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Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
Scribner
October 2011
On Sale: September 20, 2011
288 pages
ISBN: 1439167176
EAN: 9781439167175
Kindle: B004IK98BK
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
It comes as no surprise that, as a kid, Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings slept with a bulky Hammond world atlas by his pillow every night. Maphead recounts his lifelong love affair with geography and explores why maps have always been so fascinating to him and to fellow enthusiasts everywhere.Jennings takes readers on a world tour of geogeeks from the London Map Fair to the bowels of the Library of Congress, from the prepubescent geniuses at the National Geographic Bee to the computer programmers at Google Earth. Each chapter delves into a different aspect of map culture: highpointing, geocaching, road atlas rallying, even the βunreal estateβ charted on the maps of fiction and fantasy. He also considers the ways in which cartography has shaped our history, suggesting that the impulse to make and read maps is as relevant today as it has ever been. From the βHere be dragonsβ parchment maps of the Age of Discovery to the spinning globes of grade school to the postmodern revolution of digital maps and GPS, Maphead is filled with intriguing details, engaging anecdotes, and enlightening analysis. If youβre an inveterate map lover yourselfβor even if youβre among the cartographically clueless who can get lost in a supermarketβlet Ken Jennings be your guide to the strange world of mapheads.
 Media BuzzFresh Air - NPR - September 21, 2011
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