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Vargic's Miscellany of Curious Maps
Vargic's Miscellany is a collection of 64 maps and infographics. See the world mapped out by stereotypes; discover the internet in cartographical form; marvel at the maps of global technology and culture; and explore the world through infographics and statistics. This wonderful and strange atlas is a treasure trove of interesting, unexpected and bizarre facts, a glorious celebration of our big beautiful diverse world.
123 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 2, 2016
So fun. You could look at this for years and never get bored.
June 16, 2017
At school, when I first started taking geography and got my first atlas I was impressed with maps, it seems impossible to create maps when you think of it, and when you see the first attempts at drawing them you will understand what I mean: maps are magic!
So back in November when I visited home, I found this gem is Virgin Mega Store, I kept flipping through it until I understood that I wasn't looking at a normal atlas! It was a statistic and information from our world written and drawn into maps.
A few days ago when I started reading this book I was impressed yet again that it's author is a boy of 17 years of age! I was a bit disappointed though that so many of the information about Middle East is either too old, not available "in grey" or missing.
I blame us though, we should write down our modern history and each country should work harder at documenting whatever it is that needs documenting to make such an author's job easier! I was excited to see anything about us, though inaccurate sometimes, but Amr Diab's name was there! That made me super happy!
P.S. You are going to need a magnifying glass and patience, probably a pot of tea as well!
So back in November when I visited home, I found this gem is Virgin Mega Store, I kept flipping through it until I understood that I wasn't looking at a normal atlas! It was a statistic and information from our world written and drawn into maps.
A few days ago when I started reading this book I was impressed yet again that it's author is a boy of 17 years of age! I was a bit disappointed though that so many of the information about Middle East is either too old, not available "in grey" or missing.
I blame us though, we should write down our modern history and each country should work harder at documenting whatever it is that needs documenting to make such an author's job easier! I was excited to see anything about us, though inaccurate sometimes, but Amr Diab's name was there! That made me super happy!
P.S. You are going to need a magnifying glass and patience, probably a pot of tea as well!
August 28, 2022
I thought this book would be interesting for the layout, design, or illustration of the maps. This was a complete waste of time. All the author did was poorly text wrap words all over a bunch of different maps. The words weren’t even interesting either—it was like Twitter the book, but in map form.
December 31, 2015
This was bought as a Christmas present for my husband but I couldn't resist reading it.
It is a beautiful hardback book full of facts and statistics set out in the form of an atlas. The maps themselves are coloured like Olde Worlde style maps.
An excellent book to have on your coffee table.
It is a beautiful hardback book full of facts and statistics set out in the form of an atlas. The maps themselves are coloured like Olde Worlde style maps.
An excellent book to have on your coffee table.
Read
September 24, 2017This was really fun. Don't think that I can come up with a rating.
September 12, 2017
A compilation of thematic maps (showing world train use, beer consumption etc.), amusing, entertaining and sobering overlays (for stereotypes, paranormal activity and disasters respectively), and original map-like word clouds displaying 'the internet' and 'gaming' and 'sports', plus other errata and infills that one could spend hours with a magnifying glass going over.
Aside from the obvious diversionary recreational use, this is an invaluable resource for tabletop gamers or genre authors due to the sheer volume of story hooks and game seeds it contains.
Aside from the obvious diversionary recreational use, this is an invaluable resource for tabletop gamers or genre authors due to the sheer volume of story hooks and game seeds it contains.
February 5, 2017
This coffee table book originally came to my attention after seeing a picture of the Map of Literature. It was visually beautiful, creative and fun to look at! I wanted a framed copy, but the only way to get the map was to buy the entire book of maps. Luckily, I love maps!
The Map of Literature is just one of several large maps. Others included are the Map of Stereotypes, Video Websites, Internet, Music, Gaming, Disasters, Corporations and Sports. There are many small and mini-maps with subjects such as paranormal activity, extinct animals and various world statistics. Many of the maps are drawn using the geography of planet Earth. Others are drawn from the author/artist's imagination. They are current, realistic, relevant to our world, and often hilarious. There are maps on penis length, breast size, and in the Map of Stereotypes, the U.S. is actually named Liberty for Rich White Guys! I can spend hours looking through this book and I will always find something new!
