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Map Addict: A Tale Of Obsession, Fudge & The Ordnance Survey (2009)

by Mike Parker(Favorite Author)

3.6 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0007300840 (ISBN13: 9780007300846)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Collins Publishers

review 1: I liked this book about one man's relationship with maps. If I do find myself caught without a book, a map is not second-best and I often feel that at such times I read maps every bit like a book.I was surprised at what *wasn't* in it - it is not a comprehensive look at the subject by any means. But he covered the history of maps and mapping with a light touch, focusing on interesting or amusing quirks. In some books of this nature there can be patches of dullness where there is more detail on something which doesn't interest you but not so with this book.I really enjoyed his perspectives on guide books (he has written many), psychogeographers and multiple senses of belonging. He has useful things to say about the infamous "women can't read maps" theory. I am sure there is... more more of his life to be told - he looks at what some psychologists have said about the childhood experiences of map addicts and draws parallels with his own family history. But to have your mother leave for another country when you are a small child remains relatively unusual even now.
review 2: I was a geography major in college and have long liked maps and places so I was ready for an indulgent, geeky read with this one. The book is sort of an extended essay that meanders where it wants to but, while the author covers places like a city with multiple borders between the Netherlands and Belgium, it never really hits the interesting points about geography. The author is a nice person to spend a few hours with but I can't see how a non-geographer could get excited about it. less

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