This is an evil book.
Before the reader begins, it must be perfectly clear; this is not a good book. There is no other way to describe a work proclaiming a philosophy so utterly utilitarian as Machiavelli's. Here you will find no love; in its place, power and manipulation. Here you will find no faith, no hope; only deceit and the whims of Fate.
In "The Prince" you learn that lust for power, scorn for truth, and rationalization for the vilest of evils have been around for centuries. In "The Executive" you will see they live with us still.
Why write an updated version of this malignancy? Nicolo Machiavelli wrote the original as a guide for a young heir to a forgotten throne in 16th century Italy. It is actually an epistle to one person in particular, never meant for a broad audience. This version has been prepared as the equivalent guide for modern young executives, working hard to make their mark in the information age economy of a new millennium. Broadly published, and with a different hope.
Since Machiavelli's time, much in western culture has changed, sometimes for the better, but recently for the worse. We find ourselves in a time of radical utilitarianism, tempered only by the fading memory of a broadly held faith in the loving God. The only philosophers a modern young executive is likely to actually listen to will give passionate, forceful expositions on topics such as "Communication, Connectivity and Power" and "Powerful Meetings". These are the business gurus who travel around the world spreading messages of avarice and greed, well reasoned and well presented. Many of their lessons are contained here, in this book.
Converting a medieval text on medieval government into a modern text on running a corporation was a lot easier than I had hoped it would be. After experimenting with a paraphrased version, I have in the end retained most of the stiff formality of Machiavelli's original work as an artistic tool. A paraphrase was simply too comfortable and made the ideas seem too familiar. It left many of the subtler lessons difficult to catch. I want my post modern reader to be uncomfortable enough with the text to be alert. Pseudonyms for modern corporations replaced the names of ancient kingdoms which they vaguely resembled in terms of reach and influence, and anecdotes were tailored slightly. A student of Machiavelli will quickly notice how similar the anecdotal story lines are to those in "The Prince", while a student of modern corporate history will likewise observe how commonplace most of the illustrative stories would be in the pages of an American business journal. Further, the latter student would also see that most of the lessons drawn from the anecdotes would also be commonplace.
And therein lies my hope. For other lessons, still easily recognizable as evil even in the twilight of our times, are to be found in this book as well. Truth mixes freely with deceit, and is difficult for the unwary to pry apart. It is the juxtaposition of today's commonly held assertions with those still beyond the pale that should jolt many readers into a reassessment of what they are taking in as advice on the pursuit of excellence. Maybe the whole idea of personal power as the medium of successful business practice is corrupting, and needs to be disposed of.
Again.