The Map of Literature is just one of several large maps. Others included are the Map of Stereotypes, Video Websites, Internet, Music, Gaming, Disasters, Corporations and Sports. There are many small and mini-maps with subjects such as paranormal activity, extinct animals and various world statistics. Many of the maps are drawn using the geography of planet Earth. Others are drawn from the author/artist's imagination. They are current, realistic, relevant to our world, and often hilarious. There are maps on penis length, breast size, and in the Map of Stereotypes, the U.S. is actually named Liberty for Rich White Guys! I can spend hours looking through this book and I will always find something new!
June 6, 2017
This book is pretty disappointing. The mapmaking is pretty (the borders are a little busy for my taste, but ymmv), sure, but that's all it has going for it. The map of stereotypes is a hacky conceit, poorly executed. The other "fantasy maps" like the "map of video games" or "map of corporations" don't seem to be well thought out at all. It's just a bunch of names plopped down on the page, without really any logic. In other words, they do not do what maps should do: show how the different concepts or items relate to each other in space. The remainder of the maps are interesting, but are basically just infographics.
July 15, 2018
Not at all what I expected, so hugely disappointing for this map lover. Plus, sadly, I question the credibility of some of the information. It's going to the used book store because I didn't realize soon enough to return it to Amazon.
July 17, 2018
I guess I was expecting more. The Map of Stereotypes, shows us how narrow-minded we are, the problem is that the print is so small that you would need a magnifier to read most of it. There are a few pull out maps included. Most of these facts I am not sure about and even then, who cares.
November 20, 2017
Don’t waste money on this. Maps with words are indecipherable.
March 10, 2020
There is a saying, "The map is not the territory."
Even the most "accurate" maps cannot convey 100% information with 100% accuracy. But that's not the point. By offering a God's-eye-view of things, maps can provide perspective, insights, connections and contrasts that might otherwise be missed.
If that is the purpose of maps then this atlas fails spectacularly.
There are three types of map in this book: Firstly, a map of the world with alternative information on it (e.g. the map of stereotypes - which, when you're presented with a whole world's worth of prejudice and assumptions, is a lot less funny than the author thinks it is).
Secondly, triptychs of world maps with various statistical information draped over them (e.g. maps of average penis length, breast size and age of consent). These maps seem to be groping for some sort of meaning in their contrast but fall short of a conclusion.
Thirdly, maps of abstract information, like the map of the internet. Vargic designed these by scaling "land mass" to the relative size of companies involved, and putting related "countries" near each other, then pouring hundreds of names and brands over the maps. And these maps tell you...literally nothing.
Maps without meaning.
Even the most "accurate" maps cannot convey 100% information with 100% accuracy. But that's not the point. By offering a God's-eye-view of things, maps can provide perspective, insights, connections and contrasts that might otherwise be missed.
If that is the purpose of maps then this atlas fails spectacularly.
There are three types of map in this book: Firstly, a map of the world with alternative information on it (e.g. the map of stereotypes - which, when you're presented with a whole world's worth of prejudice and assumptions, is a lot less funny than the author thinks it is).
Secondly, triptychs of world maps with various statistical information draped over them (e.g. maps of average penis length, breast size and age of consent). These maps seem to be groping for some sort of meaning in their contrast but fall short of a conclusion.
Thirdly, maps of abstract information, like the map of the internet. Vargic designed these by scaling "land mass" to the relative size of companies involved, and putting related "countries" near each other, then pouring hundreds of names and brands over the maps. And these maps tell you...literally nothing.
Maps without meaning.
October 22, 2016
An excellent book for a light read and to give you some "fuel" for thinking. It has all sorts of different facts and very interesting content.
I really liked the unfolding maps and I was amazed to find the grand map at the end of the book.
Very well made, shows that the author did hard work in the research and creation of it.
The only "negative" thing I found about this book, is that in some of the maps, some letters are so tiny that they could not be printed correctly, thus you cannot even read them with a magnifying glass. I wish I could see the digital copies of the maps and get all the details :)
I really liked the unfolding maps and I was amazed to find the grand map at the end of the book.
Very well made, shows that the author did hard work in the research and creation of it.
The only "negative" thing I found about this book, is that in some of the maps, some letters are so tiny that they could not be printed correctly, thus you cannot even read them with a magnifying glass. I wish I could see the digital copies of the maps and get all the details :)
May 6, 2025
It's so terrible that I don't even know where to start.
Many maps have legends that use way too close colours... even 3 or 4 of them may be virtually the same colour.
