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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 888.0108
EAN num: 9780140455250
ISBN number: 0140455256
Label: Penguin Classics
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: August 29, 2006
Publishing house: Penguin Classics
Sale Popularity Level: 686607
Studio: Penguin Classics
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A look at leadership from a celebrated student of Socrates
One of SocratesÂ’ disciples in his youth, Xenophon fought as a mercenary in Persia, traveled widely, and later wrote a broad range of works on history, politics, and philosophy. These six treatises offer his remarkable insights into the nature of leadership, the burdens of absolute power, the legendary King of Sparta, the skills of the hunter, and more.
* Back in print with new material: an updated section on further reading, new chronology, and maps
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Xenophon is a clever classical writer. For him, there are two sorts of people: `those who work and those who live on the products of others' work.' Or, `a policy of not initiating unjust wars would enable us to punish our enemies far more quickly, because they would not find anyone to come and support their cause.'
While `Agesilaos' is a hagiography of a Spartan king, `a superman of self-restraint', an example of a perfect ruler, not a cruel tyrant;
and, `How to be a good cavalry commander' contains some good devices: a good commander should be better than his men in executing the tasks he ordered them to do, otherwise he is despised; or, `deceit is your most valuable asset in war'.
`Hiero the Tyrant' and `Ways and Means' are superb texts.
Hiero complains that a tyrant `spends all his time as if he has been condemned to death by the whole human race for his iniquity.' But, why doesn't he willingly give up his position? The answer is simple: `How could a tyrant ever raise enough money to pay back in full the people he stole from? How could he recompense all the people he put to death?' `I think that the only person who might profit by hanging himself is a tyrant.'!!
For Xenophon, what a tyrant should do is manage the State in the interest of the people, not of himself and his cronies, and enhance the power of his community, not of himself.
`Ways and Means' is an important text for two reasons. First, the all importance of peace: `The State's funds were enormously increased in times of peace and completely drained in times of war.'
Secondly, Xenophon shows us the major importance of silver mines for Athens, not only for the cash it generated, but also for the `huge numbers of men working in the mines; in fact, there was always more work than there were workers.'
Xenophon was a proto-Keynesian, pleading for direct State intervention. For him, the State should imitate private entrepreneurs by exploiting itself directly some of its mine concessions. He is also one of the very first true economists, explaining the laws of supply and demand, the advantage of pooling capital (risk management) and the multiplier effect.
This superbly translated book, with excellent introductions and notes, is a must read for all those interested in the history of mankind.
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