Hi, it’s Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT host.

I love to travel, and read books about amazing places. I’m thinking there are other travelers, both active and armchair, who feel the same. So for us, here is the Wanderlust Book Club, which alternates every month with the California Club (books about the Golden State we live in).

For this edition, I’m doing a spin on travel books and selecting one that is specifically about geography, and how it shapes not just places, but history and even our destiny.

So November’s pick is Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall. (He originally wrote it in 2015 and came out with an updated version in 2025.) The book has chapters on Russia, China, the U.S., Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Indian and Pakistan, Korean and Japan, Latin America and the Arctic. Its focus is on geopolitics that looks at why various regions around the world are the way they are, and offers motives for why many states act as they do, like why Putin invaded Ukraine and why Trump wants Greenland as the 51st state.

Along with the book, I usually invite a special guest to each club meeting, someone who is an expert or very connected to the theme of the book and can answer our questions about the topic. So even if you haven’t finished / opened the book, you can still be part of the conversation.

This time, it will be a couple of geographers. I am inviting professors and grad students from UC Davis’ Geography Graduate Group to tell us how they study earth’s peoples, places and environments through the use of maps, technology, their eyes and feet, and other tools.

Below is the book description.

Tickets are $5 (not including Eventbrite’s fee) to cover Salon costs.

Registration link coming soon.

*****

Maps have always captivated us, offering insights not only into our destinations but also into the broader world. Yet, when it comes to understanding geopolitics, many overlook the fundamental role of geography. All leaders of nations are constrained by geography—their choices limited by mountains, rivers, deserts, and seas. Now in “one of the best books about geopolitics” (The Evening Standard)—journalist Tim Marshall reveals the profound influence of geography on global politics, offering a compelling lens through which to understand the seismic shifts reshaping international relations.

Through ten up-to-date maps, Marshall explores the landscapes and climates that constrain and empower nations across key parts of the globe, from Russia’s vast tundras to China’s mountainous borders, Africa’s deserts to the Arctic’s shifting ice. Taking a deep dive into the key flashpoints defining our world today—including the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict—Marshall unpacks the shifting dynamics of the New Middle East, China’s bold moves to expand its global influence, including its growing interest in Taiwan, and how America’s pivot to the Pacific is reshaping alliances. And Europe’s tilt towards extreme politics, increased defense spending, and the future role of NATO, paint a dramatic picture of a continent in flux.

An essential read for anyone interested in the interplay between geography and global politics, this fully revised edition of Prisoners of Geography offers a vivid look at the forces driving our increasingly complex world.