I need to get that crappy map they always have in the hotel room magazine to tell me, you know, which way I'm walking. If I go to a new city I sort of need to know which way is north. It almost seems like a form of OCD, where I'm the same way. That sounds like, I don't want to diagnose you here on the air. And whenever I read a book especially a nonfiction book, in which the author starts referring to places, you know, cities, shorelines, rivers, other features, and there's no map to tell me where they are, I get really annoyed. Whenever I go visit some place, even if I'm driving around with a friend, I like a map to know where I am. I have to say, I was drawn to the book in part because I like being geographically oriented. It's called "Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks." Ken Jennings spoke with FRESH AIR contributor Dave Davies.ĭAVE DAVIES: Well, Ken Jennings, welcome to FRESH AIR. The book explores the history of mapmaking and the many ways map lovers and geographers affect our lives and indulge their obsessions. In his new book, Jennings reveals that since he was a kid he's been fascinated with maps and geographical curiosities, like how the shapes of Wisconsin and Tanzania are practically the same, and where towns like Scotsguard in Saskatchewan got their names. That led to TV appearances and a book called "Brainiac," about trivia in American culture.
In fact, he became the longest-running champion the show ever had, winning 74 games and two-and-a-half million dollars, an American game show record. TERRY GROSS, host: Our next guest, Ken Jennings, appeared as a contestant on "Jeopardy!" in 2004 and discovered he was pretty good at it.
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