Bribery plays a significant role in international criminal activity. Terrorists pay bribes. Money-launderers pay bribes. Those who traffic in people, narcotics, and illegal arms pay bribes. They pay immigration officers not to ask, customs officials not to inspect, and police officers not to investigate. Bribery is not a matter of "culture." Bribes follow patterns that are not at all mysterious to the officials, salesmen, and citizens who seek them and pay them. It is easy for western companies to dismiss modest bribes in distant countries as an unfortunate cost of doing business, but that would be a mistake. Using a series of international cases, the author examines bribery, peeling back the mystique and ambiguity and exposing the very simple transactions that lie beneath. She proceeds to show how these seemingly everyday transactions can affect security, democratisation, and human aid around the world. The book presents a clear picture of the world of bribery and the havoc it can wreak on whole populations in some instances. Commercial bribery, administrative and service-based bribery, and extortion are covered, both at high levels of government and lower levels on "the street." Examples from around the world help to illustrate the nature of the problem and efforts at combating it. The book concludes with practical suggestions and an assessment of current efforts to stem the tide of bribery and restore transparency to everyday transactions in all realms.