The Art of Worldly Wisdom

The Art of Worldly Wisdom is considered a classic text for those seeking a philosophy for life, written by 17th century Spanish Jesuit scholar Baltasar Gracián.

The 300 maxims with commentary provide a worldview that encourages ethical behaviour when seeking worldly success. With advice on friendships, morality, conversations, discretion, and happiness, the tone is easily accessible to the modern reader.

This edition includes Joseph Jacobs's introduction and masterly translation from the original Spanish. It strips the text back to the maxims and their commentaries alone, making it easy to dip into for everyday insight. Indexed by maxim number, you can easily navigate to the one you most need to read at any given time.