The dilemma - and the tragedy - lies in the fact that the 'Public Sphere' is by definition an open, unpossessable space. Groups attempting to monopolize this 'Public Sphere', will trigger immediate reactions from opposing groups.

The book argues that contests over the 'Public Sphere' are fought on material as well as symbolic grounds. In exploring the pathology of the Bahraini condition, the book discusses issues such as: Sectarian Challenges; State Building, Modernity and the Monopoly of the Religious sphere; and finally, the History of Chronic and Hereditary Diseases in Bahrain.