Democracy has overthrown established methods of determining who should have power and privilege and for what reasons, from its origins in Syria-Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent to its role in igniting revolutionary fervour in France and America. Because democracy inspires individuals to take extreme action, such as unite as equals and take control of their own lives and destinies. John Keane, a renowned political thinker, follows its byzantine history in this energising, informative history, starting with Athens' assembly democracy and continuing through the development of representative government and our current era of monitory democracy. He offers fresh justifications for why democracy is a prized universal goal and demonstrates how the world has become more interconnected as democracy has come to define it. In today?s age of populist strongmen threatening democracy in India, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the US and elsewhere, we need its radical potential more than ever. Does democracy have a future, or will the demagogues and despots win? We are about to find out.