A review by sophiadale
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

I read in part because it’s a classic and I’d heard of being “Machiavellian” and would like to consider myself to be “well-read” one day, and also  in part because I wanted to practice reading formal text with a lot of referentials as I study for the LSAT. What I didn’t expect was how engaging the simple prose would be and how quickly it would pass. I reflected on many aspects of our modern government and how this thinking might be reflected in social or business dynamics. Really useful, thought provoking, and interesting read that surprised me in its applicability. 

And it was worth the cheeky laugh discovering that Michael Scott cribbed his answer to the age old question of if it’s better to be loved or feared (spoiler, Michael’s answer “both” was not far off from Machiavelli’s! I laughed!)

The “Simon & Schuster Pocket Books: Enriched Classic” edition had a fantastic introduction, useful footnotes with brief summaries of relevant historical events or figures, and notes with excerpts from scholars on the text or context. Incredibly helpful in understanding as I read on my own and without any classroom instruction.  Strongly recommend!