The Prince

The Prince is a book written by Niccolò Machiavelli an Italian philosopher and writer who lived in the 16th century. The book is a treatise on political power and leadership and is considered one of the most influential works on the subject. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guide for rulers who seek to maintain and expand their power. He argues that rulers should be willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals including deception manipulation and violence. He also suggests that rulers should not be bound by traditional moral standards but should instead be guided by a pragmatic sense of what is necessary to maintain power.