How did Britain become a nation seemingly resigned to its own degradation? In this sharp and entertaining critique, Theodore Dalrymple dissects the cultural decline through a series of observations of everyday slovenliness. From the paved-over front gardens that become car parks to the indifference toward civic beauty, Dalrymple argues that a collective lack of care for what is held in common is eroding the nation's spirit. This book is a humorous, and sometimes acerbic, examination of modern Britain's peculiar ailment and how to restore civic pride and end performative behaviour.