maphead charting the wide weird world of geography wonks

Ken Jennings was a map nerd from a young age himself, you will not be surprised to learn, even sleeping with a bulky Hammond atlas at the side of his pillow, in lieu of the traditional Teddy bear. Some even draw thousands of their own imaginary maps, lovingly detailing worlds that never were. Some pore over million-dollar collections of the rarest maps of the past others embrace the future by hunting real-world cartographic treasures like 'geocaches' or 'degree confluences' with GPS device in hand. counties, for example, or all 936 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some crisscross the map working an endless geographic checklist: visiting all 3,143 U.S. In a world where geography only makes the headlines when college students are (endlessly) discovered to be bad at it, these hardy souls somehow thrive. Much as Brainiac offered a behind-the-scenes look at the little-known demimonde of competitive trivia buffs, Maphead finally gives equal time to that other downtrodden underclass: America's map nerds. Visit us for daily geospatial news, exclusive geospatial industry articles, geospatial technology webinars and all-things-geospatial podcasts.Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks is Ken's followup to his 2005 best-seller Brainiac. The DirectionsMag Geospatial Community Blog is an extension of Directions Magazine. If you read this book, I’m sure your copy will end up the same. My own copy is dog-eared, coffee-stained and stuffed with bookmarks, Post-its, turned over page corners and margin notes. This is another one of those rainy day books you can just pull off the shelf, open randomly and laugh while you learn. There is also a reading group guide with discussion points, and the book ends with a quiz: Are you a Maphead?

The many facts and quotes are all cited and referenced with a nine page index and 15 pages of footnotes. There is certainly personal commentary in there, but all supported by facts.

The topics are eclectic, from the National Geography Bee to the origins of cartography and modern digital mapping. “It’s misleading to think of geography as a single discipline at all.” - Chapter 3, “FAULTS” “If you never opened a map until you’re lost, you’re missing out on all the fun.” -Chapter 6, “LEGENDS” With my copy in hands, here are some of the quotes and topics I have flagged. His writing reflects this in the 12 chapters of the book, which starts with “ECCENTRICITY” and ends with “RELIEF.” He is also the author of several books, including one of my favorites, “Maphead.” If you have seen Jennings on stage, you know that he is humble, incredibly knowledgeable and always smiling. Ken Jennings is the all-time Jeopardy! champion and the current host of the show.

If there is a geographer out there who isn’t a Jeopardy! Fan, I have yet to meet one.

Maphead charting the wide weird world of geography wonks