I got absolutely nothing out of Machiavelli - he is on par with Greene's "48 Laws of Power" in terms of contradicting himself all the time and not having clear direction. Not only that, but his advice is absolutely useless to someone not already "close to/in power". And yes, it was written as advice to Italian princes, but my qualm is with people pushing it as a must read book.
The only, literally the only, part that sticks out as useful is "Doll out bad news in one portion, good news in spaced-out portions."
As far as "classic" general texts go, Sun Tzu is ages ahead of him in the Art of War in terms of advice that you can actually follow.
The only, literally the only, part that sticks out as useful is "Doll out bad news in one portion, good news in spaced-out portions."
As far as "classic" general texts go, Sun Tzu is ages ahead of him in the Art of War in terms of advice that you can actually follow.