Web of words: The ideas behind politics

A collection of essays, which attempt to probe the hidden assumptions by which we live. The author delves into history, psychology and the more esoteric fringes of theology to try to explain why we go through the contortions that we do in our public and private lives. The book aims to answer questions such as why do Americans talk about infections of their body? or what are the connections between SAS commandos and medieval debates on free will? David Bodanis is a free-lance writer and journalist, author of "Being Human" and "The Secret House".