GRASIAN, Balthasar [197] pp. Macmillan and Co., Limited 1930 6 1/4" x 4 1/4" Bound by Riviere & Son for Marshall Field & Co Made In England In publisher's marbled slipcase The Art of Worldly Wisdom (Spanish: Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia) is a book written in 1647 by Baltasar Gracián y Morales, better known as Baltasar Gracian. It is a collection of 300 maxims, each with a commentary, on various topics giving advice and guidance on how to live fully, advance socially, and be a better person, that became popular throughout Europe.