Niccolò Machiavelli 
The Prince 

One of the most influential books on statecraft ever written, Niccolò Machiavelli’s 1532 treatise The Prince invented modern political philosophy and gave the world the term Machiavellian. It was read by Spain’s King Charles V and King Henry VIII of England and has been influential on world leaders for five centuries. The short but powerful guide outlines a pragmatic path for a prince to be successful, a formula for political victory that is direct and unemotional. The methodology has been called cold and cynical and yet The Prince captures a great deal of truth about human psychology.