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Try these ideas to improve your memory and optimize your brain performance.Feed your brain early.Start your day with a balanced breakfast, for example with a combination of protein, fruits, and healthy fats (such as nuts): it can be oatmeal or yogurt with granola, fresh fruit, walnuts and almonds.Have an egg! Eggs are a powerful mix of B vitamins (they help nerve cells to burn glucose), antioxidants (they protect neurons against damage), and omega-3 fatty acids (they keep nerve cells functioning at optimal speed).Did you know that some excellent brain food includes sardines, beets, spinach, and lentils? Try to incorporate these and other foods into your daily meals to boost your brain power.Optimize your workout.Doing physical exercise, even if it is targeted and short, can do wonders for your brain. Exercise improves your brain's cognitive performance, increases its problem solving ability, and even boosts long-term memory. The goal is to be consistent, so even a short 30 minute workout will energize you and prepare you for the day. Here are some examples of shorter workouts under 30 minutes:a morning yoga routinea 15 minute bootcamp sessiona set of hindu pushupsa set of lunges and squatsa 20-minute power walka quick run through the neighborhoodAvoid the distraction of checking your email frequently.This habit isn’t just a small distraction. According to the Harvard Business Review it can lower your IQ by up to 10 points! Unless you're waiting for an email that will change the course of your life (and these are rare), leave checking your inbox for later in the day, instead of doing it first thing in the morning when your brain is well rested and can perform more complex problem-solving.Write things down.The act of writing has a chemical effect on your brain by increasing blood flow to areas of your brain responsible for your memories. How can you create a writing ritual? Start a journal, write letters to friends by hand, create a detailed plan for the week or month, or start your own blog. Writing regularly can boost your memory and help you recall information when you need it.Use music to boost memory.There’s a lot of research that shows music is helpful in boosting long-term memory. It has a lot of other benefits for the brain: music increases brain plasticity, improves focus and even motivation, and protects against cognitive decline and memory loss. Read this post for more details on how music can help you become smarter.Be a teacher.One of the most powerful memory techniques that people often overlook is recalling newly learned information by teaching it to someone else, for example a friend, schoolmate, or family member. Create an outline of the most important points, then go over the concepts aloud with your friend one by one. Make your “lecture” come alive by providing a few examples; add some humor or a short story to make it even more interesting. Ask questions and encourage them to ask you for explanations. You will find that talking about the material out loud helps you solidify what you’ve learned and recall what’s most important.Challenge your mind in a creative way.Do crossword puzzles, put together a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, learn chess, play cards, or read books. These activities keep your brain active and challenged, help delay memory loss, and promote learning new things every day.Use the memory palace technique.What is a memory palace? Also known as 'the method of loci', a technique that dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, this mnemonic device represents a place or series of places you can create in your mind to store information that you need to remember. Here are some resources that might help:Learn how to build a memory palaceExample 1: step by step guide to building a memory palaceExample 2: how to build a memory palaceRead a bookJoshua Foer: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering EverythingHarry Lorayne: The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at PlayWatch a videoTEDTalk with Joshua Foer: Feats of memory anyone can do (length: 20 minutes)Explore a Quora questionWhat are the best books on Memory Palace?Train your mind with meditation.Meditating can declutter your brain of thoughts that distract you from the brilliant work you could be doing. This small practice doesn't require a lot of time, is simple to follow, and has many benefits, including better focus throughout the day, more concentration, improved ability to cope with the day’s events, and a greater sense of calm. Try the Headspace app to start with just 10 minutes; it's fun and easy to use.Take a power nap to renew your mental energy.Naps can maximize productivity by helping you absorb the new information you've covered in your study sessions. They are also good for your heart health, they lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, even improve memory and learning. Here’s how to nap the right way:Set aside 20-30 minutes in the afternoon to nap. Although you can make your nap longer, this time range is considered optimal for most people.Find a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed: your bed, a comfortable couch, or a big armchair with soft pillows. Get a blanket and an eye mask to block out daylight. Can’t find an eye mask? Just place a folded black T-shirt over your eyes.Block away environmental noise with noise-cancelling headphones, and listen to music that can help you relax (it can be classical music, a playlist of chillout tunes, or simply sounds of nature). Don’t want to listen to music? Get a good pair of soft silicone ear plugs like these and relax in silence.Pair it with a small cup of coffee. Caffeine takes about 30 minutes to kick in, so you can try having a cup of your favorite brew right before taking your nap. Don't drink coffee? Try green tea instead, as it also contains caffeine. When you wake up, you'll feel more alert and ready to tackle your work.Wake up the right way. Stretch your body, then get up, splash some cold water on your face, get some fresh air for a few minutes, have a tall glass of water, and listen to some energizing and upbeat music before you continue your work.

