Enzensberger makes a witty and knowledgeable traveling companion, delving into surprising corners and byways--from the back alleys of Budapest to the halls of the Italian mint--and striking up conversations with everyone from bankers to revolutionaries, astrologers to apparatchiks. In the process, he suggests that Europe's strength lies increasingly in embracing diversity and improvisation, not bigness and regimentation. He enables us to see with fresh eyes one of the most exciting parts of the world today.