capable and loyal, one can consider the prince prudent, because he was able to discern their ability and managed to keep them loyal. But when these men are lacking in quality, one can consider the prince as deficient because it is in choosing his advisers that he can make his first mistake.

I also loved the chapter on whether it is better to be feared or loved. I would absolutely love to read what other writers have said about it: it's only four pages, but it is so deep! Someone should write a book applying that idea to the concept of how we view God. God is supposed to be the the Creator, the All-Merciful, the All-Loving ... but it's considered a positive attribute to be "God-fearing." Is it better that we love God - or fear God?

I'm glad I ended on such a great piece of work. Thank you SO much to all who have been following my blog and for your thoughtful and insightful comments. I'll be taking a break from reading for a few days ... but don't worry, I'll be back! :)