Using the map as a metaphor, fiction writer Peter Turchi considers writing as a combination of exploration and presentation, all the while serving as an erudite and charming guide. He compares the way a writer leads a reader though the imaginary world of a story, novel, or poem to the way a mapmaker charts the physical world. "To ask for a map," says Turchi, "is to say, ‘Tell me a story.’ "With intelligence and wit, the author looks at how mapmakers and writers deal with blank space and the blank page; the conventions they use or consciously disregard; the role of geometry in maps and the parallel role of form in writing; how both maps and writing serve to re-create an individual’s view of the world; and the artist’s delicate balance of intuition with intention.A unique combination of history, critical cartography, personal essay, and practical guide to writing, Maps of the Imagination is a book for writers, for readers, and for anyone interested in creativity. Colorful illustrations and Turchi’s insightful observations make his book both beautiful and a joy to read.

    A guide is available for all 50 American states.

    Information about how maps are made and a wide range of recommended websites for further research.

    Key figures or milestones in the history of charting are presented in stand-alone story box features.

    to the present. Rich narratives make over 300 beautiful maps come alive, with North America's coasts, waterways, prairies, and peaks freshly described by explorers such as Columbus, Coronado, and Lewis and Clark as they encounter these territories for the first time. A final spread discusses modern scientific exploration and includes a detailed catalog and index of the maps.

    Everyone's favorite, the map book appeals to people who simply enjoy studying the intricacies of maps or to those who daily strive for better ways to manage the world in which we live through GIS. Covering more than 20 disciplines, GIS-the Language of Geography, ESRI Map Book Volume 19, shows us how much of our world is connected in geographic networks. From exploring unknown territories to managing valuable resources to making processes more accurate and efficient, ESRI software users are continuing to broaden the influence of GIS.