This book is an interesting collection of the writings of Charitha Ratwatte on topics ranging from politics and economics to education and even the nature of happiness. While the essays mostly have a Sri Lankan flavour, the author is well acquainted with many other parts of the world, such as China, Russia and the Western Europe. The book starts with a series of essays on politics, in which Ratwatte analyses the concept of democracy in some detail. It is hard to argue with his conclusion, which is repeated in relation to several different contexts, that democracy is only viable subject to a series of checks and balances. He stresses the importance of the rule of law and avoidance of nepotism, again views which are difficult to dispute. The range of examples and evidence from around the world to support his reasonable conclusions in this area is impressive. The second section of the book is a collection of essays on economics. Once again, Ratwatte takes a moderate view with examples from a wide range of economies around the world, arguing that Sri Lanka has to adapt to globalised norms to prosper.