An American poet writes a compilation of historical vignettes, discerning the future of our democracy by rediscovering the combative, instructive, fascinating past of tyranny and democracy. Just as DNA is interwoven in every aspect of the human body, tyranny and democracy have their historically distinctive DNA that have shaped our democracy today. From Israel's Ten Commandments, to the Athenian Constitution, to Rome's Twelve Tables, to the overthrow of kings in England and America, Lyons traces democracy from its historical roots to the modern day, constructing a blueprint of what defines tyranny or democratic government in The DNA of Democracy. In this definitive guide, Richard C. Lyons documents the struggle for power between tyrants and heroes across time and place. Chronicling the acts of tyrants which are expressive of tyranny's DNA, and the rebellions of heroes and the forms of law which are democracy's DNA--Lyons outlines the roots of democracies, by telling the tales of tyrants who ironically gave them birth--births of rebellion This book serves as a how to contemporary guide on identifying the menace of a tyrant when you see one.