A social theory of grand corruption from antiquity to the twenty-first century. In contemporary policy discourse, the notion of corruption is highly constricted, understood just as the pursuit of private gain while fulfilling a public duty. Its paradigmatic manifestations are bribery and extortion, placing the onus on individuals, typically bureaucrats. Sudhir Chella Rajan argues that this understanding ignores the true depths of corruption, which is properly seen as a foundation of social structures. Not just bribes but also caste, gender relations, and the reproduction of class are forms of corruption. Using South Asia as a case study, Rajan argues that syndromes of corruption can be identified by paying attention to social orders and the elites they support. From the breakup of the Harappan civilization in the second millennium BCE to the anticolonial movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, elites and their descendants made off with substantial material and symbolic gains for hundreds of years before their schemes unraveled. Rajan makes clear that this grander form of corruption is not limited to India or the annals of global history. Societal corruption is endemic, as tax cheats and complicit bankers squirrel away public money in offshore accounts, corporate titans buy political influence, and the rich ensure that their children live lavishly no matter how little they contribute. These elites use their privileged access to power to fix the rules of the game—legal structures and social norms—benefiting themselves, even while most ordinary people remain faithful to the rubrics of everyday life.

"An outstanding overview on global warming---and what we can do about it---from a distinguished world-class authority
"Climate change is the single biggest problem that humankind has ever had to face, as we continue with lifestyles that are way beyond the planet's limits. Here Mayer Hillman explains the real issues: what role technology can play, how you and your community can make changes, and why governments must act now to protect our planet for later generations. This book takes us out of the problem and into the solution of our global crisis.

Mayer Hillman is Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Policy Studies Institute in London. He is one of the first proponents of personal carbon rationing as the way for the world's population to prevent serious damage from climate change.
Tina Fawcett is a senior researcher at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.
Sudhir Chella Rajan is a professor of humanities and social sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a Senior Associate at the Tellus Institute in Boston.

Climate change is a problem that humankind faces on a global scale, unlike any challenge or conflict before. The world's most powerful nations have the most impact on climate, but they also have the most influence when it comes to policy changes that could stop the damage. Mayer Hillman explains the real issues: what role technology can play, how individuals and communities can make changes, and why governments must act now to protect the planet for later generations. This book gives an objective, yet ardent explanation of the problem and turns the reader's focus toward a solution of this global crisis. "If anyone knows a better way to save the planet from runaway global warming, they should speak up."--Fred Pearce, author of "When the Rivers Run Dry
""A clear-eyed and well-documented overview of global warming, and an optimistic but practical plan for avoiding the worst of the damage . . . a comprehensive, concise, and beautifully organized overview of an undeniably important issue. A must-read for anyone even slightly concerned about our future on this planet."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)