The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

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The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 4,489 ratings · 275 reviews

From the author of the bestselling "The Professor and the Madman" comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling discovery that was to turn the fledgli...more From the author of the bestselling "The Professor and the Madman" comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling discovery that was to turn the fledgling science of the history of the earth -- and a central plank of established Christian religion -- on its head. He noticed that the rocks he was excavating were arranged in layers; more important, he could see quite clearly that the fossils found in one layer were very different from those found in another. And out of that realization came an epiphany: that by following the fossils, one could trace layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell -- clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world. Determined to publish his profoundly important discovery by creating a map that would display the hidden underside of England, he spent twenty years traveling the length and breadth of the kingdom by stagecoach and on foot, studying rock outcrops and fossils, piecing together the image of this unseen universe.In 1815 he published his epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map, more than eight feet tall and six feet wide. But four years after its triumphant publication, and with his young wife going steadily mad to the point of nymphomania, Smith ended up in debtors' prison, a victim of plagiarism, swindled out of his recognition and his profits. He left London for the north of England and remained homeless for ten long years as he searched for work. It wasn't until 1831, when his employer, a sympatheticnobleman, brought him into contact with the Geological Society of London -- which had earlier denied him a fellowship -- that at last this quiet genius was showered with the honors long overdue him. He was summoned south to receive the society's highest award, and King William IV offered him a lifetime pension."The Map That Changed the World" is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its gold mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map.; and with a keen eye and thoughtful detail, Simon Winchester unfolds the poignant sacrifice behind this world-changing discovery.(less)

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published August 7th 2001 by Harper (first published January 1st 2001)

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Sep 10, 2008 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, science, biography

This is the third Winchester book I’ve read in quick succession and I’m almost tempted to say that they just get better and better – except they probably don’t. I think they are all equally good. This one is about the ‘father of English Geology’. If the advance of knowledge really does depend on the geniuses who can see patterns where for the rest of us see only chaos – then William Smith is precisely that kind of genius: a man who ‘gets it’ and forever changes how we see the world.

I’ll admit it...more This is the third Winchester book I’ve read in quick succession and I’m almost tempted to say that they just get better and better – except they probably don’t. I think they are all equally good. This one is about the ‘father of English Geology’. If the advance of knowledge really does depend on the geniuses who can see patterns where for the rest of us see only chaos – then William Smith is precisely that kind of genius: a man who ‘gets it’ and forever changes how we see the world.

I’ll admit it. I’m partial to stories where the good guy wins out in the end – particularly after being faced with absurd odds. I even like stories where the guy gets the girl (or vice versa). And this book does end ‘happily even after’ – except…

I didn’t come away from this book feeling particularly good about humanity. Especially not that section of humanity that is the ‘upper class’. As Winchester says during the book, it was almost as if the rich felt Smith needed to be taught a lesson for having the audacity of being both lower class and having worked out the secrets of geology before his betters.

Why is it that so often – if one person has power over another person – the favourite game of those with power is humiliation? Smith was remarkably lucky in many respects – I mean, he ended up with a pension and with general respect – but for years he suffered and virtually no one lifted a finger to help him. And isn’t that the problem with systems of patronage? Even when all is done as stipulated and required one is left dangling at the whim of the patron.

The humiliations Smith had to endure – most evident with the treatment meted out to him around the forced sale of his precious fossil collection – and the ‘costs’ to him of these humiliations (I mean costs in the literal sense and not just to his pride) were truly staggering.

If you think the world is about 6000 years old I really couldn’t recommend this book to you – but then, besides the Bible, I couldn’t recommend any book to you. For everyone else, this really is an intensely interesting and deeply moving work.

I’ve said it before – how is it possible that none of this guy’s books have been made into TV programmes? I’ve heard his talking books and I reckon he could be the David Attenborough of Geology and Lexicography. And if there is one thing the world definitely needs it is more David Attenboroughs. Come on BBC – get your finger out.
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Jan 11, 2008 Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This is a very interesting story poorly told. The preface and the first chapter (both) tell the whole story in a nutshell, and the rest of the book goes on to fill out the details in an awkward, often overblown manner. The story is however quite compelling, about the dramatic life of William Smith, the first person to understand, survey and then map the stratification of rocks in England, thereby establishing modern geology.

