The nations surrounding the North Sea have some of the best standards of living and they consistently score the highest in education, health care, equality, GDP per capita, etc. These are all commendable performances, but Northwestern Europe has been doing well for centuries and the region has contributed more to Western culture than is generally acknowledged. This premise sits at the heart of The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Michael Pye, which reveals how the region transformed from an impoverished outpost to the focal point of civilization.