Plunkitt of Tammany Hall

In Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, we get a full expose of the corruption that was commonplace in America's biggest city in the late eighteen hundreds. Party boss George Washington Plunkitt made millions -- billions in today's dollars -- from "honest grafting", aka insider trading. And he was neither ashamed nor punished when he openly admitted this from his pedestal at the party headquarters.

This book documents the speeches of a man who started from nothing and climbed the party ladder, from peddling votes to earning salaries from three different government positions (at the same time).

But I didn't select this book because I'm jaded. Much like Machiavelli, Plunkitt is incredibly honest; overall this book is a spectacular study of human nature and should provoke many thoughtful discussions. It is often studied in political science 101 classes and is still influential today.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52517.Plunkitt_of_Tammany_Hall