What would the world be without maps? How would we orientate ourselves? How would we travel? How could we plan streets or entire cities? We encounter maps everywhere in everyday life. But they can do much more than just represent the topography of places.
The geographer Simon Küestenmacher collects exciting, entertaining and useful maps that open up a new perspective on the world in an extraordinary way. Where on Earth do most people live? What does the world look like from a dolphin's point of view? What did the world look like in the 17th century? Where in Europe were the last executions carried out? And how much tip is expected in the different countries?
All maps represent our living environment in an unusual way, explain connections from new perspectives and show how much fun data and facts are when they are presented in a visually interesting way.
I read a lot of heavy books, so sometimes I need something light inbetween the likes of Dumas and Tolkien. For me this book is a perfect palate cleanser! Perfect balance of art, facts, and humour. Reading this is like a gentle breeze on a hot day, fantastically refreshing.
„Mad Maps“ kommt in Summe ein wenig seriöser daher als andere Atlanten mit ungewöhnlichen Karten. Zum einen gibt es zu jeder Karte weiterführende Erläuterungen, zum anderen werden weniger Fun Facts und mehr ernsthaft interessante Informationen visualisiert. Zum Teil sind es nützliche und hilfreiche Karten, beispielsweise zum erwarteten Trinkgeld und den Telefonvorwahlen, aber auch mit allen Steckdosentypen weltweit. Zum Teil sind schlicht Informationen wie das Potenzial zur Energiegewinnung durch die Sonne oder der Vergleich der Reisezeit von 1914 und 2016 illustriert. Die meisten Karten sind ansprechend gestaltet und das Buch ist übersichtlich in Themen wie Bevölkerungsdichte, Reiselust und Kulinarisches unterteilt. Wer an anschaulichen Darstellungen interessanter, wissenswerter Fakten interessiert ist, wird in „Mad Maps“ fündig.
I love books about maps, especially ones that are infographical. This book is by a German map enthusiast who shares interesting maps on social media. Despite being titled "Random Maps", the book is actually organised in chapters based on the theme of information that the maps are presenting. For the most part the information presented by the maps is easy to understand, and both fun and enlightening. Recommended for map enthusiasts.