His is a cautionary tale for would be entrepreneurs that are not from t...more

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Feb 03, 2008 Gale rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been reading this book for over a year. The story is fascinating. Winchester has the most irritating writing style I have ever encountered. It is hard to force myself to pick up the book. Sad, because William Smith and his geologic map of England mark an important milestone in the history of science. They are also important to understanding the development of the concept of deep time. Creationists are often stymied when they learn that Smith was able to use fossil species to place the roc...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Benjamin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, biography, geology, cartography, mining, england, creationsim, fossils, religion, science, history, 2010-read, first-edition, edition

On first appearance, I wouldn't imagine many would find a book about the origins of modern geology to be high on their pleasure reading lists, but I'm glad I finally took this one off the shelf because it provided brain food of a diverse and pleasurable kind. If any popular historian can make the fumbling origins of geology interesting, it is Simon Winchester. Although Winchester can be a bit dramatic and tends towards hagiography at times, I still found the book quite rewarding.[return]The Map...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Hava rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Geology geeks :)

Recommended to Hava by: A geology professor

Shelves: biographical, history-books, nonfiction-books

A geology professor recommended this book to the class, and I thought it'd be fun to listen to, so I checked the book on CD out from the library.

I struggled with it, though. I felt like the author had told me everything that was going to happen in the first chapter, and then after that, he was just fleshing out what he had already told me. Also, there was this weird interlude where the author inserted personal information about growing up in a Catholic boarding school, and how he'd found a parti...more A geology professor recommended this book to the class, and I thought it'd be fun to listen to, so I checked the book on CD out from the library.

I struggled with it, though. I felt like the author had told me everything that was going to happen in the first chapter, and then after that, he was just fleshing out what he had already told me. Also, there was this weird interlude where the author inserted personal information about growing up in a Catholic boarding school, and how he'd found a particular fossil while on an outing with the nuns. I kept thinking, "But this book is supposed to be about WILLIAM SMITH! I don't need to know your childhood story, truly I don't." That part completely threw me for a loop and I was glad when he finally dropped the topic.

I felt like this book was, at heart, an in-depth article that was stretched to be made into a book. This wasn't a real long book to begin with, and it could have been much, much shorter without losing the essence of the story.

I think the publishers must have felt that the book was too short also, because the last disk of the book on CD set was actually the first portion of "The Professor and the Madman," also read by the author. To have an entire disk of the set be an entirely different book was a new experience for me - I'd never run into that before. I did listen to it and thought it also sounded like a good storyline; I'll have to see if I can check that book on CD out from the library. Hopefully I'll be more impressed by that book than I was by this one.

My other problem was the clear anti-religious bias of the book. Being atheist, I wasn't personally offended by the tone of the book, but I did notice every time he made a snide remark about religion, and I have to say, it would make it hard to recommend this book to a Christian.

Which is really too bad, because there's already too much "If you believe in Christ, you can't believe in science" mentality out there, and with books like this, that only reinforces the idea. Rather than attacking religion as being the bastion of fools and putting all Christians everywhere on the defensive, I think a better plan is to show Christians how religion and science are compatible. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" springs to mind here.

To be clear: I thought the storyline of "The Map that Changed the World" itself was great. I just didn't love the author's treatment of it.(less)

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Oct 10, 2011 Grantcorp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is only the second book I've read by Winchester but I have already taken a strong liking of his writing style. The way in which he leaves no stone unturned and mixes a narrative with facts high and low which all help to flesh out the world around the main subject, and all done in a highly amusing tone though still matter of factly and clear to the point. "The Map That Changed The World" is a biography of William Smith, the son of a mere blacksmith whose insights and conclusions into the mec...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Jon Cox rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-politics, non-fiction, outdoors, travel

I have not yet read The Professor and the Madman, which is supposed to be very good and is written by the same author. Unfortunately, because of the reputation of that book, I expected more from this one.

I was disappointed.

I was especially disappointed because I could tell from the events of the story, that it could have been a very interesting, dramatic, and entertaining story, all the more so because it is true. It has so many great angles to the story that could have been used to much better...more

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Jun 10, 2009 Christine Henry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first book by Winchester that I encountered was The Professor and the Madman, which I listened to on tape as read by the author. As a result, I found that while reading the Map that Changed the World, I felt I could almost hear how Winchester would sound reading it, what he would emphasize and stress. This familiarity with his literal voice made reading this story a bit more compelling, as I found that it was a bit slow at parts and his prose got a bit bogged down in details that did not nec...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An engaging if somewhat strained exploration of the life and influence of William Smith, the 'first' geologist. Smith was undoubtedly a fascinating, eccentric and ultimately influential man, spending much of his life walking the hills and byways of the UK unearthing (literally) the mysteries of the world beneath. Largely ignored for much of his career, Smith nevertheless found recognition and redemption in his final years, having shown others the revelatory evidence that the Earth was much older...more

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Sep 20, 2009 Felicity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Felicity by: Suzette

Shelves: audiobook, borrowed-book, history, nonfiction, science

I am a big fan of Simon Winchester's books in general, but this one I found less enjoyable than his others. There were occasional inaccuracies ("bird progenitor pterodactyl"? What?) or oversimplifications (sedimentation can't occur without an ocean?) which bothered me, as well as a certain habit of repetition. I am not sure these flaws were more pronounced here so much as his usual sterling qualities had less range for expression.

This is, after all, a fairly straightforward story. Though Willia...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Adrian Colesberry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this as much as I did The Professor and the Madman. As an autodidact, I love the work of men like William Smith, the father of geology, being celebrated. He's the guy who figured out the idea that the rocks and sediments of the world were deposited in regular strata which could be identified by the fossils found inside the layers. He was a self-educated canal surveyor who worked for 14 years to make the first geological survey map of England, which was the first geological survey map o...more

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Mar 11, 2013 cartercam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found myself generally frustrated by Smith. I suspect some of my frustration may have been constructed by the author, but nonetheless it was exasperating to read how much he desperately wanted recognition, but really didn't do much about it. How he kept such expensive habits though the baliff was beating down his door. Though I don't live in the class-divided England of the early 1800s that probably drove some of the behavior, his actions were surprisingly relatable. I feel like I know people...more I found myself generally frustrated by Smith. I suspect some of my frustration may have been constructed by the author, but nonetheless it was exasperating to read how much he desperately wanted recognition, but really didn't do much about it. How he kept such expensive habits though the baliff was beating down his door. Though I don't live in the class-divided England of the early 1800s that probably drove some of the behavior, his actions were surprisingly relatable. I feel like I know people that would have behaved the same way: obliviousness and helplessness. Which made Smith a better character I believe, though I was apprehensive through much of the book knowing his downfall was coming.

I know the book drew heavily on Smith's journals and other records, but I do wish more time had been spent on his actual investigations. The best we get is Smith leaping off of coaches to hammer rocks and collect samples. Maybe there is not much else to describe to the layperson without boring them completely. It is probably my own bias as a geologist who has done a tiny bit of mapping to want more.

I did like the chapter where the author journeys through England on the upper- and middle-Jurrassic divide. It made me want to travel the same path and see the steep contact he described. He also made English geology sound stupendously simple. Which maybe it is?

Smith was described pretty much exactly how I expected him, and pretty much any old geologist, to be in old age: beaten down by field work, kind of bumbling, in good spirits. It made it all the more unsurprising to me that he doesn't have a more prominent place in history. So many of our historical figures were brilliant marketers, and Smith was not. Again, relatable. And makes you realize how skewed our history is and how much has been lost due to a lack of advertising skills.

I was glad the book did not delve further into how the religious sector reacted to Smith's work and geology in general (beyond the line or two about how they thought his work supported theirs).

I also liked the author's description about how some of the English villages are "very English" because of the geology and I feel he does a good job of bringing to light the influence geology in our everyday lives, from building stone to the atmosphere of towns on certain outcrops, etc. That is part of the reason I find geology so, so fascinating; it is the underpinnings of pretty much everything, from the great empires of history to the founding of civilization to evolution. From agriculture to trade routes to extinctions to fire gods. Is there anything else that is so far-reaching that is yet so easily observable?(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

William Smith is one of those characters from the English industrial revolution who led such a fascinating life, that it is surprising that he hasn't more biographers. The only other that I have encountered is a much earlier work by John L Morton which are harder to obtain.

Many, especially the Scots, would disagree with the claim that Smith was the father of modern geology, most, myself included, would bestow that accolade on James Hutton. However, for my money, William Smith's is a better stor...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Sue Tincher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 12, 2013 Hiroshi Tomita is currently reading it · review of another edition

Update: unable to finish...

Just about mid-way and a few notes.

This guy's style is at the far end of British English writing. It's not so much his use of Brit colloquialisms but his punctuation that's getting in the way of the flow. He's obsessed with hyphens, footnotes, and parentheses. So maybe that's just him, not a general British thing. It's just that when I reach every footnote, I can see him lower his scotch, twitch his mustache, and remove his monocle. And then replace it. And for hyphen...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, science

This book is a mixed bag. It starts of magnificently and you can't wait to read on to learn more about William Smith. Then the middle slows down. Some of the language seems overindulgent and you really just want the author to get on with the story. The last third the story returns to its former glory and so ends on a high. A bit like a William Smith's career but I will leave you to read the book to find out what I mean by that.

