MAPS FOR CURIOUS MINDS
A map of waffle houses by latitude (above). A map of non-voting by state. Another map of all the weird things dropped in New Year’s Eve Ceremonies. . .
One of the great casualties of the Internet is the simple map. “When I was a little chap,” Joseph Conrad’s Marlowe says in Heart of Darkness, “I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. . .”
If you were such a little kid, and if you loathe how your phone reduces the world to a hand-held screen, North American Maps for Curious Minds will restore some of the old wonder.
Part of the Brilliant Maps series, which includes two other map books and brilliantmmaps.com, this little gem offers “100 New Ways to See the Continent.” Don’t go looking for geography here, though there is some. Browse instead for culture, history, politics, lifestyles, and pop trends.
Which state has voted for the most “Top 10” presidents? (Nevada and New Mexico). Which states have the highest and lowest “happiness index?” (Hawaii, Mississippi). What country would you hit if you set out swimming, east or west? (Spain if you swim from New England; Japan from most of the West Coast).
Though mostly just for fun, some maps pose hypothetical questions that explain a lot. What if every state had the number of senators per capita that Wyoming has? (California would have 137 senators, Florida 74, etc.) In which states are athletic coaches the highest paid public employees? (Almost all.) Which states have the most second homes per homeless resident? (Florida, hands down.) And why can’t I put this book down? (Because it’s addictive.)
And on the book goes, boldly mapping what no atlas has mapped before. Every Frank Lloyd Wright building. Every city named in a Billboard #1 hit. Every salary of a North American head of state (above). . .
You might think you know America. You might think you don’t want to know what you don’t already know (a common contemporary malady.) But the folks at Brilliant Minds have mapped an America that, if not kinder and cooler, is more surprising and engaging than anything you’re likely to find in “the 20 largest libraries,” “the 20 most popular museums,” or on that pathetic excuse for a map on your phone.
