Ananse (ana-n-si) Smartest Spider in the World is a folktale from Ghana, West Africa. The story, like most of my Ananse stories, is full of twists and turns. When Ananse, the wisest spider, became arrogant because of his natural gift of wisdom, he found himself losing the love and attention of his friends and family in the little village he lived in. Instead of succumbing to his mistakes, he decided to be even more selfish, only to realize that no man can have all the wisdom in the world. Wisdom has to be shared in a team effort in order to benefit everyone. If you enjoyed this book, you will also like Why the Spider Likes It Up.