The Tyranny of Identity is both a personal and highly interdisciplinary examination of the wide range of factors and disciplines at play in the formation of identity. It takes a novel and unique approach to this through use of metaphor, images, poetry and a wide range of academic sources to provide a holistic approach to the study of identity. This book uses the concept of Babushka dolls to show that we all have a series of activities during our lives that reside in our mind, body, spirit - each influencing the multiple identities we knowingly or unknowingly possess. This collage of factors and forces allows us to create an identity. The layers of identity unfold as the chapters progress and in doing so the book addresses the manifold ways in which identity intersects with nationhood, politics, education, the culture wars, family, religion, gender and contemporary institutions. The Tyranny of Identity is a wide-ranging, cross-cultural book that integrates and explores how the issue of identity has become a central issue in every academic discipline. This book is essential reading to all students studying identity and all readers seeking a deeper understanding of this complex topic.