27 Best World Atlases For Map Lovers In 2020Owning a least one good world atlas is a must for any cartophile or map lover. But why stop at one? Below we’ve profiled 27 brilliant world atlases all map lovers would be happy to own.To make your life a little easier we’ve broken them down into 5 categories:Essential – Everyone should own at least one of these.Child & Student – Perfect for kids.Historical – For those that love history.Food & Drink – For those that love food and/or drink.Other – The world’s most interesting alternative atlases.We’ve tried to include as much information about each Atlas as possible including reviews (from Amazon), list price (Amazon almost always sells for less), publisher, edition and publication year (so you know how up-to-date it is).We hope you find one or two new Atlases you’ve never considered before or better yet never heard of altogether.Essential World Atlases1. National Geographic Atlas of the WorldDescription: If you’ve got the budget for it you can’t go wrong with National Geographic’s 10th edition of its Atlas of the World. Published to mark the 100th anniversary of National Geographic it includes:Illustrated mapsInformational graphics about changing global themes such as:climate changepopulation and urbanizationhealth and longevityhuman migrationcommunications technologyworld economyLargest and most comprehensive collection of political maps ever published by National GeographicSpecial sections for the Oceans, Space, and Flags and FactsIndex, with more than 150,000 place namesReview: 4.7/5Publisher: National GeographicPublication date: September 30, 2014Edition: 10thList Price: $195.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon2. Oxford Atlas of the WorldDescription: The only world atlas updated annually, guaranteeing that users will find the most current geographic information, Oxford’s Atlas of the World is the most authoritative atlas on the market.Full of crisp, clear cartography of urban areas and virtually uninhabited landscapes around the globe, the Atlas is filled with maps of cities and regions at carefully selected scales that give a striking view of the Earth’s surface.It opens with a fascinating look at world statistics and 18 pages of stunning satellite images, all sourced from NASA’s latest Earth Observation Satellite, Landsat 8.The extraordinarily extensive front matter continues with a “Gazetteer of Nations” that has been comprehensively checked and updated to include recent economic and political changes, and a 48-page “Introduction to World Geography,” beautifully illustrated with tables and graphs on numerous topics of geographic significance, such as the geology and atmosphere of Earth, food and water supply, biodiversity, energy, global conflict, human health, and standards of living.The hundreds of city and world maps that form the body of the Atlas have been thoroughly updated for this 23rd edition.Providing the finest global coverage available, the Atlas of the World is not only the best-selling volume of its size and price, but also the benchmark by which all other atlases are measured.Review: 4.3/5Publisher: Oxford University PressPublication date: October 1, 2016Edition: 23rdList Price: $89.95Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon3. Oxford New Concise World AtlasDescription: With hundreds of dramatic, full-color, large-format maps produced by Europe’s finest team of cartographers, the fifth edition of the New Concise World Atlas solidifies Oxford’s position as the only publisher of regularly updated atlases at every desirable size and price.Containing over 100 pages of the most up-to-date topographic and political maps, the New Concise World Atlas also features a new front section of satellite imagery to replace the old “Earth in Space” section, as well as new detailed maps of the ocean seafloors. In addition to this new front section, there are 16 extra pages of world maps for this new edition covering areas such as Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Peru, and Brazil.Recent changes to the world’s geography are thoroughly captured in this edition; fully updated tables and world statistics provide data on climate, population, area, and physical dimensions. Finally, an index with over 58,000 items make searching for lesser-known locales quick and easy.Truly international in scope, created with meticulous care, and reflecting the very latest political developments and census information, Oxford’s New Concise World Atlas, Fifth Edition achieves the highest standard among international map resources. This engaging and affordable resource is second to none in the superb quality of its maps, the breadth of its coverage, and its easy-to-use convenience.Review: 4.3/5Publisher: Oxford University PressPublication date: November 1, 