Power & greed - Philippe Gigantes

What has driven human beings throughout history? This lively, fascinating book deals with the nature of human greed and the eternal quest for power that, in every era and culture, has determined the outcome of world events. In a fast track through time, Gigants introduces on the one hand the great rule-makers for a just society, such as Moses, Solon, Jesus and Muhammad, and on the other, the rule-breakers, or the 'Grand Acquisitors'. The latter use every trick to get more than their fair share - from the warring chieftains of early societies to the robber barons of the nineteenth century and, in our own times, the emergence of the superpower states. Gigants examines the dramatic consequences of their actions, from Crusades, revolutions and the conquering of continents, to wars, recent events in the US and a world that is turning more and more into a global village.