Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks

by Jennings, Ken
ISBN: 9781439167182
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Used - Trade Paperback - 9781439167182

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Overview

Record-setting Jeopardy champion and New York Times bestselling author of Planet Funny Ken Jennings explores the world of maps and map obsessives, "a literary gem" (The Atlantic).

Ken 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 "unreal estate" charted on the maps of fiction and fantasy. Jennings 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 "Here be dragons" 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 you're an inveterate map lover yourself--or even if you're among the cartographically clueless who can get lost in a supermarket--let Ken Jennings be your guide to the strange world of mapheads.

  • Format: TradePaperback
  • Author: Jennings, Ken
  • ISBN: 9781439167182
  • Condition: Used
  • Dimensions: 8.90 x 0.90
  • Number Of Pages: 304
  • Publication Year: 2012

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  • Do you love maps or trivia?

    Susan S. - 4 years 3 months ago

    For all of you out there who delight in useless knowledge - read this book! Ken Jennings, of Jeopardy! game show fame, shares his passion for maps and anything geography related. He interviews map collectors, world travelers and kids who are contestants in the National Geographic Bee. He gets hooked on geocaching and discusses strategy with megacachers. And he looks at how maps are changing with technology and going digital. There is no doubt, GPS and Google Earth have changed how we see our world. Jennings' writing style is tongue-in-cheek and full of pop culture references. I found myself laughing out loud every time I picked it up! This was a delightfully educational book!

    HPB Staff Review