40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World

by Alastair Bonnett

Turn the pages of this thought-provoking book, and discover maps that challenge conventional wisdom, confront social and political norms, and offer fresh perspectives on familiar landscapes. This meticulously curated selection of 40 maps spans the ages, from ancient parchment scrolls, to cutting-edge digital creations. Each map is a window into a different facet of our world, shedding light on the complex interplay of geography, geopolitics, art, history, science, and society. Maps have always held the power to transport us, not just from one place to another, but from one state of mind to another. Beyond their utilitarian function, maps have an extraordinary ability to tell stories, reveal truths, and inspire revolutions. They are not mere drawings of geographic boundaries, but gateways to the collective wisdom of humanity. You'll encounter maps that dissect the intricate tapestry of human migration, maps that unveil the secrets of the cosmos, and maps that expose the stark realities of our changing climate. These maps are not just illustrations; they are provocations, invitations to rethink the world.40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World is not just a book for geographers or history buffs; it is a profound exploration for anyone with a curious mind. Whether you're an armchair traveler, a seasoned explorer, a student of geopolitics, or an art aficionado, this book will challenge your preconceptions, spark lively discussions, and deepen your appreciation for the interconnectedness of our world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Maps, Geography, History, Politics

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Alastair Bonnett is a professor of social geography at Newcastle University. He is the author of several books, including What Is Geography?, How to Argue, Left in the Past, and The Idea of the West. He has also contributed to history and current affairs magazines on a wide variety of topics.

Reviews

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I believe that being a citizen of United Kingdom, Alastair must learn more on history than geography when writing such books. Such collation of data about countries you knew rarely about or the history that they have lived for ages shouldn't be put forth like its a back of your hand. Ironically a UK citizen is showing guts to mention that Kashmir is not an integral part of India and that too based on merely Google Maps not knowing how those from British rule just broke one beautiful peaceful country but putting lines on map and separate one big part from it apart in the name of racism and hate towards indigenous people's religion.

Most of the Maps were merely copy-paste of archived scanned images and unnecessary data mentioned here to give non-proliferation in value to the context alongside. this seems like author just wanted to add merely one more published work in his name so that in coming time he will be counted as more prominent as not most want to go through what scrap he had collated. I really doubt his research because mostly are either incomplete or half truth.

I would like to highlight one such example from "Map 20 : Kashmir for Google users in India versus Kashmir for Google users outside India, 2024"

At first, I'm quoting as is from book then will explain why I had written what I did in first 2 paras of my review to start with.

"Kashmir is a country of snow-white mountains and wide green valleys that should be full of tourists but is full of soldiers. It sits at the top of India and the eastern side of Pakistan. In both countries, Google’s share on the mobile search engine market is almost a hundred percent. These maps matter. The bottom one shows us what Google Map users in India see. It portrays the whole of Kashmir, not just the bit that is actually administered by India, as if it were under Indian control. The top map is what you see if you’re a Google Map user living in Pakistan, or anywhere else, and is more complex. It has a lot of dotted lines, which indicate disputed lines of control, in this case not just between Pakistan and India but also China, which claims and controls the dotted zones on the eastern side of the map. One of those dotted lines – the one that marches out across the middle of the territory – is so uncertain that it appears to give up. It stops, paralyzed by worry, in a high, cold nowhere, or more precisely in a frozen slope in the Himalayas, which separate Kashmir from China.

What neither map shows us is that plenty of people in Kashmir don’t want to be in India, Pakistan or China. They want to be in a country called Kashmir. It’s an unlikely prospect, given how much national pride Kashmir’s neighbours pour their way. Kashmir is one of the most militarized places on Earth. Hundreds of thousands of troops keep it in a vice-like grip and there are continuous skirmishes and bouts of violence. Thousands of civilians have been killed and, currently, there is little sign of peace. In 2019, India reinforced its claim on the parts of Kashmir that are under its control (which is most of the southern half) by getting rid of the political autonomy the region once enjoyed and governing it directly from New Delhi."

