Providing a concise introduction to an increasingly urgent area of study, this book reviews recent developments in the social sciences that contribute directly to our understanding of social conflict. Drawing on classical sources--such as the writings of Charles Darwin and Karl Marx--the author traces the influence of their thinking on contemporary issues and covers the leading ideas, key research findings, and central questions to come out of sociobiology, gametheory, labor-management negotiations, the sociology of revolution, and other crucial subjects.