Monocle s books with Gestalten have shown you how to build a better life, business and home. But now Monocle raises the bar: how do you make a great nation? They are not talking about might and muscle, but rather how you create a country that feels like a community, that knows what to value and that goes out into the world to gently get its way with soft power, astute ambassadors and great cultural offerings. How to Make a Nation: A Monocle Guide will show you the countries that know how to build a perfect embassy, design a modern parliament and engage with international organisations. It will visit the places that have rethought their armed forces for the 21st century and that understand the importance of arts and culture, from creating exportable soap operas to freedom of expression. It will look at how you create a national brand, design a flag and use home-grown businesses to bring people together. It s a book that delivers inspiration whether you are a new citizen or freshly elected PM. It s a book about the small things that can make our nations work better for everyone that calls them home. How to Make a Nation: A Monocle Guide is a thought-provoking primer that informs and inspires. The best ideas don t need to be invented they need to be found and copied. Let Monocle be your guide.

　　知名出版品牌《Monocle Guide》精辟解析如何打造理想国，成为一国之主不再只是想象

　　拥有什么样的特性与价值，才能被定义为一个国家？我们所认知的所有国家，谁真正打造了成功的教育、经济及文化基础？《Monocle Guide》以全球视野撷取各国特质与优点，指引你如何打造理想之国。以往《Monocle Guide》出版了许多关于如何打造更完美的人生、更成功的事业及美好的居家环境，这次将带领读者向上提升，如果你能成为一国之主，你将如何打造一个伟大的国家？成就一个理想国，必须从教育、外交、文化及社会问题等角度来着手，让人民信服的文化及社会凝聚力，才能提升国家的软实力。创新的想法不需要被发明，而是需要被发现与复制，让《Monocle Guide》成为你**的治国军师，共同激发想象打造心中美好的乌托邦。

　　从2013年的《Monocle Guide to Better Living》、翌年的《Monocle Guide to Good Business》，以及去年的《Monocle Guide to Cosy Homes》等主题专书面世，Monocle这个名字已不能光用一本杂志、一个出版商或品牌去概括，而俨然成为一种既注重在地文化，同时主张放眼全球，用博学世故的目光以解析世界的标竿性团队。

　　随着过去三本专书的成功，食髓知味的编辑团队决定再下一城，在今年六月经Gestalten出版《How to make a Nation: A Monocle Guide》，尝试用一本三百多页的硬皮精装书，探讨要如何建成一个国家；或者更精准地说，是如何建成一个理想的国度。

　　既然是由Monocle团队出版的专书，当然不会笼统地强调国家的经济、军事实力。《How to make a Nation: A Monocle Guide》分成蓝色亚麻布封面的普通版，以及白色亚麻布盒装的限量版，其中Monocle编辑团队把「如何建造一个国家」这个大哉问分割成十个篇章，像是「如何使用软实力」、「如何推广文化」和「如何保障国家安全」等，并用文字、照片、插画和数据图表等方式作呈现。读者们在本书中，可以看到各国领袖的打扮；军队的崭新装备和训练方式；万国护照的比较图，而甚至是国家儿童教育等知性中不乏趣味的篇章。那是从宏观如国家大略，到微观如风土人情，带来有如广角镜头般的阅读维度。