Gary Fullers entertaining and engaging guide enhances geographic know-how with good, old-fashioned fun, using trivia to open up new worlds of knowledge for all readers. Often dismissed as unimportant, trivia here highlights issues that are far from trivial, pondering, for example, what peaceful country requires citizens to keep guns in their homes? what continent contains at least 75 percent of the worlds fresh water? and why aren't New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia the capitals of their respective states? An inveterate traveler and geographer extraordinaire, Fuller provides extensive background, clear illustrations, and thorough explanations for each intriguing question, carefully grounding the text in practical geographic concepts. Both enjoyable and enlightening, this book challenges todays global generation to truly get to know their world.

Gary Fuller taught at the University of Hawaii for thirty-five years before broadening his scope to lecture aboard cruise ships. A former winning contestant on the TV program Jeopardy! and a seasoned world traveler, Fuller is eminently qualified to educate as he entertains. He currently resides in Kailua, Hawaii.

Chapter 1: The Effects of Geographic Ignorance on the Modern WorldChapter 2: We Think Big, Sometimes Too BigChapter 3: Maps are Flat, the World IsntChapter 4: Africa Bashing? Whats That?Chapter 5: Things Arent Always Where You Think They Should BeChapter 6: State Capitals and American PoliticsChapter 7: The Exception to EverythingChapter 8: Married to a StrangerChapter 9: Why Old Maps Look FunnyChapter 10: Military Uses of GeographyChapter 11: Really Big CitiesChapter 12: Agriculture and TourismChapter 13: Geography and TourismChapter 14: Geographic Pockets of Isolation: Preserving Old WaysChapter 15: Geographic IncoherenceChapter 16: Countries Breaking ApartChapter 17: Unity in DisunityChapter 18: Maps Fool Us Again!Chapter 19: Culture Hearths: Ancient and ModernChapter 20: Population Decline: Change on the HorizonChapter 21: Geographic Differences and Civil WarChapter 22: New Agricultural CropsChapter 23: DomesticationsChapter 24: Continental TidbitsChapter 25: Islands DividedChapter 26: Oceans and SeasChapter 27: BridgesChapter 28: RiversChapter 29: Medical GeographyChapter 30: Border IssuesChapter 31: Geography of SportsChapter 32: Geography and ReligionChapter 33: The NorthChapter 34: Prison IslandsChapter 35: CanalsChapter 36: Land and Sea BattlesChapter 37: BuildingsChapter 38: Mountain PeaksChapter 39: LakesChapter 40: OutliersChapter 41: Cities: Planned and FiatChapter 42: Whatever Happened to . . . ?Chapter 43: The Wild WestChapter 44: Spatial DiffusionChapter 45: ParksChapter 46: Climate and Weather