Invisible Lines: Boundaries and Belts That Define the World

An indispensable guide to seeing and understanding our planet through the divisions we make, find, or feel. Our world has innumerable boundaries. They range from the obvious―an ocean, or a mountain range―to subtle differences in language or climate. We cross boundaries all the time, sometimes without realizing it. They can be subjective: our perceptions of a boundary may not be shared by others. And yet they shape the way we engage with the world. Geographer Maxim Samson examines invisible lines, exploring the ways in which we divide this world―from meteorology and ecology to race and religion―and how they allow us to define “insiders” and “outsiders,” to identify places where particular attention and resources are especially urgent, to distinguish between two sides, two groups, two futures. From segregation along Detroit’s infamous 8 Mile to herds of red deer that still refuse to cross the former Iron Curtain, the existence―or perceived existence―of dividing lines has manifold implications for people, wildlife, and places. Vividly written and illustrated with maps, Invisible Lines is a compelling exploration of boundaries in all their consistency, and all their messiness too. 'An illuminating glimpse of the chain reactions of human and physical geography.' Financial Times'A truly original adventure into new ways of exploring what we mean by a sense of place.' Simon Jenkins'A fascinating exploration of the lesser-known and more subtle borders across the earth and the surprising ways in which they shape our lives.' i newsOur world has innumerable boundaries, ranging from the obvious - like an ocean - to subtle differences in language or climate. Most of us cross invisible lines all the time, but don't stop to consider them. In Invisible Lines, geographer Maxim Samson presents 30 such unseen boundaries, intriguing and unexpected examples of the myriad ways in which we collectively engage with and experience the world. From football fans in Buenos Aires to air quality in China, Paris' banlieues to sub-Saharan Africa's Malaria Belt, the existence - or perceived existence - of...