by Ken Jennings
First published 2011
Ken Jennings turns his attention to geography enthusiasts after his successful exploration of trivia culture in Brainiac. He investigates the dedicated community of map lovers who pursue various geographic obsessions. Some travelers systematically visit all 3,143 U.S. counties or collect UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Others build expensive collections of rare historical maps or use GPS devices to hunt for geocaches and degree confluences. Creative map enthusiasts spend countless hours drawing detailed fictional worlds. Jennings admits his own childhood fascination with maps, recalling how he slept beside a Hammond atlas instead of a stuffed animal. He travels across America to meet map librarians, publishers, road enthusiasts, young National Geographic Bee champions, and the programmers who created Google Maps. Through these encounters, he develops respect for people who maintain geographic knowledge in an era of increasing spatial illiteracy. The book argues that as technology disconnects us from our physical surroundings, these geography devotees become more valuable than ever. They represent the people who understand exactly where they stand and can navigate the world around them.
Genres: history, geography, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: nonfiction, personal-journey
Setting: America, United States
276 pages · Hardcover · Scribner