BW20: Rabbit Trails

Josephine Wall's Ocean of Dreams

Josephine Wall's art always sends my imagination spiraling. Instead of doing the expected and highlighting all of Machiavelli's books such as The Prince or the Art of War, decided to follow a few rabbit trails this week.  His The Art of War leads to Sun Tzu who wrote The Art of War which leads to Forbes Sun Tzu's 31 Best Pieces of Leadership advice.  The Prince, of course, lead me to Antoine de Saint Exupery's The Little Prince.  I guess the story was supposed to be motivating but I found it extremely sad.  Has anyone read his other book Wind, Sand and Stars?   It's available for free for Kindle unlimited members.


This week we have  Honoré de Balzac and Sigurd Undset sharing the same birthday (may 20) as well as Dante and Alexander Pope (may 21).   Balzac honestly reminds of someone in The Princess Bride, I just can't put my finger on it.    Or maybe it was some other movie. Speaking of which, there are 17 films based on books hitting the big screen this year. The Moon and the Sun with Pierce Brosnan based on Vonda McIntyre's book which looks interesting as well as Victor Frankenstein from Igor's perspective and The Martian with Matt Damon based on Andy Weir's novel.  

You have to check out Project Vox which is working to revive or restore female voices which were left out of the 1700's philosophical canons.  They are highlighting Lady Masham, Margaret Cavendish and Anne Conway from England and Émilie Du Châtelet from France.

Have fun exploring rabbit trails! 

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History of the Medieval World - Chapter 23 Aspirations pp 159 - 164 

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BW18: Machiavellian May

Niccolo Machiavelli

Welcome to Machiavellian May and our theme of all things cunning, conniving and calculating and our author flavors of the month - Dante Alighieri and Marcel Proust.

Yes, I know it seems like an odd mix however we are honoring Niccolo Machiavelli's who was born 546 years ago today; the 750 anniversary of Dante's birthday on May 21st; plus Marcel Proust is included  because I'm doing a readalong of Swann's Way with writing friends so dragging you all along for the ride. *grin*  

Let's define Machiavellian: 

• of, like, or befitting Machiavelli. 

• being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.

• characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty

According to the 48 Laws of Power and the Machiavellian personality on Psych Forums:

Machiavellianism derives from the views of Prince Machiavelli that a ruler is not bound by traditional ethical norms. A prince, therefore, should only be concerned with power and
be bound only by rules that would lead to success.

Which basically leaves the door wide open to how you interpret it and what you choose to read: Historical or political thrillers, Shakespearean morality plays, or mysteries to name a few. 

I read Dante's Inferno last year and will be delving into Purgatorio this month. Several gals over on the Well Trained Mind boards who didn't read Inferno last year will be jumping into the first book, so join us in reading Dante. 

Marcel Proust has become a curiosity for me and after taking a short story class about him, will be also diving into Swann's Way, the first volume in his epic In Search of Lost Time.  If you are thinking I may have the 'eyes are bigger than her stomach' syndrome, you may be right.  

 “Every reader, as he reads, is actually the reader of himself. The writer's work is only a kind of optical instrument he provides the reader so he can discern what he might never have seen in himself without this book. The reader's recognition in himself of what the book says is the proof of the book's truth.”  ― Marcel Proust, Time Regained

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History of the Midieval World:  Part Three -  New Powers

Chapter 21: The Ostrogoths pp 143 - 149

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