The Prince

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Whoever is the occasion of another's advancement is the cause of his own diminution.

Considered one of the first works of modern philosophy, The Prince is a study on the nature of power and how to wield it. Originally written as a manual for the Duke of Urbino, Lorenzo de' Medici, Machiavelli details the flattery, intimidation and force a leader might use to reach supremacy - and stay there - using any means at their disposal.

The origin of the term 'Machiavellian', in all its amoral and underhand realpolitik, this unscrupulous treatise remains a source of inspiration, and caution, for leaders today.