2015Edition: 5thList Price: $39.95Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon4. The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the WorldDescription: Now in its fourteenth edition, the Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World continues to be the benchmark of cartographic excellence. The world atlas is relied on and trusted by governments, media companies and international organizations around the world including the United Nations and the European Commission.New features:Double page map of the Arctic OceanNew maps of sub-ice features in the Arctic Ocean and the AntarcticPhysical maps of all the continentsMajor updates include:5000 place name changes, most notably in Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan and Spain.A beautifully illustrated section on current issues, including climate change, economy and energy, and a new section on the power of maps.Updated national parks and conserved areas including the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), the largest conservation zone in the world.Realignment of the international boundary between Burkina Faso and Niger resulting from the International Court of Justice decision.Addition of Brussel as alternative local name form for Bruxelles (Brussels) as city is officially bilingual. Now shown as Brussel/Bruxelles.New administrative structures in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Madagascar, and the addition of the new Indian state of Telangana.Addition of over 50 major waterfalls around the world.Review: 4.2/5Publisher: Times BooksPublication date: September 25, 2014Edition: 14th Revised editionList Price: $200.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon5. National Geographic Concise Atlas of the WorldDescription: With more than 470 maps and graphics, this atlas delivers award-winning cartography with superbly designed and amazingly informative maps and graphics providing accurate coverage of the whole world.Including introductory sections for each continent and the flags and country facts at the end of each continental section, this atlas features stunning satellite images that portray unique physical geography and highlights the sprawling extent of major cities.Review: 3.8/5Publisher: National GeographicPublication date: August 30, 2016Edition: 4thList Price: $29.95Buy: Click To Buy On AmazonChild & Student Atlases6. National Geographic Kids Beginner’s World AtlasDescription: Jam-packed with the latest data, bright, bold images, large maps, a brand-new design, and lively information about the world’s land, people, and animals, the third edition Beginner’s World Atlas will be the most up-to-date world reference for kids ages 5–8.True to National Geographic’s reputation and legacy, they’ve created this atlas with the same care and attention to detail as our renowned adult atlases. “No one does maps or atlases with as much panache and knowledge as National Geographic,” said the Washington Post.With completely up-to-date facts-at-a-glance, a glossary, pronunciation guide, and comprehensive index, this completely revised atlas takes young readers on a high-energy tour of the world and will be a must-have in every home and school.Vibrant color, fresh design, amazing photography, and new icons will help kids quickly identify information related to land, plants, animals, languages and culture, and all aspects of the physical and political world. Parents and teachers will appreciate the front matter with information for children about maps and how to use the atlas.Review: 4.6/5Ages: 5 – 8 yearsPublisher: National Geographic Children’s BooksPublication date: August 9, 2011Edition: 3rdList Price: $18.95Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon7. National Geographic Kids World AtlasDescription: National Geographic’s classic atlas for kids is now fully revised and updated, with a reduced trim that makes it easy to carry and easy to browse. Complete with geo-themed games, crosswords, picture puzzles and more, this is the atlas for today’s young explorers, as well as the perfect homework reference source.National Geographic is committed to being the number one provider of the best atlases for young people of all ages. This new edition of the award-winning world atlas for kids includes the latest data, newest maps and graphs, a fresh and compelling design, and lively essays about the world and its wonders.Review: 4.8/5Ages: 8 – 12 yearsPublisher: National Geographic Children’s BooksPublication date: July 9, 2013Edition: 4thList Price: $14.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon8. National Geographic Student World AtlasDescription: The new fourth edition of National Geographic’s award-winning Student Atlas of the World is more fascinating and fact-filled than ever, and has gone interactive with new digital extras, including scannable pages that link to photo galleries and quizzes.Dynamic, user-friendly content includes photos, facts, charts, graphics, and full-color political, physical, and thematic maps on important topics. From the cartographic experts at National Geographic comes the latest edition of its award-winning student atlas, with everything kids want and need to know about our changing world!Review: 4.3/5Ages: 12 and upPublisher: National Geographic Children’s BooksPublication date: July 8, 2014Edition: 4thList Price: $12.