The maps have weird gray patterns in the background; therefore, colours aren't consistent with a country. Sometimes, the gray background makes it impossible to tell if part of the country actually has a different value.
And it claims that China has 16 neighbouring countries without listing all of them, so I don't know where they made the mistake.
Many maps have legends that use way too close colours... even 3 or 4 of them may be virtually the same colour.
The maps have weird gray patterns in the background; therefore, colours aren't consistent with a country. Sometimes, the gray background makes it impossible to tell if part of the country actually has a different value.
And it claims that China has 16 neighbouring countries without listing all of them, so I don't know where they made the mistake.
June 30, 2018
This is a pretty cool book. It is a book of “maps”, but really it is using a map format to covey information, i.e. the map of music or the map of the internet. The last half of the book has maps of the world showing various data, such as most popular music genre in each country, where in the world the internet is prevalent, and which countries are watched most by the NSA. Each of these has a series of facts related to the map. I really enjoyed it. Look through it if you get the chance.
January 20, 2019
An odd collection of maps - from the completely made up (e.g. the Map of the Internet) to the odd (Map of Paranormal Activity in the US) to the informative (Government Systems of the World). The coffee-table of sorts book can be opened at any point to find something both interesting and artistic. It contains several large fold-out maps as well. Definitely more whimsical than insightful and certainly something different from your typical atlas.
February 8, 2025
The mini-maps were more interesting to me than his larger ones, where the author represents various statistics or concepts in the form of maps (video websites as represented in map form; a map of stereotypes). The mini-maps explored one idea – satisfaction with life; average meat consumption per capita – in an easy-to-read format.
October 15, 2019
Nice distraction or conversation piece. Some maps are detachable in order to display. 'Miscellany' and 'Curious' are apt descriptors. This is best suited for those who like word clouds and tag clouds. Definitely not for everyone.
December 23, 2022
I only looked at the first half of the book. For the most part, these maps are word clouds with little useful information or illustration of relationships between the entries. Pretty but boring for me.
January 25, 2025
The maps of natural disasters (which thankfully had each section expanded on pages after the worldview, which was the only one with the key) were both fascinating and shocking. I didn't find the rest as well done or interesting as I'd hoped. Some are already rather dated.
March 14, 2019
This book is so sardonic that it's basically Francine Rivers' aesthetic.
July 12, 2019
Incredible, but have a magnifier close by!
October 21, 2020
Maps good.
August 4, 2021
Thought-provoking worldviews and curious facts from across the world, this is a great, easy-ish, very pleasant and relaxing read. I will definitely return for a second reading.
April 28, 2022
Beautifully illustrated, wonderful facts and informative maps of things you never knew you wanted to discover!
May 7, 2022
Full of intriguing maps covering every topic you could imagine
August 22, 2022
A book of real maps and made-up world cartography. So much to see on each map would recommend taking your time and reading all of the tiny, fine print, you never know that fun you will miss.
April 26, 2017
Read April 15, 2016. It bothers me that graphic novels come up in my Goodreads challenge count, so I'm (belatedly) removing the dates to keep my numbers less bloated.
Very cool book with creative and colorful maps. I viewed this more as 3 star material rather than 4 because while the maps are undoubtedly unique and fascinating for those of us nerdy, trivia-loving types, Vargic's labels and color schemes made them surprisingly difficult to interpret.
The large maps in the beginning are JAMMED with a tedious amount of things to read, and the borders are outlined in barely-perceptible dotted lines and subtle colors. It could have used a brighter color scheme with bolder lines, and maybe some editing of all the terms packed within each border. I had to circle back a few times to decipher what belongs where and what refers to what.
The mini-maps, while much simpler than the maps in the beginning, suffered from color scales that were too nuanced. For at least half, I couldn't distinguish the difference between the varying shades of light green, or dark red, for example, and it just makes me wonder what's the point of having a map if I can't tell apart certain colors (read: facts). In some ways it actually undermines my confidence in the map's factual basis, especially when the facts presented with the map don't match up with the color ratings.
Example: Alongside the annual meat consumption map, Vargic includes a few bullet points of information, one of which claims that Uruguayans consume the most beef annually (130 lbs per capita). But on the actual map, Uruguay has the color rating of 75-110 lbs per capita, while the U.S., Australia, and Spain are rated at over 220 lbs. To be clear, the statement says beef specifically, while the map shows general meat consumption. Other countries' numbers probably include more than just beef, but Uruguay's range on the map is still well below the claimed 130 lbs. I'm pretty skeptical about this, especially since Vargic doesn't present his sources.
