In 2012, the world arrived in London for the Olympics...and Ann Morgan went out to meet it. She read her way around all the globe´s 196 independent countries (plus one extra), sampling one book from every nation. It wasn´t easy. Many languages have next to nothing translated into English; there are tiny, tucked-away places where very little is written down at all; some governments don´t like to let works of art leak out to corrupt Westerners. Her literary adventures shed light on the issues that affect us all: personal, political, national and global. Using her quest as a starting point, this book explores questions such as: What is cultural heritage? How do we define national identity? Is it possible to overcome censorship and propaganda? And how can we celebrate, challenge and change our remarkable world?