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon9. Wiley/National Geographic College Atlas of the WorldDescription: In an exclusive partnership with National Geographic, Wiley offers a powerful resource that is affordable, compact, and authoritative. It puts our world in your students’ grasp, presenting 25 global themes, from tectonics, the biosphere, and energy sources to population, health, literacy, and more, along with such timely topics as environmental stress and flash points for conflict and terror.Review: 4.5/5Publisher: WileyPublication date: July 20, 2010Edition: 2ndList Price: $11.68Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon10. MapsDescription: This book of maps is a visual feast for readers of all ages, with lavishly drawn illustrations from the incomparable Mizielinskis.It features not only borders, cities, rivers, and peaks, but also places of historical and cultural interest, eminent personalities, iconic animals and plants, cultural events, and many more fascinating facts associated with every region of our planet.Review: 4.6/5Grade Level: Kindergarten – 12Publisher: Big Picture PressPublication date: October 8, 2013Edition: TraList Price: $35.00Buy: Click To Buy On AmazonHistorical World Atlases11. Atlas of World HistoryDescription: Oxford’s Atlas of World History is the result of years of intensive work by a specialist team of scholars, editors, and cartographers. It presents the story of humanity in its physical setting, from the emergence of the earliest hominoids to the present day.Truly international in scope, the atlas incorporates the latest research into Asian, African, and Central and South American history, as well as the traditional core of North American and European events.The Atlas includes sections on the Ancient World, Medieval World, Early Modern World, Age of Revolutions, and the Twentieth Century and Beyond. Each section opens with an introduction that highlights the main socioeconomic, cultural and religious themes of the period, followed by spreads of maps, text, illustrations and captions that discuss specific regions and eras.Spreads depict everything from hunting in Africa in 10,000 BC to the kingdoms of Southeast Asia in the earliest years of the millennium, the decline of the Byzantine Empire, the growth of the Atlantic economies in the 18th century, and standards of living since 1945.The Atlas features some 450 vivid full-color maps illustrating the major themes and events of world history, 100 photographs, 60 diagrams and hundreds of thousands of words of explanatory text.Unique for such an atlas, the entire work is thoroughly cross-referenced, allowing the reader to move backwards and forwards in time or across the world from region to region, following themes or lines of inquiry across pages.The new edition brings the Atlas into the 21st Century and up to the present day. New and updated maps and illustrations cover a wide range of evolving subjects such as population changes, international trading, urbanization, political and economic developments, literacy rates, the concentration of world languages, and many more important and always timely subjects.Coverage of Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and every other part of the world is revisited and updated, making this the most up-to-date atlas of world history available, in addition to being the most complete.A comprehensive index of more than 8,000 entries includes numerous alternative name forms used over the centuries. The Atlas of World History closes with a bibliography that provides a booklist for suggested further reading.Equally well-suited for a general audience and students of history or international relations, the Atlas of World History continues Oxford’s presence as the premier publisher of world atlases.Review: 4.0/5Publisher: Oxford University PressPublication date: October 15, 2010Edition: 2ndList Price: $49.95Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon12. Atlas of the Civil WarDescription: In this one-of-a-kind atlas, scores of archival maps and dozens of newly created maps trace the battles, political turmoil, and great themes of America’s most violent and pivotal clash of arms.From the Antebellum South to Fort Sumter, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the fitful peace of Reconstruction, National Geographic’s Atlas of the Civil War displays eye-opening maps—and a gripping, self-contained story—on every spread.Eighty-five rare period maps, many seen here for the first time, offer the cartographic history of a land at war with itself: from 19th-century campaign maps surveying whole regions and strategies to vintage battlefield charts used by Union and Confederate generals alike, along with commercial maps produced for a news-hungry public, and comprehensive Theater of War maps.In 35 innovative views created especially for this book, the key moments of major battles are pinpointed by National Geographic’s award-winning cartographers using satellite data to render the terrain with astonishing detail.In addition, more than 320 documentary photographs, battlefield sketches, paintings, and artifacts bear eyewitness testimony to the war, history’s first to be widely captured on film.Review: 4.7/5Publisher: National Geographic;Publication date: October 20, 2009Edition: FirstList Price: $40.