Trust is an omnipresent theme. Whether it concerns political disillusionment, banking crises, or abuse scandals, it is always assumed that trust is a central resource for social action that is difficult to establish but can be quickly destroyed. But what is trust? How is it created, and how is it destroyed? Whom should we trust, and whom should we approach with suspicion? In this profound study, Martin Hartmann attempts to clarify trust both conceptually and historically. He repeatedly illustrates his theoretical considerations with concrete examples from politics, economics, and family. Trust, he shows, does not reduce complexity, as is often assumed; it is itself a highly complex phenomenon that highlights how fragile and demanding the processes of building trust are.