An indispensable guide to seeing and understanding our planet through the divisions we make, find, or feel.

Our world has innumerable boundaries. They range from the obvious—an ocean, or a mountain range—to subtle differences in language or climate. We cross boundaries all the time, sometimes without realizing it. They can be subjective: our perceptions of a boundary may not be shared by others. And yet they shape the way we engage with the world. Geographer Maxim Samson examines invisible lines, exploring the ways in which we divide this world—from meteorology and ecology to race and religion—and how they allow us to define “insiders” and “outsiders,” to identify places where particular attention and resources are especially urgent, to distinguish between two sides, two groups, two futures. From segregation along Detroit’s infamous 8 Mile to herds of red deer that still refuse to cross the former Iron Curtain, the existence—or perceived existence—of dividing lines has manifold implications for people, wildlife, and places.

Vividly written and illustrated with maps, Invisible Lines is a compelling exploration of boundaries in all their consistency, and all their messiness too.

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.

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

Financial Times

A compelling exploration.

Miramichi Reader

Intricately detailed explanation of how each invisible line came to be, as well as what it can tell us about the world and our place within it ... A fascinating read.

Geographical

Samson’s clear and concise writing, his engaging style and the wide range of topics he covers makes Invisible Lines an absorbing study of the boundaries we set to divide and demarcate the physical and cultural worlds and how this affects us in our day-to-day lives.

Winnipeg Free Press

This is a chance to see the world anew through the eyes of a wonderfully curious new writer.

The Guardian

A triumph, a volume of great good sense and imagination which brims with fascinations.

The Spectator

A fascinating, detailed exploration of the hidden boundaries that carve up the world.

Telegraph