THE CYNICS VADE MECUM is about the human predicament. It will appeal to readers who wonder if wealth and power could improve their lives. And to those who think men and women are condemned to quarrel. It will confirm the suspicion that public opinion is fickle, democracy is flawed and politicians are corrupt. And how nothing can be known for certain, time is an illusion, and that God is a figment of man's imagination. Some readers may feel uncomfortable with these opinions, but cynics will immediately recognise them as truthful and amusing. BRIAN BOUGHTON was a academic in British and foreign universities for 30 years, where he was a practising physician, carried out medical research and taught medical students. After a spell in California he now lives in London and writes about contemporary themes.