"In On the Map, which tells the history of cartography from the Great Library at Alexandria to Google Earth, Simon Garfield once again takes a subject that seems the province of a small group of enthusiasts and opens it for a larger audience. Along the way, he links the development of maps to the larger history of human progress--from the theory that the first maps, drawn in the dust of Africa's Rift Valley, may have encouraged the development of the human brain to modern efforts to map the brain itself.
Written in the breezy style of Garfield's bestselling Just My Type, On the Map is structured as a series of engaging stories told in more or less chronological order. Each chapter uses a specific map, person or idea to explore a bigger issue. Interspersed with the main chapters are smaller, more eccentric stories Garfield calls Pocket Maps: detours that shed light on the origins of "here be dragons," the different ways man and women read maps or the difficulties of refolding a paper map. Whether dealing with familiar topics, such as the Lewis and Clark expedition, or introducing the reader to lesser-known subjects like the legendary (and imaginary) Mountains of Kong, Garfield consistently delivers "aha!" moments.
On the Map will appeal to mapheads, history buffs, the terminally curious and anyone who enjoys a well-told story." (Shelf Awareness)
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