I admit it: I’m a maphead too. I have always loved maps, and would even wallpaper my room with them if I could. I loved looking at the United States and Canada road atlas when I was a kid travelling with my family. Even now, there is a very tattered road atlas under the seat of my car, just in case the GPS fails me. I am reminded of when my husband’s grandfather first saw a younger family member’s GPS. He said, “I had one of those telling me directions for years. Her name was Charlotte.” Yes, Charlotte was his wife. Sometimes, GPS just can’t take the place of a good map or a good companion.
Many people can identify with a topic that Jennings touches upon—the “need” to make a checklist of places they have been. How many states? How many countries? How many national parks? How many McDonald’s restaurants? Jennings tells the tale of Peter Holden, who has visited and eaten at more than twelve thousand different McDonald’s.
Writing about more than just maps and the history of cartography, Jennings delves into how geography helps to explain the natural, social and political history of the world. I found this fascinating, as I always find myself aware of how the lay of the land shapes the development of human settlements. Try walking or driving across some of the diagonally running mountains around here; you’ll quickly understand why the major roads were built where they are. Map lines have been drawn and redrawn across the world as nations fight over disputed territories containing natural resources or culturally significant locations. Extensive footnotes throughout the book are fascinating for those of us who like seeing the sources behind (and additional tidbits about) what we are reading.
Jennings also writes about fictional maps. I love seeing maps in novels, whether on the endpapers or within the book itself. For those who like seeing things laid out spatially, it’s nice to imagine the characters moving about in the story along those paths. Jennings also discusses the difficulty in drawing those fictional maps, such as creating an irregular coastline that looks real. Author Gelett Burgess said over a century ago that the best way to create a realistic looking coastline was to spill water on paper, pound it, and trace the outline left by the splashed water. This makes me want to go splash some water, or study cracks in ceilings, or look for rust stains in strange places. Then, maybe I can draw an imaginary land.
Jennings explores the history of geocaching, which uses clues and GPS technology to seek out a tiny “treasure” capsule stashed in a hidden place.
Jennings’ sense of humor shines through in his writing. He tells of his fascination with the shapes of places, as well as their intriguing names. He notes similarities such as how much Lake Michigan looks like Sweden, and California looks like a leaner version of British Columbia. I always just thought that Indiana and Louisiana looked like a mismatched pair of boots. Jennings realized that the reason he knew all the Australian state capitals was that his second grade desk was right next to that section of the world map. I enjoyed looking at worldwide geography through someone else’s eyes.
(Note: For those of you wondering why the name “Ken Jennings” sounds familiar, he’s best known for his long run as“Jeopardy!” champion where he became as memorable for his wit and charm as for his knowledge. He’s written three other books besides Maphead: Brainiac, which looks at world of trivia buffs; Ken Jennings’s Trivia Almanac; and his latest, Because I Said So: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, & Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids.)
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