The major new bestseller by the author of }False Dawn{ and }Straw Dogs{, this is a thought-provoking and striking manifesto on the need to abandon crusades: for religion, for utopia, for democracy, for human advance. A controversial book which has provoked a stir in the media, this paperback edition will stimulate discussion among a wider audience. It has sold over 10,000 copies in only 3 months, and }Straw Dogs{ sold over 50,000 copies in the UK alone. 'Original, eloquent and provoking' Robert Irwin, }FT Magazine Tears down the religious, political and secular beliefs that we insist are fundamental to human project. This title examines interaction of terrorism, declining world resources, human myths of redemption and a flawed belief in Western democracy, and shows us how a misplaced faith in our ability to improve the world has actually made it far worse.