From the NPR host of The Indicator podcast and correspondent for Planet Money comes a guide for how today’s women can apply the principles of 16th-century philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli to their work lives and finally shatter the glass ceiling once and for all—perfect for fans of Feminist Fight Club， Lean In， and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office。

Women have been making strides towards equality for decades， or so we’re so often told。 They’ve been increasingly entering male-dominated areas of the workforce and consistently surpassing their male peers in grades， university attendance， and degrees。 They’ve recently stormed the political arena with a vengeance。 But despite all of this， the payoff is—quite literally—not there: the gender pay gap has held steady at about 20% since 2000。 And the number of female CEOs for Fortune 500 companies has actually been declining。

So why， in the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp， is the glass ceiling still holding strong？ And how can we shatter it for once and for all？ Stacy Vanek Smith’s advice: ask Machiavelli。

Using The Prince as a guide and with charm and wit， Smith applies Renaissance politics to the 21st century， and demonstrates how women can take and maintain power in careers where they have long been cast as second-best。 Based on the latest research， tips from successful women across many industries， and experiences from Smith’s own life， Machiavelli for Women is a powerful， entertaining， and inspirational guide for a new generation of successful women。