Paris Hilton found the Bible–or at least “The Bible for Dummies”/”Idiots Guide to the Bible,” according to inside sources–and the self-help blockbuster “The Secret” while incarcerated, but rival starlet Lindsay Lohan has decided to outdo her frenemy‘s literary forays by keeping Machiavelli’s “The Prince” close at hand while in rehab.
A work of political advice, advocating very harsh use of power in the consolidation and maintenance of authority, “The Prince” is perhaps best known for this bit of, well, Machiavellian advice: “It is best to be both feared and loved, however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved.”
Sure, we applaud Lohan, who just finished a six-week stint at Promises in Malibu, for tackling a classic piece of literature and avoiding the cliched works of self-help gurus. But let’s leave your “Mean Girls” persona on the big screen where it serves you best. A book that espouses “an understanding that apparent cruelties and vice may be essential to maintaining stability and power,” may not be the best guide for a recovering addict and enfant terrible.