The United States of Europe - T. R. Reid

How did Europe become a superpower while America wasn't paying attention?Here, American journalist T. R. Reid takes an enlightening tour of the 'United States of Europe' - the borderless collection of countries with more people and wealth than America.With his trademark wit and wisdom he explains the often-bewildering ins and outs of the European Union and the culture its nations have come to share - from the common pastime of America bashing and the kitsch joys of the Eurovision Song Contest to the skyrocketing success of the Euro, trouncing the once-mighty dollar in strength. And he tells many individual stories of this drama, including the astonishing takeover of all-American products by European companies, the English greengrocer who became a 'Metric Martyr' and of the new breed of twenty and thirty-somethings known as 'Generation E'.Essential for readers on both sides of the Atlantic, The United States of Europe is an insightful and entertaining guide to a New Europe that now makes the world's rules, whether America likes it or not .