Now coming back to the explanation behind all this propaganda, as I highlighted before this quotation from book.
Author must know that Kashmir is an Integral part of India and what was called as POK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) is something which was taken away from India due to the British boot-lickers like Nehru who happened to be unfortunate first PM of India. He made sure to appease the Muslim Minorities of India for the votes in then coming elections, first in Independent India (1950 Elections) and gave hold of area (now POK) to Pakistan by giving it's case to UN and a special entitlement to India's Kashmir to favor his bloodline Sheikh Abdullah so that it can never become part of India fully and those radical Islamists can easily enjoy their regime as PM of the place but thanks to incumbent GOI it was removed in 2019 constitutionally and hence now in 2024 after maintaining proper peace and from the POV of development and tourism, Legislative Assembly Elections also going to commence in Sep'24 end to 1st oct'24. By this the claim of author that plenty of People in Kashmir do not want to live in India is also nullified. I suggest he should visit some factual articles on current situation or I'll let travel with me personally to showcase the reality which is way better and different than he claim otherwise and on how Kashmir transformed in terms of economic structure and tourism between 2019 and 2024 he must go through Statistics on the same (as I do not post confidential data here but are publicly available to read online on Govt. websites).
There is a massive increase in tourism where it 1.62 Cr. in 2019 and in 2023 it reached 2.11 Cr. annual tourists. If the decision of GOI is not good as author claimed by interfering in the internal matters of the country, then how come this place became safe eventually and people from all over world start visiting it? Also, why GOI is by making it safe also ensuring better earning options for the natives by giving huge budget for industries and civil infras?
To conclude, Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), a fundamental part of the original Kashmir region, which has been illegally occupied with the aid of Pakistan since 1947 keeps no value basis on 'Google Map outside India'.

Author here seems to me as biased against India and majorly wants to put forth the theory which earlier planned by British rule under Churchill and way back too, to divide this nation inside-out. Ironically whole of their island nation is surviving from the looting their ancestors did from India else they would have been vanished from world map then and today no one is there to write with racism and biasing on rest maps of the world.

And yes, Author must read and write on the imaginary line which divides Israel from Palestine but exclusion of it shows enough of his crumbled mindset.

My review on other platforms: NetGalley

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Neither the Earth’s inner structure nor its surface is stable. The geoid keeps shifting and maps will always need to be updated. ”

In the same way that there are seemingly infinite ways to view the world, there also appears to be infinite options to map it. Bonnett brings a genuine warmth and enthusiasm to this which is largely contagious as he takes us on a journey through various maps, which go from fake ones through to Pacific Island one made from sticks and shells, each possessing either craft, beauty, wonder or even just a “hmmm…that’s pretty interesting isn’t it”.

Through these selected maps they seem to stoke controversy, humour, boredom or ambiguity. We also get treated to various planetary maps, so called chameleon maps, “acoustic mapper” and let’s not forget smell maps. There are also some incredibly depressing maps relating to the impending climate disaster, showing flood levels and intense heat temperatures too.

[Mary]

This was a random pick up from the local library. Was interesting but the grammar mistakes really ruined it… so I kind of questioned everything

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect gift for anyone curious about the world. The maps collected here will surprise anyone, no matter how well read. Beautiful illustrations are combined with short essays explaining what makes each one special - and bear in mind that even the definition of what one considers a map is challenged here. Great idea and great execution.

Thanks to the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag: some maps and accompanying texts were fascinating, some not so much. Some statements seemed too simplistic but I’m not an expert. Overall, I don’t think the selection works well together and complement each other, so it’s not a book you need to read from start to finish. The book was also rather difficult to read in ebook format and would certainly work better as a physical coffee table book. The text was tiny and weirdly formated.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a degree in maps so this book was a must read for me. This book features 40 the each tell a unique story. Some are scientific, some are estimations for the future, some are data driven, some are divine, some are political, some are a snapshot into the past, and some are fake. Each map is accompanied by an explanation of when, where, and how it was created as well as insight to its literal and cultural meanings. The descriptions are easy to read and the photos of the maps are absolutely beautiful. the book is easy to flip through and find the maps that interest you and does not need to be read linearly. Several of the map I was familiar with, but a lot were new to me. The map of the world centering the ocean surrounded by land was one I recognized from college and it never ceases to send me into an existential crisis.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that certainly starts out for the mapreaders in amongst us – and by which I mean those who pore over maps for the pleasure, not for the finding their way home or to the nearest petrol station or 'Too Good To Go' outlet. This is for those who consider how we as a species learnt which way was up, and welcome the mind being expanded just as the geography of what is known did all those centuries ago, and those who always wondered what exactly 'here be monsters' would result in.

It's not perfect – the very first map is from 6000BC and therefore probably isn't nine thousand years old, as claimed, unless my afternoon kip today was a lot longer than I thought. It's still a wonderful portrait of a prehistoric town, though. Ptolemy attempts the UK, and the text says something is Ynys Mon – Anglesey, when it might just as well be the Isle of Man and the evidence that it's not that is cried out for. The book states Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 – yeah, it was a few years before that, and therefore a later chapter on how Google fudges its maps for whichever national market it's selling them to, is, well, fudged.

Also, the maps get to be created in the last couple of years surprisingly quickly. This is certainly not something like those history round-ups called something approaching "40 xx that Changed the World". With a schema for, as example, Africa's Great Green Wall, where trees will slow the Saharan spread, it's more like "40 Illustrations of Major Things that Might End Up Meaning a Lot". This is no museum gallery of major past maps, as the maps are too current and only what they pictorialise would ever be in a museum, not they themselves.

