Invisible Lines: Boundaries and Belts That Define the World

By Maxim Samson

'An illuminating glimpse of the chain reactions of human and physical geography.' Financial Times

'A truly original adventure into new ways of exploring what we mean by a sense of place.' Simon Jenkins

'A fascinating exploration of the lesser-known and more subtle borders across the earth and the surprising ways in which they shape our lives.' i news

Our world has innumerable boundaries, ranging from the obvious - like an ocean - to subtle differences in language or climate. Most of us cross invisible lines all the time, but don't stop to consider them.

In Invisible Lines, geographer Maxim Samson presents 30 such unseen boundaries, intriguing and unexpected examples of the myriad ways in which we collectively engage with and experience the world. From football fans in Buenos Aires to air quality in China, Paris' banlieues to sub-Saharan Africa's Malaria Belt, the existence - or perceived existence - of dividing lines has manifold implications for people, wildlife, and places.

Fully illustrated with maps of each location, Invisible Lines reveals the extraordinary ways in which we try to render the planet more liveable and legible; a compelling guide to seeing and understanding our world in all its consistency - and all its messiness, too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Profile Books
• Release date: Aug 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781800815018

Maxim Samson

MAXIM SAMSON is a geographer with specific interests in religion, education, and cities. Originally from England, Maxim is currently based in Chicago, where he teaches at DePaul University and chairs an international research group specializing in the geographies of religions and belief systems. In his spare time, he enjoys long-distance running, maintaining his Duolingo streak, and gradually adding to his kaleidoscopic flag collection. Invisible Lines is his first book.