The Earth is Not Round

For all those who thought the earth was round, it’s now flat again thanks to Australian publisher Gordon Cheers and Professor Charles F. Gritzner who have spent the last twenty years working on EARTH – the atlas to end all atlas’. This 35kg, limited edition (only 3000 will ever be printed) is a complete masterpiece in cartography. The 580-page leather-bound tome was assembled by more than 150 editors, cartographers, oceanographers and geographers and has 355 maps, with many more images – including a captivating 2m-wide gatefold panorama of the Earth in the inky blackness of night with civilization all lit up below like a cluster of twinkling galaxies. Earth examines the physical world as you’ve never seen it before, with new emphasis on current political, social, and environmental landscapes. General world information is presented in an easy-to-read format and examines many of the global issues that are of concern in current times. Country profiles provide a snapshot of geographical information and data on population, ethnic mix, and religion; informative sidebars and timelines offer additional information on culture, heritage, and history.

The Earth does not come cheap at $5000 (AU$), but a smaller version, Earth Concise, is available for $175 (AU$), which won the critically acclaimed International Map Trade association Award for Best book in 2008. “More than 500 years from now, these books will still be around,” says Cheers. Now there’s a legacy we can all get behind!