Dr Mahen Tampoe's specialty is management, and here he paints a vivid picture of a mismanaged state. Sri Lanka has uncomfortable parallels with Ireland - a nation unified by its conquerors, then divided by sectarian discrimination, internecine strife, suicide bombers and dispossession. But unlike Ireland, Sri Lanka has been plunged into undeserved poverty instead of embracing progress and prosperity.

What on earth made Ceylon's newly independent government in the 1950s establish the Buddhist/Sinhalese group as the dominant element, relegating the Tamils of the north, and the English language, to second-class status?

Sri Lanka - Divisions and Destiny carefully analyses the country's dilemmas and discusses what is needed to place the island on par with its successful multi-ethnic neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia. In a globalised economy, do all states join the mainstream of wealth creation? Not necessarily, contends the author; some fall by the economic wayside. This elegant and informative work offers pointers for better governance and a brighter destiny for a nation at the crossroads.

Mahen Tampoe was born and educated in Sri Lanka, where he has friends and family. He has worked in Europe since 1969 as a business executive, management consultant, lecturer, researcher and writer. His prime interest is the assessment and creation of fruitful relations between people in groups, teams, organisations and political systems. He has published many articles on project management, strategy and the motivation of knowledge workers. He is a qualified accountant, has an MBA and a PhD, and has written books on business, computing and leadership. He has also co-authored a book on strategic management.