Baroque philosopher Balthasar Gracian's The Art of Worldly Wisdom consists of three hundred maxims spanning a wide range of topics relating to all aspects of life and human behavior. Gracian was a Spanish Jesuit Priest whose sermons and writings were disapproved of by his superiors. Admired by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche for the depth and subtlety of his observations, Gracian's collection of pithy insights deserves place alongside similar classic manuals of self-improvement from antiquity like the Enchiridion of Epictetus and Seneca's Letters.

Baroque philosopher Balthasar Gracian's The Art of Worldly Wisdom consists of three hundred maxims spanning a wide range of topics relating to all aspects of life and human behavior. Gracian was a Spanish Jesuit Priest whose sermons and writings were disapproved of by his superiors. Admired by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche for the depth and subtlety of his observations, Gracian's collection of pithy insights deserves place alongside similar classic manuals of self-improvement from antiquity like the Enchiridion of Epictetus and Seneca's Letters.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1904 Edition.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1904 Edition.

I have endeavoured to reproduce Gracian's Laconism and Cultismo in my version, and have even tried to retain his many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. I may have here and there introduced others of my own to redress the balance for cases where I found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases I generally give the original in the Notes. Wherever possible I have replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and have throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the Proverb. In short, if I may venture to say so, I have approached my task rather in the spirit of Fitzgerald than of Bohn. The gem on the title, representing a votive offering to Hermes, the god of Worldly Wisdom, is from a fine paste in the British Museum of the best period of Greek glyptic art. I have to thank Mr. Cecil Smith of that Institution for kind advice in the selection.

1904. The translator, Mr. Jacobs, has endeavored to produce Gracian's Laconism and "Cultismo" in his own version, and even tried to retain Gracian's many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. Jacobs may have here and there introduced others of his own to redress the balance for cases where he found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases, Jacobs generally gives the original in the Notes. Wherever possible he replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the proverb.

1904. The translator, Mr. Jacobs, has endeavored to produce Gracian's Laconism and "Cultismo" in his own version, and even tried to retain Gracian's many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. Jacobs may have here and there introduced others of his own to redress the balance for cases where he found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases, Jacobs generally gives the original in the Notes. Wherever possible he replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the proverb.

1904. The translator, Mr. Jacobs, has endeavored to produce Gracian's Laconism and "Cultismo" in his own version, and even tried to retain Gracian's many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. Jacobs may have here and there introduced others of his own to redress the balance for cases where he found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases, Jacobs generally gives the original in the Notes. Wherever possible he replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the proverb.

The translator, Mr. Jacobs, has endeavored to produce Gracian's Laconism and "Cultismo" in his own version, and even tried to retain Gracian's many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. Jacobs may have here and there introduced others of his own to redress the balance for cases where he found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases, Jacobs generally gives the original in the Notes. Wherever possible he replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the proverb.

This perennially popular 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 scholar, these teachings are strikingly modern in tone and address universal concerns such as friendship, morality, managing emotions, and effective leadership. "The Art of Worldly Wisdom "is for anyone seeking to combine ethical behavior with worldly success.
This edition of "The Art of Worldly Wisdom "includes an informative introduction by Willis Barnstone, Distinguished Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature at Indiana University. Barnstone, a noted translator, critic, and poet, explores Gracian's background and places him within his historical and literary context.