I love this book so much and read it every few years. The first half is a fish-out-of-water story about an intrepid traveler surviving and thriving using his wits alone (and some luck, plot devices, and a pinch of deus-ex-machina). The second half is about why powerful institutions suck so much, human history is a mess, and generally why we can’t have nice things.

As a hopeful misanthrope I highly recommend it.