Book excerpt: National Geographic's maps and atlases are critically acclaimed and world-renowned for their accuracy, originality, innovative and authoritative content, and clear, smart design. Now, for the first time, National Geographic offers its trusted map content in a new, compact format. Sized at 4 x 6 inches, with a pliable, resilient soft cover, the Compact Atlas of the World is designed to be thumbed through, easily referenced, and then conveniently stored in a pocket, backpack, or desk. All maps are newly researched, updated, and reflect the latest changes in the world. Other enhancements include new internal navigation elements and new, extensive world and continental thematic coverage of population, climate, land cover, fresh water, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsumanis. Superb overall readability, captivating design and layout, and navigational ease allow the reader to quickly retrieve information. This compact world atlas contains a wide array of traditional political and physical maps, as well as a fascinating series of thematic maps (e.g., population density and growth, climate, land cover, natural hazards, and water availability) at both continental and world scales. Design details such as rounded corners and prominent page numbers make it a use-friendly and novel product, which literally puts the world in the palm of your hand. Attractively priced and containing 100 maps and an accompanying place-name index with some 11,000 entries, this atlas represents an outstanding value and makes an excellent handy, affordable, personal reference and gift item.