For forty years, John Simpson has been travelling the world as a journalist and he, perhaps better than anyone, knows that though war, disease, terrorism, natural disasters and crime always seem about to overwhelm us, the reality is that the great events that afflict us have not caused the world to stop turning. With his long experience and his ability to explain what’s really going on in these desperate times, Simpson gives us a surprisingly positive picture of where the world is today. And his vivid prose, his humanity and clear sightedness and the wonderful anecdotes about the many strange people and peculiar palace he has come across all add up to a richly satisfying read.