Translation affects every aspect of your life - and we're not just talking about the obvious things, like world politics and global business.

Translation affects you personally, too. The books you read. The movies you watch. The food you eat. Your favorite sports team. The opinions you hold dear. The religion you practice. Even your looks and, yes, your love life. Right this very minute, translation is saving lives, perhaps even yours.

Translation influences everything from holy books to hurricane warnings, poetry to Pap smears. It's needed by both the masses and the millionaires. Translation converts the words of dictators and diplomats, princes and pop stars, bus drivers and baseball players. Translation fuels the global economy, prevents wars, and stops the outbreak of disease. From tummy tucks to terrorist threats, it's everywhere.

This book will help you see how the products you use, the freedoms you enjoy, and the pleasures in which you partake are made possible by translation.