Everyone knows that the ABC’s of geography is location, location, location. Each and every student of geography must start by knowing where the nations of the world are located relative to each other. Do these nations share a border, or are they halfway around the world from each other? Is one North, South, East or West of the other? These are typical questions that any student should be able to answer easily. Unfortunately, most students find geography “boring” because of the tedious way they are expected to learn it…so they give up on geography before they really get started.

But now the Visualize World Geography method is here to save the day! It teaches students to see, in their mind’s eye, where the nations are relative to each other, using non-intimidating, playful puns, and creative, colorful characters that “shape the world” by turning the world into memorable shapes. Practically speaking, students learn to mentally visualize the location, size and shape of a nation relative to other nations in a matter of SECONDS!!! Moreover, they remember this information long after passing their tests with flying colors…

How Does Pictography Work??

Seeing shapes in the sky to remember the constellations and single out the north star from among the millions that are visible is very old and very effective.  Understanding how it works is very new.  Of course, the shapes are not really there, yet we see them nevertheless ("is it the big or little dipper or is it the big and little bear?").  It is now understood through human (hard-science) linguistics how this works, how political cartoons can bring to mind real people, how we can sometimes supply the very word that a person can't remember at the moment.  The answer is that we see and hear what we expect, and the expectations are learned and remembered. This ability serves us well in ordinary life as it helps us to understand what someone says in a noisy environment and with a foreign accent and to navigate safely through a world of kaleidoscopic images.  And it explains the remarkable effectiveness of pictography.  Theresa Blain gives us the best of what science has to offer combined with a remarkable artistic flair to produce something that will enchant adults and amuse learners and ease their road to mastering the facts of geography.

Victor H. Yngve, Professor Emeritus,
Linguistics and Psychology,
the University of Chicago

Outline of the
United Kingdom (UK)

UK's pictography: Union Jack Rabbit
(actual size in book is 8" x 10")

(Click on book)