Drawing inspiration from philosophy, political and social theory, decision theory, economics, psychology, history and literature, Jon Elster's classic Sour Grapes continues and expands on the thinking of his celebrated earlier work Ulysses and the Sirens. Elster begins by analyzing the notions of rationality and then tackles the concepts of irrational behavior, desires and beliefs with highly sophisticated arguments that undermine orthodox rational choice theories. Published in a new serial edition and with a specially written foreword by Richard Holton that sets out the book's importance for philosophical inquiry, Sour Grapes has been reborn for a new generation of readers.