Classic guide to acquiring and maintaining political power is refreshing in its directness, yet often disturbing in its cold practicality. Starkly relevant to the political upheavals of the 20th century, this calculating prescription for power remains today, nearly 500 years after it was written, a timely and startling lesson in the practice of autocratic rule.
Great Speeches by Abraham Lincoln Masterly orations and letters. "House Divided" speech (1858), First Inaugural Address (1861), Gettysburg Address (1863), Letter to Mrs. Bixby (1864), Second Inaugural Address (1865), 11 others.
The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato Among the most important and influential philosophical works in Western thought: the dialogues entitled Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo. Translations by distinguished classical scholar Benjamin Jowett.
The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce Over 1,000 barbed and brilliant definitions. Congratulations are "the civility of envy," a historian is a "broad-gauged gossip," many more. H. L. Mencken called these "some of the most gorgeous witticisms in the English language."
Symposium and Phaedrus by Plato Two important dialogues offer crucial insights into Platonic doctrine. Symposium deals with ultimate manifestation of love, eternal beauty. Phaedrus discusses psychology of love, "forms" as objects of transcendental emotion. Jowett translation.
The Book of the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione An insider's view of court life during the Renaissance, here is the handiwork of a 16th-century diplomat who was called upon to resolve the differences in a war of etiquette among the Italian nobility.
The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry by Walter Pater Pater's graceful essays discuss the achievements of Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and other artists. The book concludes with an uncompromising advocacy of hedonism, urging readers to experience life as fully as possible.
The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián, Joseph Jacobs Published in 1637 by a Spanish Jesuit scholar, this volume features 300 pithy maxims on politics, professional life, and personal development. Gracian's timeless advice, focusing on honesty and kindness, remains ever popular.
In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus Witty, influential work by one of the great Renaissance scholars satirizes the shortcomings of the upper classes and religious institutions. A clever mix of drollery and fantasy, the work endures as a classic.
William Morris on Art and Socialism by William Morris, Norman Kelvin Outstanding collection of 11 lectures comprises "Useful Work vs. Useless Toil," "The Dawn of a New Epoch," "Of the Origins of Ornamental Art," and "The Present Outlook of Socialism." Introduction. Biographical Note.
