Mapmatics
A Mathematician's Guide to Navigating the World
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"I love maps. I love math. And gosh, do I love this book, which so beautifully and clearly sounds the depths of both." --Ben Orlin, author of Math with Bad Drawings
Explore the surprising connections between math and maps--and the myriad ways they've shaped our world and us.
Why are coastlines and borders so difficult to measure? How does a UPS driver deliver hundreds of packages in a single day? And where do elusive serial killers hide? The answers lie in the crucial connection between maps and math.
In Mapmatics, mathematician Paulina Rowinska leads us on a riveting journey around the globe to discover how maps and math are deeply entwined, and always have been. From a sixteenth-century map, an indispensable navigation tool that exaggerates the size of northern countries, to public transport maps that both guide and confound passengers, to congressional maps that can empower or silence whole communities, she reveals how maps and math have shaped not only our sense of space but our worldview. In her hands, we learn how to read maps like a mathematician--to extract richer information and, just as importantly, to question our conclusions by asking what we don't see.
Written with authority and compassion, wit and unforgettable storytelling, this is math exposition at its best. By unpacking the math behind the maps we depend on, Mapmatics illuminates how our world works and, ultimately, how we can better look after it.
About this Author
Paulina Rowinska is a science writer with a PhD in mathematics. Her 2017 TEDx talk "Let's Have a Maths Party!" explained that mathematics is all around us. The recipient of the Imperial College President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement, she previously created interactive content for the educational website brilliant.org.
Reviews
An expansive journey through time and place to reveal how the human experience has been - and continues to be - intrinsically linked to the maps we use to navigate our way through the world...a comprehensive work.
The historic meeting of geography and imagination sets the tone for the book, which moves briskly through time and space.
An engaging look at a fascinating subject...Rowinska clearly has a deep knowledge, both of maps and the mathematics behind them.
Engaging and original.
[This book] is for you, and for anyone in your life who would like to more deeply understand the connections between maths and the world around them.
A friendly and accessible introduction to the science that draws how we view our world.
What a delightful book! On the surface (no pun intended), this book looks like a fun exploration of problems that arise as we create, navigate, or otherwise interact with maps. Along the way, we encounter many curious characters and learn a surprising amount about history and psychology. But at the end of our journey, as we follow the twists and turns of Paulina Rowinska's marvelous and often humorous prose, without the use of any formulas, we come away with an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics. Highly recommended!
A wonderfully readable adventure through the mathematical poetry of mapping. Paulina Rowinska has created something really special, a book that celebrates the science and ideas behind the cartographic art with tales of everything fascinating, from criminal geography to ancient earthquake detectors. An essential guide that illuminates how much of our understanding of the world, the past, and indeed the people around us is shaped by the mathematician and the mapmaker.
This book blew my mind, again and again. Paulina Rowinska covers an astonishing range of topics, from our brain to our planet, with personal stories and, yes, math, but she also scrutinizes the social and political impacts of maps on our lives.
I love maps. I love math. And gosh, do I love this book, which so beautifully and clearly sounds the depths of both.
A highly readable account of how mathematics and mapmaking have joined forces to inform not only our view of the world, but our view of ourselves. The historical insights and human stories bring the whole topic vividly to life.
Paulina Rowinska spins a fascinating story about the development of maps and mathematics. It's no exaggeration to say I learned something new on almost every page.
Guides you elegantly, like a beautifully drawn map, through the fascinating stories behind centuries of mapmaking . . . Highly entertaining.
A delightful journey into the mathematics of maps, globes, and world travel. Paulina Rowinska has a beautiful writing style and a wealth of important knowledge--she will keep you engaged on every page.
What an incredible book! I was completely blown away by the sheer depth and profound impact maps have on how we humans see things, find things, make decisions, and even play politics. Paulina Rowinska's storytelling is pure magic, effortlessly bringing to life the history, science, and mind-bending mathematics behind it all. This book is an absolute gem!
Opens our eyes to the use of 'mapmaking' in the broadest sense . . . If you have ever wondered why an airliner bound from London to Los Angeles flies over Greenland, how we know what lies inside the Earth, or how computers correct errors, then this is for you. I learned a lot.
Blends broad subject expertise, magical storytelling skills, and a splash of humor to ensure that the reader can joyfully navigate the mathematics of mapmaking.
Tackles the connections between mathematics and maps with aplomb . . . Engaging, thought-provoking, and perfectly encapsulates much of the essence of mapmaking.
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