Brilliant Maps: An Atlas for Curious Minds

With just an introduction followed by a collection of maps, this is less of a ‘read' than a ‘look', book. Divided into categories (People & Population, Religion and Politics, Culture, Geography, History etc), and then a colour coded map - usually of the world, and to illustrate a specific things - some general, some very specific.

Some useful ones
- England vs Great Britain vs United Kingdom map
- The Antipodes Map - why you cant dig from China to the US
- Open Borders of the World
- Map of the Unexplored World (in 1881)
- Countries with the Most Venomous Animals

Some we should already know about
- the worlds Time Zones
- the Pacific Ocean is Bigger than all the Land on Earth
- Who Drives on the Wrong Side of the Road

Some surprises
- Countries that officially recognise the state of Palestine
- Countries Who's Flags contain Red and/or Blue (there are not many who don't!)

Some of the more eclectic ones
- Countries Which the UK have not Invaded (only 22)
- World Electrical Plug and Socket Map
- How the date is Written in each Country Map
- Countries with the most Miss World winners Map
- Average Female Height Worldwide Map

There were a few poor colour choices, where there wasn't enough contrast to easily recognise the difference, but for the most part these were well presented. There was enough good information interspersed with the quirky to keep me interested.

3.5 stars, rounded up.