The Prince / Niccolo Machiavelli.

1. How many kinds of principalities there are, and in what manner they are acquired;
2. Of hereditary principalities;
3. Of mixed principalities;
4. Why the kingdom of Darius, which was conquered by Alexander, did not revolt against the successors of Alexander after his death;
5. How cities or principalities are to be governed that the previous to being conquered had lived under their own laws;
6. Of new principalities that have been acquired by the valour of the prince and by his own troops;
7. Of new principalities that have been acquired by the aid of others and by good fortune;
8. Of such as have achieved sovereign by means of crimes;
9. Of civil principalities;
10. In what manner the power of all principalities should be measured;
11. Of ecclesiastical principalities;
12. Of the different kinds of troops, and of mercenaries;
13. Of auxiliaries, and of mixed and national troops;
14. Of the duties of a prince in relation to military matters;
15. Of the means by which men,and especially princes, win applause or incur censure;
16. Of liberality and parsimoniousness;
17. Of cruelty and clemency, and whether it is better to be loved than feared;
18. In what manner princes should keep their faith;
19. A prince must avoid being contemned and hated;
20. Whether the erection of fortresses, and many other things which princes often do, are useful or injurious;
21. How princes should conduct themselves to acquire reputation;
22. Of the ministers of princes;
23. How to avoid flatters;
24. The reason why the princes of Italy have lost their states;
25. Of the influence of fortune in human affairs, and how it may be counteracted;
26. Exhortation to deliver Italy from foreign barbarians;
27. Appendices;

The Prince was written in 1513 but published only in 1532, after Machiavelli's death. It was written at a time of political conflict, violence, instability and intrigue; when Italy was repeatedly conquered and controlled by foreigners. It was meant to be a practical guide to the Italian leader, Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici.
Highly controversial, the book elaborated on political behavior and justified the need for a prince to behave immorally on occasion. Machiavelli's belief that politics had its own rules so stunned readers taht a new term came to be used for political manoeuvers marked by cunning and duplicity-Machiavellian. Niccolo Machiavelli-political philosopher, historian, writer, statesman and diplomat-was born on 3 May 1469 in Florence, Italy. His works have influenced several schools of thought, specially in the field of politics