Mark Monmonier Books

A city guy who aspired to be a farmer, John Byron Plato took a three-month winter course in agriculture at Cornell before starting high school, which he left a year before graduation to fight in the Spanish-American War. He worked as a draftsman, ran a veneers business, patented and manufactured a parking brake for horse-drawn delivery wagons, taught school, and ran a lumber yard. In his early thirties he bought some farmland north of Denver, Colorado, and began raising Guernsey cattle, which he advertised for sale in the local paper. When an interested buyer eager to see his calves couldn’t find his farm, Plato realized that an RFD postal address was only good for delivering mail.Plato’s solution was a map-and-directory combo that used direction and distance from a local business center to give farmers a real address, just like city dwellers. He patented his invention called the “Clock System” and tried to sell it to the Post Office Department. What follows is a tale of persistence and failure as rural farming declined and technology and capitalism overtook John Byron Plato’s chances at geographic immortality.

Originally published to wide acclaim, this lively, illustrated essay on the use and abuse of maps teaches critical evaluation and promotes skepticism about these manipulable models of reality. The author demonstrates that, despite their immense value, maps inherently lie. The updated second edition includes two new chapters, ten color plates, and a new foreword by renowned geographer H. J. de Blij. One chapter examines the influence of national interest and cultural values on mapping organizations, while the other explores multimedia, computer-based maps. To illustrate how maps distort, the author introduces basic principles of mapmaking and entertaining examples of misuse in various contexts, covering distortions from oversimplifications to misleading color usage. The book is described as an artful and humorous work, encouraging readers to appreciate the approximate and incomplete truths in maps. It serves as a useful guide for those who may take maps for granted, combating cartographic illiteracy and even helping readers find their way. The witty examination of how and why maps lie conveys important insights about the manipulation of statistics while highlighting the aesthetic appeal and enjoyment of maps. Readers will emerge better equipped to navigate the pitfalls of deceptive atlases, shoddy journalism, and unscrupulous advertisers, making this book a must-read for anyone who uses maps.