By Dennis Hartley

Give some people an inch, and they think they’re a ruler. Yes, I know…you rolled out of your crib the first time you heard that one. Still, I got a few genuine chuckles out of Joe Kowalski’s lighthearted study of a subculture comprised of self-appointed potentates with handles like Queen Carolyn, Grand Duke Travis, Prince Phil, King Earnest, and President Kevin.

These heads of state don’t wage wars or rule their people with an iron fist; their sovereign territories range in size from a backyard mini-kingdom to the sprawling 11 square acre Republic of Molossia (nestled somewhere in the Nevada desert). These “micronations” aren’t members of the U.N.-but their rulers do attend occasional summit meetings that are really closer in spirit to Star Trek fan conventions.

That’s not a putdown; as George Carlin once said: “If people stand in a circle long enough, they’ll eventually begin to dance.” Everybody wants to belong, to connect, to have a legacy; and that’s what makes this affectionate, non-judgemental portrait so relatable.