Obviously a lot of hard work and time went into creating these maps, and as a map-lover myself, I love the ideas that Vargic came up with. The execution of the details, however, was inconsistent, unclear, and a little untrustworthy with the facts, therefore only earning 3 stars from me.
Very cool book with creative and colorful maps. I viewed this more as 3 star material rather than 4 because while the maps are undoubtedly unique and fascinating for those of us nerdy, trivia-loving types, Vargic's labels and color schemes made them surprisingly difficult to interpret.
The large maps in the beginning are JAMMED with a tedious amount of things to read, and the borders are outlined in barely-perceptible dotted lines and subtle colors. It could have used a brighter color scheme with bolder lines, and maybe some editing of all the terms packed within each border. I had to circle back a few times to decipher what belongs where and what refers to what.
The mini-maps, while much simpler than the maps in the beginning, suffered from color scales that were too nuanced. For at least half, I couldn't distinguish the difference between the varying shades of light green, or dark red, for example, and it just makes me wonder what's the point of having a map if I can't tell apart certain colors (read: facts). In some ways it actually undermines my confidence in the map's factual basis, especially when the facts presented with the map don't match up with the color ratings.
Example: Alongside the annual meat consumption map, Vargic includes a few bullet points of information, one of which claims that Uruguayans consume the most beef annually (130 lbs per capita). But on the actual map, Uruguay has the color rating of 75-110 lbs per capita, while the U.S., Australia, and Spain are rated at over 220 lbs. To be clear, the statement says beef specifically, while the map shows general meat consumption. Other countries' numbers probably include more than just beef, but Uruguay's range on the map is still well below the claimed 130 lbs. I'm pretty skeptical about this, especially since Vargic doesn't present his sources.
Obviously a lot of hard work and time went into creating these maps, and as a map-lover myself, I love the ideas that Vargic came up with. The execution of the details, however, was inconsistent, unclear, and a little untrustworthy with the facts, therefore only earning 3 stars from me.
December 4, 2015
I don't know how they make money on this (hardcover) because the production values are high. It's a big wide coffee table book, although not enormously thick. The maps are all printed in color inside, plus there's a seperate color wall poster that's folded inside what looks like a 9x12 envelope inside the back cover. The poster alone would make a great gift.
The maps are a cobbled together gathering of various types of maps.
Fully invented: There's the infamous 'Map of the Internet' as well as versions focusing solely on the gaming industry, literature, and the online video industry. They look like real world maps, but are made up of company and brand names instead.
Impressions of the real world: this is a map, shown as a whole and then blown up in sections for better viewing, of the real world. Instead of real world place names, the countries and cities are named after what they are known for, such as "Liberty For White Guys" (instead of USA). The author is from Slovakia, so some things he nails and others he misses a bit...but hey, he does the whole world in detail! No one could do that for each place like a native of each place could.
Data on the Real world: these are a series of maps based on real world demographics, such as average adult heights, cyclists per 1,000 people, and of course penis size. The latter gave me a new respect for Hungarians BTW.
So, there are a bunch of fun maps and maplike illustrations to spend an evening or three browsing through. But this is not remotely comprehensive. It's just a random collection. A lot of fun nevertheless.
The maps are a cobbled together gathering of various types of maps.
Fully invented: There's the infamous 'Map of the Internet' as well as versions focusing solely on the gaming industry, literature, and the online video industry. They look like real world maps, but are made up of company and brand names instead.
Impressions of the real world: this is a map, shown as a whole and then blown up in sections for better viewing, of the real world. Instead of real world place names, the countries and cities are named after what they are known for, such as "Liberty For White Guys" (instead of USA). The author is from Slovakia, so some things he nails and others he misses a bit...but hey, he does the whole world in detail! No one could do that for each place like a native of each place could.
Data on the Real world: these are a series of maps based on real world demographics, such as average adult heights, cyclists per 1,000 people, and of course penis size. The latter gave me a new respect for Hungarians BTW.
So, there are a bunch of fun maps and maplike illustrations to spend an evening or three browsing through. But this is not remotely comprehensive. It's just a random collection. A lot of fun nevertheless.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews