Full-color illustrations of ancient and modern maps and brief, engaging text show how people through the ages pictured the world they lived in and how those pictures influenced their lives and beliefs about that world. Covering maps from ancient Mesopotamia, through the Middle Ages and the Age of Exploration, to satellite maps of the ocean floor and distant planets, veteran nonfiction writer Sylvia Johnson's brief, engaging text gives readers a fresh perspective on the role of maps in human history and the decisions that go into presenting a view of the world.