Nicolo Machiavelli's The Prince remains controversial in its electrifying frankness as a practical guide to power. Is it a how-to manual for dictators, or a subtle analysis of successful government? Introducing Machiavelli traces the colorful life of this paradoxical realist whose clear-sighted patriotism made him the first truly modern political scientist.

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Divination is any ritual and its associated tradition performed in order to ask a more-than-human intelligence for guidance. A universal human practice, it has received surprisingly little academic attention. This interdisciplinary collection by leading scholars in the field is dedicated to fascinating new insights into divination and oracles arising from recent work in anthropology, religious studies, history and classical studies. Central importance is given to the practical and theoretical perspectives of diviners as well as scholars of divination; several contributors are both. This...