8) The Prince, Machiavelli

…to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.

This 16th-century political treatise wasn’t officially printed until Machiavelli had been dead for five years and some claim The Prince is the first example of modern philosophy. The book slams politicians and brought the word “Machiavellian” into the English language.

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

And…

it is much safer to be feared than loved because …love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.

So, off you go. Get reading. If the thought of wading through those dense tomes above fills you with dread here are a bunch of much lower grade titles that will amuse you instead. Don’t feel bad, at least we’ve read what the books are about, that’s a start. We can’t be expected to read everything can we?