By Chauntel Jacobs
This week’s recommendation is reading a geography novel. Geography isn’t just about maps; it’s about the world and the people who live in it. Today we’re covering Maphead, a comical trivia novel written by Ken Jennings.
Plot Review:
Maphead is written by a man who loves trivia. And when I say “he loves trivia”, I mean that Jennings is known for winning the longest Jeopardy streak (and would win a cool 2.5 MILLION dollars for his little known facts). Maphead is a great collection of education and entertainment; trivia about geography bee competitions, gender specific memorization techniques, and Brandon Sanderson’s* $9,000 mapmaking requirements for his fantasy series Mistborn.
*Funny enough, Brandon Sanderson was actually Ken Jenning’s roommate during his years at BYU. Small world!
Here’s a little more from the book’s blurb description:
“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.”
While I was reading Maphead, I noticed that the chapters don’t necessarily need to be read in order. Perhaps this reading “out of order” style could be compared to reading a map. You don’t necessarily need to begin on the left side and then to the right side to understand the landscape. You can pick a starting point and explore from there. Similarly, you can pick an interesting sounding chapter at any point in the book, and just work your way through that. Something to think about!
I recommend Maphead for anyone who is interested in culture, trivia, and the world as we know it. Maphead is one of those books that you can pick up and read on the drive to an away-game or while waiting your turn in the doctor’s office. It’s comical, it’s fascinating, and, of course, it’s full of Jeopardy worthy trivia tidbits along the way. You can find Maphead by Ken Jennings here!
For other geography novel suggestions, check out what Southern Virginia University students say to check out!
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
Blurb description:
“…Offering “a fresh way of looking at maps” (The New York Times Book Review), Marshall explains the complex geo-political strategies that shape the globe. Why is Putin so obsessed with Crimea? Why was the US destined to become a global superpower? Why does China’s power base continue to expand? Why is Tibet destined to lose its autonomy? Why will Europe never be united? The answers are geographical. “In an ever more complex, chaotic, and interlinked world, Prisoners of Geography is a concise and useful primer on geopolitics” (Newsweek) and a critical guide to one of the major determining factors in world affairs.”
History of the World Map by Map by DK (Author), Smithsonian Institution (Contributor)
Blurb description:
“…Learn how something like the printing press can define a time, or how the Allies in Europe could defeat the Nazis. There is so much to read about in this remarkable history book, and just as much to look at.
Maps are more than the topography of the Earth or the borders of countries. Maps can represent the movement of people and ideas, and they provide a unique way to explain historical themes and explore sweeping periods of time.”
American History: A Visual Encyclopedia by DK (Author), Smithsonian Institution (Contributor)
Blurb description:
“…Get the background on the Battle of Yorktown and discover what started the American Revolution. Learn the legends of the Wild West. Relive the atmosphere of the “Roaring Twenties.” Covering everything from the cultures of the first Native Americans right up to the events of the present day, American History: A Visual Encyclopedia is the ultimate reference tool for exploring the history of one of the most remarkable nations in the world.”
Maphead: A Geography Book Recommendation was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
