Book Log 2011 #41: Maphead by Ken Jennings


Ken Jennings and I have at least two things in common. The first is that we're both trivia nerds who have parlayed such nerditry into money (though his total is much, much higher than my one). The second is that we're both into geography, though that's probably not so surprising given the first point of commonality. Jennings dives into this subculture in this book, examining people who create fictional countries, geocaching (which is actually a third thing we have in common, although I've taken a hiatus with the kids being so small), and a variety of other geographic interests.

This book is in the same conversational, self-deprecating style of Brainiac, and it's as comfortable and enjoyable here as it was there. I did find myself comparing the chapter about the National Geographic Bee to the one about the National Spelling Bee in Neil Steinberg's Failure, appreciating the similarities in the participants. I was also very interested in the section talking about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, a map-based road rally that was advertised in pretty much every issue of Games magazine I've ever read. Thankfully I never sent the money in to participate, as based on Jennings' experience the hair-splitting directions and definitions would have driven me crazy and I would likely have never finished it (or come close).

So if you've ever pondered the map of the world in a high school classroom or wondered who exactly tries to visit all the countries of the world, this book is for you. Even if you've not done this, it's worth a read so you can understand why some of us like this stuff.