Running a kingdom is a lot like running a household. Or so says Suzanne Evans, who shares the story of her crazy yet brilliant year-long experiment: to “rule” one disobedient family using Machiavelli’s masterwork <I>The Prince</I>.<br><br>Newly remarried with four kids under the age of eight, Evans is fed up with tantrums, misbehaving, and general household chaos. She’s trying to please everyone (including her workaholic husband) and is at her wit’s end—when she stumbles across a tattered college copy of <I>The Prince</I>, Machiavelli’s iconic treatise of strategies for warfare and statecraft in sixteenth-century Italy. Inspiration strikes. <I>Maybe, </I>she thinks, <I>I can use his manipulative rules to bring order to </I><I>my boisterous family.</I> Soon, what began as a joke turns into an experiment, which eventually becomes a year-long trial to test her hypothesis—could Machiavelli’s scheming ways be the key to parenting success? The result is this enlightening guide to modern-day motherhood—and possibly a much happier, more obedient family. <BR> <BR>Evans starts off following Machiavelli’s maxim “It is dangerous to be overly generous” and realizes that for all its austerity, there is a kernel of truth in it. Her kids <I>do </I>behave when they are given clear limits. From there, she starts tackling other rules—“Tardiness robs us of opportunity” and “Study the actions of illustrious men”—and she is surprised at how quickly her brood falls in line once she starts adapting Machiavelli's advice to child rearing. Chastened, Evans realizes that as in all things, some moderation is best, but remains convinced that parents will be happier if they aren’t afraid to embrace their parental power.<BR> <BR><I>Machiavelli for Moms</I> is a manifesto for women who are tired of a chaotic and unruly family life and who want a different way to a bring peace and harmony back into the home. With warmth and humor, Evans brings to light Machiavelli’s hidden parental advice for mothers and fathers who need to take back their kingdom.