Tibet is such a fascinating place that you do need to read up before visiting to make the most of your visit.  There are some excellent guide books on Tibet, notably the Bradt Travel Guide by Michael Buckley and the Lonely Planet   Guide  by Bradley Mayhew. There are countless books on the history of Tibet, politics and Buddhism. Although these can be quite heavy, and even harrowing at times, you may consider reading one or some of these to give you a deeper understanding of the Tibetan situation. The Dragon in the Land of the Snows by Tsering Shakya is a fascinating account of the recent history of Tibet but there are many more.   At the opposite end of the spectrum to the depressing stories is the Hotel on the Roof of the World by Alec Le Sueur.  When he was there in the late 1980's it was (quite unbelievably) a Holiday Inn. Now it is known as the Lhasa Hotel, or as they like to say on the sign out front, 'the former Holiday Inn'!  If you are going to stay in this hotel you just have to read it.  It is however an embarrassing book as it makes you laugh out loud in public, especially when reading it in the Lhasa Hotel.

Another book well worth reading to give you an insight into Tibet is Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer.