I just figured it was about time.

It’s a quick read at 174 pages so a chunk of afternoon spent on the sofa has yielded quite a lot of brain stimulation.

What an amazing clarity this translation has, too.

What with all the dark associations and the centuries and languages between then and now I think it is still safe to say this Machiavelli guy was really really bright.

For some reason I was always under the impression that he was royalty but turns out he wasn’t. He was a rather fortunate young man but it turned ugly of course, and naturally this work of genius wasn’t appreciated in its time.

It’s also not about being underhanded and sneaky but rather about how you must know what the nature of your troubles are and/or how to hopefully circumvent them. Failing that, recognizing and choosing the lesser of evils when dealing with them is probably the part where he got such a bum rap.

Anyhoo its a fun read. Get it. Actually mine is inscribed to me by my friend Patrick and I must say a good, compact hardbound copy of this book inscribed is a pretty badass gift idea for a certain type of person. Probably the type of person who is reading this right now.

COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR