"Absolutely unique . . . a book made for constant use—a companion for life."—Arthur Schopenhauer

"Europe has never produced anything finer or more complicated in matters of moral subtlety."—Friedrich Nietzsche

This best-selling book of advice on how to achieve personal and professional success is valued for its timeless insights on how to make one's way in the world. Written in the seventeenth century by a Spanish Jesuit, these teachings are strikingly modern in tone, putting strategy above ethics while reminding the reader that the true search for excellence begins with perfecting oneself.