That's not to say they have little interest, in some form or other. Some are very right-on-sociology-professor-friendly, such as noise maps and a chart of how comfortable NYC is to walk in as a female. Someone has done that thing with a GPS, not to outline a certain image through a bike ride, but to portray his every movement over fifteen years. We see the stretch of man as we consider Mars, and then Titan, and then the mahoosive-and-then-some structures of the universe. We've always wanted to know what it is we're looking at, and of course to name it and claim it at the same time in case it makes us rich, and this is an interesting look at what that has meant, pictorially. Forty maps, forty two-paged mini-essays, and extra imagery, is the basic result. It's not flawless, but it does let us wonder generally without blunder, so four stars is close enough.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik kende Alastair Bonnett nog niet, maar Atlas van de Verrassende Kaarten - 40 Kaarten Waarmee Je de Wereld Anders Ziet vond ik in elk geval bijzonder goed, en ik ga kijken of ik meer van deze auteur kan lezen.

Het boek gaat waarover het zegt dat het gaat: het bevat veertig kaarten, maar dan van die aard dat ze totaal anders zijn dan je zou denken. Er zijn allerhande raakvlakken, naargelang het onderwerp van de kaart: er zitten neppe historische kaarten tussen van de aarde, over de veiligheid van vrouwen in New York, een stokkenkaart uit Oceanië (waarvan ik er toevallig een paar weken geleden ook een in het echt heb gezien), kaarten van bepaalde fenomenen in de ruimte en ga zo maar door. Met andere woorden: dit boek is niet alleen een geografisch pareltje, maar ook een sociaal, politiek, economisch, cultureel, astrologisch, biologisch en nog-veel-meer pareltje.

Het is natuurlijk onvermijdelijk dat er eens iets tussen zit dat je persoonlijk minder interessant vindt. Maar van die veertig kaarten had ik dat al bij al toch maar een paar keer. Meestal word je gewoon weggeblazen door de originaliteit die bepaalde mensen voor de dag leggen bij het maken van deze alternatieve kaarten en hoe ze iets weergeven.

De opmaak had iets beter gekund: de tekst is in een nogal kleine lettergrootte gedrukt, ook al is er meestal toch nog wel ruimte om hem iets groter te maken. Voor mensen met een slecht zicht is het echt pieren om het goed te kunnen lezen, denk ik. En de kleinere afbeeldingen hadden ook wel wat groter gemogen - of misschien hadden er van de kaarten zelf soms ook wat meer details afzonderlijk uitvergroot kunnen worden, ik zeg zo maar iets.

De vertaling is van Erick Vermeulen en die is wel heel goed, ik heb er niks op aan te merken. Bonnett zelf heeft een goede vertelstijl met een persoonlijke invalshoek en die is ook goed vertaald. Ik kan me niet herinneren dat ik iets heb gelezen dat mij vreemd in de oren klonk of ik niet vond passen, en ook alle namen en termen zijn voor mij goed vertaald.

Een heel sterk boek.

9/10

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this up expecting mostly political maps or ones focused on borders, but was pleasantly surprised by the range. The book includes speculative maps, spiritual maps, niche geographical maps, and ecological ones — a diverse and often creative selection. Not every map felt entirely eye opening, but I think that depends a lot on the reader's personal interests.
Some of my favorites include:
Map 11: Territorial Expansion of Russia, 1300–1945
Map 14: Africa’s Great Green Wall
Map 20: Google’s Chameleon Maps
Map 25: My Ghost by Jeremy Wood — GPS turned into wandering art
Map 26: Microscopy of Neurons — mapping the human brain at an astonishing scale
Map 29: Seismic Simulations Revealing Subterranean Structures — absolutely fascinating
Map 32: General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) — this one completely blew my mind
Map 34: Speculative Europe After 80-Metre Sea Level Rise by Christopher Bretz — both chilling and captivating (I would highly encourage people to see the full art segment here)
This is more of a curiosity-sparking beach read than a traditional cartographic deep dive, but if you’re open to maps that challenge conventional ideas of space, identity, and the planet itself, it’s well worth reading.

[Rudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren , het lettertype vond ik iets te klein en de kaarten kwamen ook niet helemaal tot hun recht in het formaat , …. . Waarom kaarten een leuker gevoel geven bij groter formaat weet ik niet , …. Zouden atlassen meestal op grotere boeken gedrukt zijn , zou het iets psychologisch zijn ,(?)
Wel 5 sterren voor de verassende kaarten ( 40 ) met telkens een boeiende uitleg , gaande van bv meer / minder vrouwvriendelijke straten in New York , tot een hypnotiserende afbeelding van de Laniakea cluster , …. Een boeiend boek met veel verschillende weetjes. , heeft mij ook wat doen nadenken over kaarten , ( vergankelijkheid, verandering ) bv in de tijd , 10000 jaar geleden lagen de kaarten anders , ….. of over de grote beweeglijkheid bv de Laniakea / Shapley cluster , …. Verder lijken grenzen op kaarten te zorgen voor zowel orde als chaos , …
4 sterren de verschillende invalshoeken van het boek doet me wel andere boeken van deze schrijver op het leeslijstje plaatsen ( je weet niet over welk thema de volgende kaart kan gaan , een beetje als de verassing van paaseieren, , mss wat jammer door het ( letter ) formaat ,

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy maps but this book is a mixed bag. If you like historical maps there are eight of them covered. It shows the view of the earth the people or nation that created the map knew about. It gives you a glimpse into the time period. I’m often amazed when I look at historical maps at how much of the world was known and recognizable. The other maps are more eclectic covering things like; who owns Alaska, modern China train map, women friendly map of NYC, noise maps of Mexico City. My interest was mixed. Some were very interesting and worth reading the attached text, others didn’t catch my interest. The author also shows some personal bias in the text writing. It is the kind of book that you can flip through and find things that interest you and does not have to be read straight through. I’m giving a lukewarm recommendation if you like maps. And it may change how you see the world just as the title says. Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group for the temporary copy and I am leaving an honest review.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ivy Press and NetGalley for the eARC of 40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World! All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was absolutely fascinating! While 40 maps may not seem like a lot, they span from the ancient world to today to even outer space! It even covers issues like women's safety in New York City, the rise of tourism in Antartica, and what Europe will look like if all of the ice in the world melts. I do wish some of the explanations delved a little deeper into the topics they were covering because some of the maps were so interesting, but I do understand that this is supposed to be more of a visual representation. Overall, this is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in how your perspective can change when shown something that you might already know in a new way!

[Bibliohiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was interesting read with an assortment of maps and a bit of history about each one. One of the interesting ones was the “Universal Map” from Japan. They took their cue from Europe so to modern day people it sounds crazy that they thought when a woman gave birth, it didn’t hurt. Or that there were giants. But Japan had no contact with the outside world for hundreds of years. It’s interesting what people thought as fact back then that today we wouldn’t believe. Another map is the Women’s Walkability Map for NYC. It shows areas that are safe to walkthrough and other areas that one would be putting oneself in danger if walking through that area. There’s a US National Walkability Index that shows how the US looks in terms of safe walking areas.

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book redefines what we think of when we think of maps. It included some more common maps that reflect the geographic lay out of areas, but also maps focused on science or sociological information. With such an eclectic variety of topics, I would say this book is guaranteed to have some maps that draw each person in. I found that I was greatly interested in some of the maps (for example: a map outlining the safest places for women in NYC), but not as interested in others (such as those that were more focused on science). I think this would be a great reference book for a hotel lobby or doctor's office since anyone who picks it up would likely find some information of interest to them. Unfortunately, that is a bit of reason for my lower star rating as I use my star ratings to reflect how much I enjoyed the entirety of a book. This book definitely has it's place though!

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book intrigued me, as I enjoy maps, as well as getting new perspectives on familiar things, but I definitely found this book a mixed bag. The historical maps give the reader insight into the view of the earth the people/nation that created the map had, which is fascinating. The other maps were a collection that wasn't in any way coherent, but seemed to be whatever the author came across - some interesting to me, others not at all interesting or much too nerdy for my taste. Some of the accompanying texts were very good, others seemed a bit too simplistic, but if you like maps you may enjoy this book. Overall, it didn't really work for me.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but though I found nuggets to fascinate I also found misinformation and at least one alarming gap. The stories behind the ancient maps were thorough and thought provoking. The geoid tale had me doing additional research and the "ice free" map of Greenland was fascinating. I was bit taken aback by the description of the formation of theTRNC which came across as a bit partisan. The alarming gap though was a complete absence of anything in the mapping of Israel and Palestine which must be a classic example of history being rewritten in plan and plain view.

[Jessica Hembree · Rating 2 out of 5]

The variety of maps included in the book was wonderful. It was interesting to compare the maps shown to what information I am usually presented with. As a teacher, I know that maps have changed over time and can easily be skewed to the creator's perspective. It was still interesting to read about this collection of different maps.

[Adam Dobberfuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 40 maps do actually make you see the world from a new perspective. From ancient world maps to maps of neurons and internet connections, each image makes the world seem both more known and more mysterious.

[Jos Deroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historic, unusual, out-of-this-world and other maps that will change your view on the world, past, present and future.

[David Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Could be a quick read, but I spent 3 days with it...

[Pcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever idea and just enough information to keep the reader engaged and learning.

[Gabrielle Geddes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn he was right they did change how I see the world.