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avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Fun and inspiring, with maps of all kinds. I thought one of the essays was a bit of a dud, but otherwise really enjoyed this book.
ccmhats's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
galaheadh's review
very cool book - i thought it could benefit from being physically larger, given the incredible tiny details on some of the maps, but the concept and its execution were both great and i look forward to dipping into it at my leisure into the future
annebennett1957's review
4.0
A surprisingly interesting book about personal maps. I found a few gems to share with teachers about the power that maps give to literature. I really enjoyed this highly illustrated book.
(Catching up on reviews for books read before blogging/Goodreads days, made from notes made at the time the book was read. Written on 7/27/21.)
(Catching up on reviews for books read before blogging/Goodreads days, made from notes made at the time the book was read. Written on 7/27/21.)
kristennd's review
3.0
I came across this via Powell's reviews-of-the-day. I'm not a big map person, but these sounded fun. And many were. Others were lovely. The Bridget Booher text piece was particularly entertaining; I'm sad she doesn't really have anything else out there.
chrisiant's review
4.0
Very cool book. The kind of book I will need to have a copy of to put on my coffee table when I have a coffee table. 'Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination' is the subtitle, and the maps included fit all sorts of odd little nooks and corners within that concept.
Anatomical maps from centuries ago, Puritanical maps of morality (through the lagoons of laziness and the swamps of sloth to the high plateaus of moral righteousness) a map of the London Underground re-imagined with famous people as stations (the Circle line becomes all musicians, the Northern line all philosophers, etc.).
A few insightful essays thrown in amidst all the maps, my favorite being the one about maps created by hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Maps left at shelters, in logbooks at stations along the way. On the early parts of the trail imaginations of what comes next and how long it will take, a map projecting at what point in the hike shoes will fall apart or fears be conquered. Halfway through frustrated maps comparing the multiple 'halfway' points of the trail.
Some of the maps leaned a little too far into the realm of abstract and artsy for me, but most of them were fascinating.
Anatomical maps from centuries ago, Puritanical maps of morality (through the lagoons of laziness and the swamps of sloth to the high plateaus of moral righteousness) a map of the London Underground re-imagined with famous people as stations (the Circle line becomes all musicians, the Northern line all philosophers, etc.).
A few insightful essays thrown in amidst all the maps, my favorite being the one about maps created by hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Maps left at shelters, in logbooks at stations along the way. On the early parts of the trail imaginations of what comes next and how long it will take, a map projecting at what point in the hike shoes will fall apart or fears be conquered. Halfway through frustrated maps comparing the multiple 'halfway' points of the trail.
Some of the maps leaned a little too far into the realm of abstract and artsy for me, but most of them were fascinating.
mobilisinmobili's review
4.0
An essential tome for those interested in studying avant-cartography. A must for fans of Borges' "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbius Tertius."
blchandler9000's review
3.0
I got this nicely done little book for free in the aftermath of a rummage sale. It's good enough that I probably would have paid for it if I had the chance.
The book collects different maps, all ones with personal twists to them. Some of them are comical, others political, and still others just artistic exercises. The variety found within is a testament to the variety of forms a map could take (from highly defined land and water diagrams to abstract assemblages of color and text) and the uses for them. (More than geography is explored through these maps. Personal histories, social commentaries, and spiritual instructions abound.)
The book collects different maps, all ones with personal twists to them. Some of them are comical, others political, and still others just artistic exercises. The variety found within is a testament to the variety of forms a map could take (from highly defined land and water diagrams to abstract assemblages of color and text) and the uses for them. (More than geography is explored through these maps. Personal histories, social commentaries, and spiritual instructions abound.)
12dejamoo's review
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This made my geography brain so damn happy. Also Denis Wood is a legend, I would read about his Boylan Heights project 10 times over (and I kind of have). I thought all the text was really interesting and sparked a lot of fun ideas. The maps were all paired really well to create interesting links and comparisons. Overall this book was a good time