This is a provocative look at contemporary conflicts--wars taking place in resource rich countries filled with impoverished people. It focuses on three key resources: oil, diamonds, and timber. Th author is critical of the role of developed countries in such conflicts and offers solutions to end the plunder of Africa and Asia.

Philippe Le Billon is a specialist on the linkages between resource extraction and armed conflict. With an MBA and PhD in geography, he worked for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in UN peacekeeping, advised several governments, and collaborated with major NGOs and research institutes, such as Global Witness and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He is currently Associate Professor at the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Department of Geography, University of British Columbia.