Never in history have we seemed to have such global freedom, such an opportunity to indulge our wildest tastes. We think we live in a time of unprecedented choice. But as Taras Grescoe discovers, this is just an illusion.

In this witty expose our intrepid author goes in search of the things that the rulers of the world will punish you for trying – all the time asking the question: why in ostensibly free states should we be criminalized for behaviour that concerns no one but ourselves? In a travelogue that takes in Swiss absinthe, Cuban cigars, Bolivian coca tea and stinking French cheese, Taras Grescoe drinks, smokes and eats his way to finding out.

Fun, philosophical, and unafraid of the big questions, this is a journey for free-thinkers, not the faint-hearted. As insightful and outraged as Fast Food Nation and as funny and astute as Dude, Where’s My Country , The Devil’s Picnic is a feast for anyone who has ever made a stand for personal liberty.