--- product_id: 8187270 title: "The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics)" price: "€ 28.84" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8187270-the-pocket-oracle-and-art-of-prudence-penguin-classics store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) **Price:** € 28.84 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** € 28.84 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8187270-the-pocket-oracle-and-art-of-prudence-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) [Gracian, Balthasar, Robbins, Jeremy, Robbins, Jeremy] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) Review: Wisdom for daily practice - The author gives excellent advice worthy of repetitious reading! Much wisdom that can only be attained by the self mastery required to practice the virtues presented in the well chosen words of this book. Review: Some like Niccolo, but I favor Baltasar - I have friends who read The Prince like a bible, and its true that Machiavelli is worthy of repeated study, both as a period piece and window into the Renaissance Italian soul, and as possibly the most notorious treatise on Realpolitik ever written. Machiavelli, like Nietzsche, has been misused by the unscrupulous and decried by the ignorant; also, IMHO, both writers were actually better historians and analysts than they were philosophers per se. Baltasar Gracian, in the Pocket Oracle, has accomplished what Niccolo never could, nor would have wanted to: a day to day primer of sage advice from a trained Jesuit mind who walked and worked in the highest halls of power in his time. The lessons are pithy and epigrammatic, both simple yet deserving of deep reflection and consideration and, most importantly, are eminently USEFUL in almost every interpersonal interaction in your day to day life, whether you are a dish washer or a senator -- his teachings are that universal. Robert Greene strip-mined Gracian for 48 Laws of Power, but again IMHO, it's always best to refer back to the seminal source even after being presented with a good a digest as Greene presented. This is the Penguin edition, so you of course have the value added of their wonderful introductions, with historical references anchoring Gracian's life and the impact of the Oracle itself. Also, this translation is, I feel, much better than those I've seen marketed under the variant title Art of Worldly Wisdom. I read this book everyday. I recommend it to every man woman or child that wants to live their very best. Gracian was one of the wisest men who ever lived, and this is the free distillation of his wisdom. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #50,786 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #200 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality #382 in Happiness Self-Help #1,109 in Motivational Self-Help (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (212) | | Dimensions | 5.05 x 0.37 x 7.74 inches | | ISBN-10 | 014144245X | | ISBN-13 | 978-0141442457 | | Item Weight | 4.8 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 176 pages | | Publication date | March 29, 2011 | | Publisher | Penguin Classics | ## Images ![The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81g3kt4N7CL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wisdom for daily practice *by A***R on March 28, 2025* The author gives excellent advice worthy of repetitious reading! Much wisdom that can only be attained by the self mastery required to practice the virtues presented in the well chosen words of this book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Some like Niccolo, but I favor Baltasar *by P***N on February 4, 2012* I have friends who read The Prince like a bible, and its true that Machiavelli is worthy of repeated study, both as a period piece and window into the Renaissance Italian soul, and as possibly the most notorious treatise on Realpolitik ever written. Machiavelli, like Nietzsche, has been misused by the unscrupulous and decried by the ignorant; also, IMHO, both writers were actually better historians and analysts than they were philosophers per se. Baltasar Gracian, in the Pocket Oracle, has accomplished what Niccolo never could, nor would have wanted to: a day to day primer of sage advice from a trained Jesuit mind who walked and worked in the highest halls of power in his time. The lessons are pithy and epigrammatic, both simple yet deserving of deep reflection and consideration and, most importantly, are eminently USEFUL in almost every interpersonal interaction in your day to day life, whether you are a dish washer or a senator -- his teachings are that universal. Robert Greene strip-mined Gracian for 48 Laws of Power, but again IMHO, it's always best to refer back to the seminal source even after being presented with a good a digest as Greene presented. This is the Penguin edition, so you of course have the value added of their wonderful introductions, with historical references anchoring Gracian's life and the impact of the Oracle itself. Also, this translation is, I feel, much better than those I've seen marketed under the variant title Art of Worldly Wisdom. I read this book everyday. I recommend it to every man woman or child that wants to live their very best. Gracian was one of the wisest men who ever lived, and this is the free distillation of his wisdom. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How To Conquer the World, Courteously *by E***I on September 25, 2016* This is not a story, but an excellent example of the "pocket mirrors", little books of advice for leaders and princes going back to the Middle Ages. Balthasar Gracian was a Jesuit, and as many Jesuits of his time, rubbed shoulders with the elite and powerful far and wide. Jesuits are Catholic priests, considered the "marines of the Church", and thus are painfully practical, educated men, deeply dedicated to understanding the way things work, in order to reveal the most effective strategies for missionaries and workers of GOD. This book primarily focuses on personal improvement, self-discipline, courtly manners and courtesy, and influencing the movers and shakers of the world. Considered perhaps too concerned with the material world, many of Gracian's books were frowned upon by his superiors, not because they were bad advice or lead anyone astray, but because they were primarily concerned with worldly matters of state and state craft, rather than the spiritual realms. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics) - The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle - A Pocket Mirror for Heroes --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8187270-the-pocket-oracle-and-art-of-prudence-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8187270-the-pocket-oracle-and-art-of-prudence-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-05-25*