The death of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida in 2004 leaves behind an immense body of work. What is the legacy of Jacques Derrida? What will 'live on' and 'survive'? Since the late 1960s a politics of deconstruction has been a frequent demand of Derrida's readers. One could also add, a demand of many who have never taken the trouble to read Derrida at all. The 'trouble' and 'difficulty' that some encounter in the act of reading Derrida goes against the grain of our times with its emphasis on easily accessible information. This new study approaches the demand from a fresh perspective, offering a historical coverage of the ways in which Derrida's theory of deconstruction has been used, against a background of Derrida's own view that deconstruction shouldn't be used as a methodology.