Whether sketched on a napkin or generated<br>from complex data, maps are a fascinating<br>expression of contemporary visual<br>culture. Their styles may range from simple<br>to intricate, focused to comprehensive,<br>and restrained to vivid, but all maps unlock<br>the world and make it more accessible. In<br>our age of omnipresent satellite navigation<br>systems, personal interpretations of our<br>surroundings are gaining in importance.<br>Today, the craftsmanship of cartographers<br>and the distinct visuals of map illustrators<br>are increasingly valued by both professional<br>designers and a growing community<br>of those passionate about maps.<br>Mind the Map features a stunning selection<br>of outstanding contemporary maps<br>that help us find our way around. The book<br>shows how editors, agencies, travel operators,<br>and relocation services are using them<br>to communicate what makes a region special,<br>to put a specific location into context,<br>to create moods, or to tell stories. Some<br>maps help us to orient ourselves in a foreign<br>country or an unfamiliar city, while others<br>make pathways clear and logical that might<br>otherwise seem confusing.<br>In our age of visual storytelling, cartography<br>has become more prevalent and innovative.<br>Maps can be illustrated by hand for<br>magazine stories or display in the home or<br>customized for screens of mobile devices<br>that can guide us on urban safaris or isolated<br>hikes. Mind the Map is a showcase that<br>reflects the broad range of work now being<br>created by a new generation of mapmakers<br>from around the world including classically<br>legible maps, artistic experiments, editorial<br>illustrations, city views, vacation guides,<br>and global overviews.<br>Mind the Map provides new perspectives<br>on the world in map form. The book offers<br>surprising and inspiring bird's eye views<br>into places that we thought we knew and<br>unexpected access into unfamiliar terrain.<br>Its texts guide the reader yet allow enough<br>room for personal discovery. Together the<br>visual examples and written information<br>make for a book full of fascinating journeys<br>that readers will want to take again<br>and again.