The Prince (Special Student Edition) [Paperback]

Niccolò Machiavelli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2007

Special Student Edition has a special margin on each page to allow students to make notations. Complete translated text with an introduction on the life of Machiavelli.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Machiavelli] can still engage our attention with remarkable immediacy, and this cannot be explained solely by the appeal of his ironic observations on human behaviour. Perhaps the most important thing is the way he can compel us to reflect on our own priorities and the reasoning behind them; it is this intrusion into our own defenses that makes reading him an intriguing experience. As a scientific exponent of the political art Machiavelli may have had few followers; it is as a provocative rhetorician that he has had his real impact on history. from the Introduction by Dominic Baker-Smith --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Arc Manor; Stu Spl edition (March 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979415403
• ISBN-13: 978-0979415401
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Europe > England > General
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Europe > General
  • #36 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Politics > History & Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guide to gaining and maintaining power, March 27, 2008

By 

Steve Burns (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Prince (Special Student Edition) (Paperback)

This book was written by the famous Italian statesman Niccolo Machiavelli in 1531. This book is a classic and I was pleasantly surprised that the content was not dated and the principles translate easily into the modern worlds of business and politics.
The author wrote this book as an instruction guide for governing princes in the 1500's when Italy was divided into city states and were being defeated by many foreign powers. I belive that the work is directed to Lorenzo de Medici by a letter included in the work and because at the end of the writing Machiavelli calls for a prince to unite and lead Italy against its oppressors.
The book is not unethical as I had imagined from my understanding of the ruthlessness of Machiavellian ethics. The author is only explaining tactics to use to maintain power in a kingdom or city state that are pragmatic for his time period.
Here are some examples of principles from the book:
1. When conquering a territory keep the current laws and institutions in place, but eliminate all the family of the defeated prince.
2. When trouble is sensed ahead of time it can be easily remedied, if you wait for it to show itself, it is to late.
3. Whoever is responsible for another becoming powerful, ruins himself.
4. There is no surer way of keeping possesion than by devastation.
5. Men do you are harm either because they hate you or they fear you.
6. Violence must be inflicted once and for all, it must be over quickly.
7. Build your power through the people.
8. Power is maintained through religious institutions.
9. Neglect the art of war and you lose your state.
10. If you act virtuously, you will be undone by those who are not, make use of this or not according to need.
The above is just a small sampling of the lessons in this book. My review can not do this book justice, it is full of wisdom and life lessons. It is a guide book for business leaders and politicians. I strongly suggest adding this book to your home library and referring to it often

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, So-so Edition, March 19, 2009

By 

Jean-Paul Valois (Brussels, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Prince (Special Student Edition) (Paperback)

This edition of Machiavelli's "The Prince" obviously received considerable attention by the publisher. It is intricately typeset, and on each page there is a reasonably wide column left for notes.

Unfortunately the aesthetics of the typesetting while sound as long as they are judged upon pure technicality, are superficially lavish in ways that do not typographically (or typography-historically) fit the subject matter. Despite that, while the large drop-caps are certainly "loud", they do not greatly distract from the content which is fascinating indeed.

If you have the money, there are more professionally treated editions. However, for its price, this edition is a reasonable proposition for the student on a tight budget.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Prince, July 20, 2010

By 

NanD "NanD" (Central Coast Cali) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Prince (Special Student Edition) (Paperback)

Fast delivery! Book perfect condition, daughter has to read it for summer homework ... thanks! Not sure if a 14 year old will understand, may have to re-read a few times and ask a lot of questions ... this book is so relevant to our current political madness.