I think what let the book down was the author kept on hinting what w...more

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Jun 08, 2010 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have an interest in fossils from volunteering in the beautiful Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst, NSW. As I am about to travel to the UK and plan to look up some fossils there, a friend insisted that I read this book before I travel.

It is the story of William Smith, known as the 'Father of Geology', as he was the first to map the UK in terms of its geological makeup. It is a tale of passion for science, betrayal by colleagues who plagiarised his work, cruelty by colleagues who d...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, history

I considered dropping this book at the half way point. I'd already begun skimming, which is never a good sign. I decided to continue skimming to the end, in case Winchester returned to the story of William Smith and his map. He did, but I skimmed that, too. It just was not that interesting.

The information known about Smith would have made a very good magazine article. He was a remarkable man, and the map, the first geologic map of an entire nation, England, an amazing feat. However, not enough i...more

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Oct 27, 2012 A.J. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fascinating biography of 'Strata' Smith and his work in establishing the science of geology. The interactions of his supporters and his detractors made for interesting reading: the contrast between the snobbish fossil-collectors who found Smith's practical approach too workmanlike for their taste and the true scientists who recognised the worth of the man and his discoveries was striking.

On reading the acknowledgements, I did feel a bit sorry for Hugh Torrens, the professor who is writing a sc...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Carlos Alonso-Niemeyer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was in elementary school, one of my mother’s friend’s son was studying agricultural engineering. This is back in the late 70's. He had devised a technology to interpolate maps with different characteristics (wind, temperature, soil PH, sun, etc.) and was able to find areas in Mexico that would be fertile for certain medicinal plants. His technique was so effective, that a few big pharmaceutical companies were trying to get him to share his ideas.
When I read this book by Winchester, I fel...more

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Jan 21, 2010 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history lovers, natural science lovers.

Shelves: audio-books

It's hard to imagine a time (not so long ago) when virtually everyone believed the world was created just as explained in the Bible. William Smith, a surveyor, was the first to recognize that the patterns he observed in the earth -- the layers of soil and the fossils found in them -- represented a history. His crowning achievement was a map of England that plots the geography of the country. His life was a series of ups and downs that read like a novel. He was not high-born, but he became a frie...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I scanned through some other reviews a little bit ago, and saw a couple that pretty neatly summed up my feelings on it: The first chapter covered it all, and the rest was just rehashing. It would've made a nice magazine article.

I thoroughly enjoyed his 'Madman and the Professor', and I will be adding 'Krakatoa' to my 'to read' list. But not with nearly as much enthusiasm after this one. He even managed to make the dreaded 'thrown in debtor's prison' sound about equal to Club Fed prisons.

I apprec...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Chip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This map really did change the world and not in ways that people think. The map was not geopolitical in nature. Rather it was the very first geological map and stratigraphic study put to paper of an entire nation. Smith was the first to describe deposition of layers (strata) and how they came to form rock in different forms. Also described is his realization that fossils were always laid down in strata in same order, thus able to predict the order of the strata. For this, he became known as the...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a nice biography of the man who really created the science of geology. The time was the end of the 18th century and the start of the 19th when science in general was entering its modern form. It was the begining of the realization by thinking men that the book of genesis should not be taken literaly.
The ground work was being laid for the understanding, based on observation, that the earth was very much older than the 6,000 years of then current belief. And this new understanding came pri...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Lynne is currently reading it · review of another edition

I know I keep recommending non-fiction, but most of the fiction I read only to put myself to sleep at night or to focus while I'm at the gym. I am about halfway through this one and so far it's a great read. The topic is the beginnings of the science of geology, but it's really about economics and religion. I'm starting to think that everything stems from economics and religion. William Smith was a farmer's son who learned to be a surveyor. He was hired to survey the path of a canal that was nee...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Julie Jenkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one that I hope to add to the books I own one of these days. When I picked this up from my local library four or five years ago, I couldn't believe I'd want to give reading about geology a try, but it was worth it. Simon Winchester is one of those writers who doesn't just write about history, he tells a good story.

Who's ever heard of William Smith? Yet, he's responsible for figuring out how the earth was laid down in layers and was able to predict where to find seams of coal...what he fi...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Rod rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good combination of biography of William Smith; story of the birth of Geology and social history of England circa 1800. Winchester does an excellent job of weaving these elements together with his distinctive and captivating narrative style. The author's own tour of the landscapes decribed help immensly.

