WAMU 88.5 : The Diane Rehm Show

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Simon Garfield: "On the Map"

From the ancient Greeks, to early seafaring explorers, to engineers in Silicon Valley, map making has been a timeless quest. In fact, some scientists say mapping is as important to human development as language. Maps chart our progress, define our boundaries, and reflect how we see the world. Good ones get us from “Point A” to “Point B” while bad ones lead us astray. Today, with GPS on our phones and in our cars, we rely on them more than ever. Simon Garfield says we have an endless fascination with maps because they offer keys to what we know—and don’t know—about our world. Garfield joins Diane to talk about his new book: “On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks”.

Read An Excerpt

Reprinted from "On the Map" by Simon Garfield by arrangement with Gotham, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Copyright © 2013 by Simon Garfield.

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