Provocative, wide-ranging and full of wisdom, Between the Monster and the Saint is a brilliant book about our place in the world. Being human isn't easy. We might think that consciousness and freewill give us control over our lives but our minds are dangerous and unpredictable places. We are susceptible to forces we don't understand. We are capable of inflicting immense cruelty on one another - violence, torture and rape - and yet we also have the capacity to be tender, to empathise, to feel. In his thought-provoking new book Richard Holloway holds a mirror up to the human condition. The reflection isn't always pretty. But by drawing on a colourful and eclectic selection of writings from history, philosophy, science, poetry, theology and literature, Holloway shows us how we can stand up to the seductive power of the monster and draw closer to the fierce challenge of the saint.