---
product_id: 8496831
title: "The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle"
price: "$U2160"
currency: UYU
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reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.uy/products/8496831-the-art-of-worldly-wisdom-a-pocket-oracle
store_origin: UY
region: Uruguay
---

# The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle

**Price:** $U2160
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- **What is this?** The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle
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## Description

The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle [Gracian, Baltasar, Maurer, Christopher] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle

Review: A Must Have Text to Help Navigate Choices and Decisions From the Boardroom to The Bedroom - Review of: "The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle" by Baltasar Gracian. Baltasar Gracian was a Jesuit teaching in colleges across the Kingdom of Aragon in addition to being the confessor to the viceroy of Aragon and chaplain to the Spanish army at the siege of Lleida. His later fame was premised on his being considered one of the great Spanish stylists and moralists of the mid-seventeenth century. The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence was published in 1647. It was based upon Gracian's own experiences and consists of a collection of three-hundred aphorisms offering "pragmatic, hard-headed and coldly calculated advice" on how to thrive in the cut-throat world of Baroque society. Each of the three-hundred units in the book consists of an initial aphorism/maxim followed by a commentary. For example, [aphorism] 267: "Silken words, and Mild Nature: Arrows pierce the body, but harsh words the soul. A pill can make your breath smell sweet, and to know how to sell air is one of life's subtlest skills. Most things are bought with words, and they're enough to achieve the impossible. All our dealings are in the air, and the breath of a prince greatly inspires. So your mouth should always be full of sugar to sweeten your words so that they taste good even to your enemies. The only way to be loved is to be sweet-natured." This book is comparable to Machiavelli's "The Prince," Benvenuto Cellini's "Autobiography," and Baldesar Castiglione's "The Book of the Courtier" but is much more useful in illuminating the human condition of how and why we act the way we do. As applicable today as when written and very masterfully composed. The only caveat to the reader is that it may remind him or her of many people they know, perhaps even themselves. Recommended as a guide to navigate through the corridors of power; the boardroom or the bedroom, it is a must have. Recommended without hesitation or reservation at five+ stars.
Review: A life well lived - If Gracián describes your life, then you are living very, very well. These few hundred brief, oblique, and aphoristic guidelines come down from the 17th century, but are as fresh and true as today's "talk" with your boss. They describe honor, skill, honesty, and trust. They describe the times when each must be pressed, and when each must be left behind. Gracián states again and again how each moment nurtures some effort or other, and how each kind of effort must await its moment. He also prescribes a peaceful mind, most times. That means letting go of matters that do not matter, for your own sake, for mercy towards those around you who may suffer brief lapses, and for your reputation as a person of judegement. I fault Gracián for exactly one lack: continuous and clear-eyed self criticism. The essence of all art and all science, in terms of daily practice, is the ability to look at one's own work, and to see clearly what parts succeed and what parts fail. Somehow, Gracián missed the bravery required to tear down your own work when it needs to be torn down, in order to build up something more worthy in its place. I also question Gracián's central emphasis on luck, on the benificent forces of the stars. I have seen luck, good and bad, and have always seen that it is a thing a person creates for him/herself. In my own life, I acknowledge random effects for good or bad, but I see little or no "luck." Gracián's essential message describes a person of honor, determination, insight, and adaptability. This person, in the end, can only succeed. This is a book to read, to re-read, and to re-read again. Mark it up, add your thoughts - it can only become more true. //wiredweird

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #40,603 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #59 in Religious Philosophy (Books) #130 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality #972 in Personal Transformation Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (458) |
| Dimensions  | 5.18 x 0.78 x 7.57 inches |
| Edition  | 1st |
| ISBN-10  | 0385421311 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0385421317 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 208 pages |
| Publication date  | January 1, 1992 |
| Publisher  | Doubleday |

## Images

![The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812bYVPEAeL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Must Have Text to Help Navigate Choices and Decisions From the Boardroom to The Bedroom
*by J***) on April 24, 2016*

Review of: "The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle" by Baltasar Gracian. Baltasar Gracian was a Jesuit teaching in colleges across the Kingdom of Aragon in addition to being the confessor to the viceroy of Aragon and chaplain to the Spanish army at the siege of Lleida. His later fame was premised on his being considered one of the great Spanish stylists and moralists of the mid-seventeenth century. The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence was published in 1647. It was based upon Gracian's own experiences and consists of a collection of three-hundred aphorisms offering "pragmatic, hard-headed and coldly calculated advice" on how to thrive in the cut-throat world of Baroque society. Each of the three-hundred units in the book consists of an initial aphorism/maxim followed by a commentary. For example, [aphorism] 267: "Silken words, and Mild Nature: Arrows pierce the body, but harsh words the soul. A pill can make your breath smell sweet, and to know how to sell air is one of life's subtlest skills. Most things are bought with words, and they're enough to achieve the impossible. All our dealings are in the air, and the breath of a prince greatly inspires. So your mouth should always be full of sugar to sweeten your words so that they taste good even to your enemies. The only way to be loved is to be sweet-natured." This book is comparable to Machiavelli's "The Prince," Benvenuto Cellini's "Autobiography," and Baldesar Castiglione's "The Book of the Courtier" but is much more useful in illuminating the human condition of how and why we act the way we do. As applicable today as when written and very masterfully composed. The only caveat to the reader is that it may remind him or her of many people they know, perhaps even themselves. Recommended as a guide to navigate through the corridors of power; the boardroom or the bedroom, it is a must have. Recommended without hesitation or reservation at five+ stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A life well lived
*by W***D on May 14, 2005*

If Gracián describes your life, then you are living very, very well. These few hundred brief, oblique, and aphoristic guidelines come down from the 17th century, but are as fresh and true as today's "talk" with your boss. They describe honor, skill, honesty, and trust. They describe the times when each must be pressed, and when each must be left behind. Gracián states again and again how each moment nurtures some effort or other, and how each kind of effort must await its moment. He also prescribes a peaceful mind, most times. That means letting go of matters that do not matter, for your own sake, for mercy towards those around you who may suffer brief lapses, and for your reputation as a person of judegement. I fault Gracián for exactly one lack: continuous and clear-eyed self criticism. The essence of all art and all science, in terms of daily practice, is the ability to look at one's own work, and to see clearly what parts succeed and what parts fail. Somehow, Gracián missed the bravery required to tear down your own work when it needs to be torn down, in order to build up something more worthy in its place. I also question Gracián's central emphasis on luck, on the benificent forces of the stars. I have seen luck, good and bad, and have always seen that it is a thing a person creates for him/herself. In my own life, I acknowledge random effects for good or bad, but I see little or no "luck." Gracián's essential message describes a person of honor, determination, insight, and adaptability. This person, in the end, can only succeed. This is a book to read, to re-read, and to re-read again. Mark it up, add your thoughts - it can only become more true. //wiredweird

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Gift For Everyone
*by A***R on February 15, 2026*

Everyone would benefit from reading and applying the wisdom this little book offers.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle
- A Pocket Mirror for Heroes
- The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence (Penguin Classics)

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*Product available on Desertcart Uruguay*
*Store origin: UY*
*Last updated: 2026-03-10*