This book is about people whose own striving, sometimes successful, sometimes tragic, reinforces my early attachment to the golden or philosophical mean, the Centre. To advance human progress, however defined, the democratic Centre must hold. That is often derided as compromise or shilly-shally. Yet, in the long run (if there is to be one) human interaction, whether in a medical trade-off for a patient, in democratic policymaking or election, in labour negotiation, or in the murderous confrontation of enemy states - in every human interaction, the moment of truth comes when the extremes give way to the centre, however defined.This is not a book of historic record, but an account of one man's travel through diverse politics and cultures, observing the harm done to the human spirit by intent or, worse, in attention...One person cannot change the world, as even presidents and dictators discover. But anyone can help diminish outrages and inhumanities. One does that by talking and walking in the right places. New York is my springboard to those places.
