“There’s just something hypnotic about maps.” If you missed it on NPR last night, check out Fresh Air’s Dave Davies interview with trivia buff Ken Jennings about his recently published book “Maphead.” Listen to the full interview – it’s a gem for all of us. I’ve already got folks asking if I’ve read it yet – it is a must on my reading list ! Maphead, a charming, funny, and of course, informational book about the world of maps and the people who love them.

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
by Ken Jennings

Mapping Discord: Creating a Primer on the Arab World

Lesson Plan: Creating a Primer on the Arab World – NYTimes.com.

Data.gov, USASpending.gov, the IT Dashboard and other federal data transparency and government accountability programs are facing a massive budget cut, despite only being a tiny fraction of the national budget. Help save the data and make sure that Congress doesn’t leave the American people in the dark.

Sunlight Foundation – Stop Transparency Cutbacks.

GIS technology works by linking information stored in databases to a place or location. Users can question the data and present the answers in maps, tables and other graphic representations. Since 80% of all information has a geographic component, the power of GIS can be widely used to support decision-making and problem solving across all sectors—public, private, and not-for-profit.

Why do governments use GIS technology? It is an important tool for determining public policy. In a book about public policy, R.W. Greene says, “The realization is growing that almost everything that happens in a public policy context also happens in a geographic one: transportation planners, water resources studies, education subcommittees, redistricting boards, planning commissions, and crime task forces all must consider questions of where along with the usual ones of how, and why, and how much will it cost. GIS, by answering the first question, helps to answer the others.”