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon13. On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World LooksDescription: Imagine a world without maps. How would we travel? Could we own land? What would men and women argue about in cars? Scientists have even suggested that mapping—not language—is what elevated our prehistoric ancestors from ape-dom.Follow the history of maps from the early explorers’ maps and the awe-inspiring medieval Mappa Mundi to Google Maps and the satellite renderings on our smartphones, Garfield explores the unique way that maps relate and realign our history—and reflect the best and worst of what makes us human.Featuring a foreword by Dava Sobel and packed with fascinating tales of cartographic intrigue, outsize personalities, and amusing “pocket maps” on an array of subjects from how to fold a map to the strangest maps on the Internet, On the Map is a rich historical tapestry infused with Garfield’s signature narrative flair.Map-obsessives and everyone who loved Just My Type will be lining up to join Garfield on his audacious journey through time and around the globe.Review: 4.0/5Publisher: GothamPublication date: November 5, 2013Edition: NAList Price: $17.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon14. Atlas of Cursed PlacesDescription: This alluring read includes 40 locations that are rife with disaster, chaos, paranormal activity, and death.The locations gathered here include the dangerous Strait of Messina, home of the mythical sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis; the coal town of Jharia, where the ground burns constantly with fire; Kasanka National Park in Zambia, where 8 million migrating bats darken the skies; the Nevada Triangle in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where hundreds of aircraft have disappeared; and Aokigahara Forest near Mount Fuji in Japan, the world’s second most popular suicide location following the Golden Gate Bridge.Review: 3.6/5Publisher: Black Dog & LeventhalPublication date: October 6, 2015Edition: FirstList Price: $24.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon15. Atlas of Lost CitiesDescription: Like humans, cities are mortal. They are born, they thrive, and they eventually die.In Atlas of Lost Cities, Aude de Tocqueville tells the compelling narrative of the rise and fall of such notable places as Pompeii, Teotihuacán, and Angkor. She also details the less well known places, including Centralia, an abandoned Pennsylvania town consumed by unquenchable underground fire; Nova Citas de Kilamba in Angola, where housing, schools, and stores were built for 500,000 people who never came; and Epecuen, a tourist town in Argentina that was swallowed up by water.Beautiful, original artwork shows the location of the lost cities and depicts how they looked when they thrived.Review: 3.4/5Publisher: Black Dog & LeventhalPublication date: April 5, 2016Edition: FirstList Price: $24.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon16. The Map BookDescription: From the earliest of times, maps have fired our imaginations and helped us make sense of our world, from the global to the very local. Head of Map Collections at the British Library, Peter Barber has here compiled an historic and lavish atlas, charting the progress of civilization as our knowledge of the world expanded.Simply organized as a progression through time, The Map Book collects some 175 maps that span four millennia – from the famed prehistoric Bedolina (Italy) incision in rock from around 1500 B.C. to the most modern, digitally enhanced rendering.Many of the maps are beautiful works of art in their own right. From Europe to the Americas, Africa to Asia, north to south, there are maps of oceans and continents charted by heroic adventurers sailing into the unknown, as accounts spread of new discoveries, shadowy continents begin to appear n the margins of the world, often labeled ‘unknown lands.’Other maps had a more practical use: some demarcated national boundaries or individual plots of land; military plans depicted enemy positions; propaganda treatises showed one country or faction at an advantage over others.So much history resides in each map–cultural, mythological, navigational–expressing the unlimited extent of human imagination. This is captured in the accompanying texts–mini essays by leading map historians–that are as vivid and insightful as the maps themselves.They make The Map Book as much a volume to be read as to be visually admired.Review: 4.1/5Publisher: Walker BooksPublication date: November 15, 2005Edition: 1stList Price: $50.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon17. New Historical Atlas of the WorldDescription: The Historical Atlas of the World presents important periods and turning points in 5,000 years of world history in over 100 pages of thematic maps.Atlas Features: 2015 copyright updated to include recent world events, Presents major periods of world history through more than 100 bold, colorful maps, Thematic maps include literacy, languages, religions, and more.Review: 4.4/5Publisher: Rand McNallyPublication date: July 31, 2015Edition: 6thList Price: $12.00Buy: Click To Buy On AmazonFood & Drink World Atlases18. World Atlas of WineDescription: The seventh edition will confirm the status of The World Atlas of Wine as the most essential and authoritative wine reference work. Reflecting the changing nature of the wine scene, the Atlas details developments in climate, technique and fashion as well as new regulations made over the last six years.A new Australian map highlights the importance of cool-climate regions as global warming takes effect, for example,while dynamic regions such as coastal Croatia, South Africa’s Swartland and Ningxia in China are covered for the first time. The world’s increasing appetite for wine is matched by a growing thirst for knowledge,which this book will amply satisfy.Review: 4.8/5Publisher: Mitchell BeazleyPublication date: October 8, 2013Edition: 7thList Price: $60.