My biggest gripe with this book about a map, is, ironically, a lack of maps. Maps placing the locales in context would have helped immeasurably. And for those of us not up on or English countie...more

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Sep 26, 2009 Beth G. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, non-fiction, simon-winchester, history, geology, biography, 2009

In the late 1700s, the world was changing fast. Colonies were becoming nations, industry was altering the landscape, and religious literalism was facing challenges. Fossils were collectors' curios, decorating the drawing rooms of the upper class. But for William Smith, fossils were the key to drawing a map of the land underneath the surface. Winchester moves back and forth in time, highlighting important moments in Smith's life and offering a little speculation to fill in the gaps in the histori...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Jackson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Simon Winchester's prose is difficult to beat, as I mentioned in my review of his book The Professor and the Madman. Unfortunately, in this book, his subject, namely the father of geology, is simply not as engaging and the lengths that Winchester goes to make this man seem a remarkable character of history are somewhat astounding. His work, while following some semblance of a narrative, gets too bogged down in meaningless rabbit trails that take away from the movement of the story such that at t...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Diane, Katherine

I enjoy Winchester's object oriented history immensely. He starts with the map and then tells the story of its creation - the man who created it, how he came to see the world the way he did, the world he saw it in. I liked best the description of the first map Smith created, his trial run, because it was a description of painting time. One of my favorite classes was the Historical Geology of the British Isles - I have no recollection of the map, just the long walks across Britain and pictures of...more

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About Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester, OBE, is a British writer, journalist and broadcaster who resides in the United States. Through his career at The Guardian, Winchester covered numerous significant events including Bloody Sunday and the Watergate Scandal. As an author, Simon Winchester has written or contributed to over a dozen nonfiction books and authored one novel and his articles appear in several travel publi...more Simon Winchester, OBE, is a British writer, journalist and broadcaster who resides in the United States. Through his career at The Guardian, Winchester covered numerous significant events including Bloody Sunday and the Watergate Scandal. As an author, Simon Winchester has written or contributed to over a dozen nonfiction books and authored one novel and his articles appear in several travel publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, and National Geographic.

In 1969, Winchester joined The Guardian, first as regional correspondent based in Newcastle upon Tyne, but was later assigned to be the Northern Ireland Correspondent. Winchester's time in Northern Ireland placed him around several events of The Troubles, including the events of Bloody Sunday and the Belfast Hour of Terror.

After leaving Northern Ireland in 1972, Winchester was briefly assigned to Calcutta before becoming The Guardian's American correspondent in Washington, D.C., where Winchester covered news ranging from the end of Richard Nixon's administration to the start of Jimmy Carter's presidency. In 1982, while working as the Chief Foreign Feature Writer for The Sunday Times, Winchester was on location for the invasion of the Falklands Islands by Argentine forces. Suspected of being a spy, Winchester was held as a prisoner in Tierra del Fuego for three months.

Winchester's first book, In Holy Terror, was published by Faber and Faber in 1975. The book drew heavily on his first hand experiences during the turmoils in Ulster. In 1976, Winchester published his second book, American Heartbeat, which dealt with his personal travels through the American heartland. Winchester's third book, Prison Diary, was a recounting of his imprisonment at Tierra del Fuego during the Falklands War and, as noted by Dr Jules Smith, is responsible for his rise to prominence in the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s, Winchester produced several travel books, most of which dealt with Asian and Pacific locations including Korea, Hong Kong, and the Yangtze River.

Winchester's first truly successful book was The Professor and the Madman (1998) published by Penguin UK as The Surgeon of Crowthorne. Telling the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, the book was a New York Times Best Seller, and the rights to a film version were optioned by Mel Gibson; likely to be directed by John Boorman.

Though he still writes travel books, Winchester has repeated the narrative non-fiction form he used in The Professor and the Madman several times, many of which ended in books placed on best sellers lists. His 2001 book, The Map that Changed the World focused on geologist William Smith and was his second New York Times best seller. The year 2003 saw Winchester release another book on the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, The Meaning of Everything, as well as the best-selling Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded. Winchester followed Krakatoa's volcano with San Francisco's 1906 earth quake in A Crack in the Edge of the World. The Man Who Loved China (2008) retells the life of eccentric Cambridge scholar Joseph Needham who helped to expose China to the western world. Simon Winchester's latest book The Alice Behind Wonderland was released March 11, 2011.[22](less)

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Books by Simon Winchester

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary

The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/921954.The_Map_That_Changed_the_World?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1179484896l/921954.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/921954.The_Map_That_Changed_the_World?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester[/url]

The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

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