I think atlases are some of the prettiest books around. I have always loved maps and I could spend hours looking at them.
Geography is a passion of mine, and I'm routinely shocked by how little geographical knowledge people have.
I have a friend who tells the story of how she was 18 before she realized Alaska wasn't an island (because on maps of the US they put it in that little box down near Hawaii). She tells it like it's funny, but I find it equally amusing and horrifying. How sad to know so little about your own country, let alone the rest of the world!
Don't even get me started on the time I surveyed coworkers as to how many countries there are in Africa. I'm not even kidding - SEVERAL people thought that Africa was just 1 country. I'm not saying that I expect you to be able to find Guinea-Bissau or Eritrea on a map, but I genuinely think everyone should know that there are 50ish countries in Africa (53, depending on who's claiming sovereignty), and a few basic facts, like say: Morocco is a desert country, Congo is right in the middle, and Nairobi is the biggest city in Kenya.
Anyway, time to get down off my soapbox about how people should be more knowledgeable about the world around them, and explain that my love of geography/maps means that I own several different really pretty atlases. This Atlas of the Medieval World
is one of my favorites.Do YOU like maps?
Unfamiliar with 31 Days? Here's my post explaining all the details of my 31 Days of Book Pics Project. Find all of my #31bookpics here. Find me on Instagram here. And don't forget to share your own Pretty Books pics online with the hashtag #31bookpics!
P.S. Are YOU bad at geography? Play Sporcle quizzes! You'll get a lot better, fast. Here's a link if you want to practice the US States. (And if you wanna challenge me: I got all 50 right in 1 minute and 49 seconds. Leave your time in the comments!)
