Paradise Poisoned draws crucial lessons from Sri Lanka’s civil wars to demonstrate that violent conflict and terrorism can be foreshadowed and stopped. In order to do so John Richardson’s multi disciplinary study employs rigorous political, historical and economic analysis of the systemic linkages between development, governance and civil conflict. The author traces and identifies ten development failures that spawned conflict and terrorism in Sri Lanka, and he proposes a comprehensive prevention strategy summarised in ten key imperatives. Thus the relevance of the policies examined in the book extends also to cases like Kosovo, Kashmir, Palestine, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Multiple choices are usually available, and the longer the time horizon, the greater the range of choices. The book essentially highlights the fact that deadly conflict and terrorism are both predictable and preventable.