Awards

• Winner of Austria's Science Book of the Year (Wissenschafts-buch des Jahres) 2025 (United States)
• Winner of Chalkdust Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award 2024 (United States)

Overview

An “original” (Nature) and “expansive journey through time and place” (Guardian) that uncovers 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? Where do elusive serial killers hide? The answers lie in the crucial connection between maps and math. In Mapmatics, mathematician Paulina Rowińska 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 navigation tool that exaggerates the size of northern countries to public-transport maps that both guide and confound passengers, Rowińska reveals how maps and math have shaped not only our sense of space but also our worldview. Written with authority and compassion, wit and unforgettable storytelling, Mapmatics unpacks the math behind the maps we depend on, illuminating how our world works and how we can better look after it.

Full Product Details

9780674304925

Table of Contents

Reviews

[An] engaging exploration of how maps are made and how they inform and influence our view of the world. Clear explanations and historical examples make complex mathematical concepts accessible...the reader comes away from this book with a greater appreciation for the power of math and maps as an enduring problem-solving tool.--Elizabeth Van Heuvelen ""Finance and Development"" (12/1/2024 12:00:00 AM) [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.--Elinor Flavell ""Aperiodical"" (12/10/2024 12:00:00 AM) A friendly and accessible introduction to the science that draws how we view our world.--Nikolas Mavreas ""Open Letters Review"" (9/21/2024 12:00:00 AM) An engaging look at a fascinating subject...Rowińska clearly has a deep knowledge, both of maps and the mathematics behind them.--Sarah Hart ""New Scientist"" (6/19/2024 12:00:00 AM) 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.--Hannah Beckerman ""The Guardian"" (6/16/2024 12:00:00 AM) Engaging and original.--Andrew Robinson ""Nature"" (9/27/2024 12:00:00 AM) Full of examples that are exciting to read about and socially relevant. Maps and math are used for fighting and preventing diseases and outbreaks (like the cholera outbreak in London in the 1800s), and maps can save lives (such as capturing serial killers or locating lost aircraft). Math is used to map the terrain of the ocean floor and to measure earthquakes on Mars...If you enjoy reading about where math influences our everyday lives, you will enjoy this book.--Emily J. Olson ""Notices of the American Mathematical Society"" (3/1/2025 12:00:00 AM) I would highly recommend this engaging book that covers a huge variety of topics from earthquakes to animation. It will be of interest to anyone who likes to understand the intersection between maths and the world around them.-- ""Chalkdust Magazine"" (2/20/2025 12:00:00 AM) The historic meeting of geography and imagination sets the tone for the book, which moves briskly through time and space.--Anna Aslanyan ""Times Literary Supplement"" (8/9/2024 12:00:00 AM) 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 Rowińska'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!--James Tanton, Cofounder of the Global Math Project A delightful journey into the mathematics of maps, globes, and world travel. Paulina Rowińska has a beautiful writing style and a wealth of important knowledge--she will keep you engaged on every page.--Jo Boaler, author of Limitless Mind 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.--Ian Stewart, author of What's the Use? A wonderfully readable adventure through the mathematical poetry of mapping. Paulina Rowińska 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.--Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of The Phantom Atlas Accessible and informative...We would definitely recommend this book, especially to younger readers...Through entertaining stories, surprising real-world examples and a cast of unforgettable characters, Mapmatics helps us to appreciate the mathematical methods and ideas behind maps.--Simon Cocking ""Irish Tech News"" (5/31/2024 12:00:00 AM) Blends broad subject expertise, magical storytelling skills, and a splash of humor to ensure that the reader can joyfully navigate the mathematics of mapmaking.--Bobby Seagull, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers Guides you elegantly, like a beautifully drawn map, through the fascinating stories behind centuries of mapmaking . . . Highly entertaining.--Tim James, author of Fundamental 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 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.--John Gribbin, author of Six Impossible Things Paulina Rowińska 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.--Kit Yates, author of The Math of Life and Death Tackles the connections between mathematics and maps with aplomb . . . Engaging, thought-provoking, and perfectly encapsulates much of the essence of mapmaking.--Kenneth Field, author of Cartography This book blew my mind, again and again. Paulina Rowińska 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.--Roma Agrawal, author of Nuts and Bolts 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 Rowińska'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!--Arthur Benjamin, author of The Magic of Math

Author Information

Paulina Rowińska is an award-winning science writer and journalist who has written for Smithsonian magazine, Quanta Magazine, Undark, and other outlets. She holds a PhD in mathematics from Imperial College London.

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