Why people recommend it
James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians' examines the reality of political power and the iron law of oligarchy as opposed to idealistic political theories. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, Marc Andreessen recommended the volume as likely the finest book on politics written in the twentieth century, noting that it shaped his understanding of power. On the same podcast, another guest similarly described the book as an exploration of how politics truly functions in reality rather than how people imagine it works.
Who recommended it
- Marc Andreessen Recommended
Marc Andreessen — 1 mention
Recommended
“I learned about it through a famous book on politics, probably the best book on politics written in the 20th century called "The Machiavellians" by this guy James Burnham,”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
Discussed
“the machiavellians by james burnham uh this is a book about how politics works in reality as opposed to how people imagine it working”