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon19. World Atlas of WhiskyDescription: Award-winning author and whisky expert Dave Broom explores over 200 distilleries and examines over 400 expressions. Detailed descriptions of the Scottish distilleries can be found here, while Ireland, Japan, the USA, Canada and the rest of the world are given exhaustive coverage.There are tasting notes on single malts from Aberfeldy to Tormore, Yoichi (and coverage of the best of the blends). Six specially created ‘Flavour Camp Charts’ group whiskies by style, allow readers to identify new whiskies from around the world to try.This extrensively updated and extended edition features new material on burgeoning areas, including detailed coverage of many recently opened US craft distilleries, new distilleries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and discussion of the growing whisky scene in Latin America.With over 200 beautiful colour photographs and 21 colour maps locating distilleries and whisky-related sites, this is a stylish celebration of the heritage, romance, craftsmanship and versatility of whisky.Review: 4.8/5Publisher: Mitchell BeazleyPublication date: October 14, 2014Edition: 2nd revisedList Price: $39.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon20. World Atlas of BeerDescription: Take a brew-lover’s trip around the world in this definitive, revised, and expanded guide.Join renowned experts Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont on the ultimate beer journey, covering more than 35 countries from Austria to New Zealand. This richly illustrated, comprehensive guide kicks off in Europe, travels through the Americas, and ends in Asia.Along the way, you’ll learn about everything from the wheat beers of Bavaria, Belgium’s Trappist ales, and Finnish sahti to British bitters, barrel-aged Californian beers, Vietnamese bìa hoi, and more, with full tasting notes for over 500 must-try brews.Webb and Beaumont also offer a fascinating history of beer and an in-depth look at the science and art of beermaking.This newly revised and expanded edition of The World Atlas of Beer features ten additional countries—including Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, and China—as well as up-to-the-moment beer industry information and trends. With this ultimate companion in hand, you can explore the best beers in the whole world.Review: 4.9/5Publisher: Sterling EpicurePublication date: October 18, 2016Edition: NAList Price: $30.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon21. The World Atlas of CoffeeDescription: Taking the reader on a global tour of coffee-growing countries, The World Atlas of Coffee presents the bean in full-color photographs and concise, informative text. It shows the origins of coffee — where it is grown, the people who grow it; and the cultures in which coffee is a way of life — and the world of consumption — processing, grades, the consumer and the modern culture of coffee.Plants of the genus Coffea are cultivated in more than 70 countries but primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. For some countries, including Central African Republic, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Honduras, coffee is the number one export and critical to the economy.Organized by continent and then further by country or region, The World Atlas of Coffee presents the brew in color spreads packed with information. They include:The history of coffee generally and regionallyThe role of colonialism (for example, in Burundi under colonial rule of Belgium, coffee production was best described as coercive. Every peasant farmer had to cultivate at least 50 coffee trees near their home.)Map of growing regions and detail mapsCharts explaining differences in growing regions within a countryInset boxes (For example, what is the Potato Defect? Is Cuban coffee legal in the United States?)The politics of coffee and the fair trade, organic and shade grown phenomenaBeautiful color photographs taken in the field.Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year, making the United States the leading consumer of coffee in the world. The World Atlas of Coffee is an excellent choice for these coffee lovers.Review: 4.8/5Publisher: Firefly BooksPublication date: October 23, 2014Edition: NAList Price: $35.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon22. Atlas of FoodDescription: The Atlas of Food provides an up-to-date and visually appealing way of understanding the important issues relating to global food and agriculture. In mapping out broad areas of investigation—contamination of food and water, overnutrition, micronutrient deficiency, processing, farming, and trade—it offers a concise overview of today’s food and farming concerns.Buttressed by engaging prose and vivid graphics, Erik Millstone and Tim Lang convincingly argue that human progress depends on resolving global inequality and creating a more sustainable food production system.Review: 4.7/5Publisher: University of California PressPublication date: March 1, 2013Edition: UpdatedList Price: $24.95Buy: Click To Buy On AmazonOther World Atlases23. Atlas of Improbable PlacesDescription: It is perhaps the eighth wonder of our world that despite modern mapping and satellite photography our planet continues to surprise us.Hidden lairs beneath layers of rock, forgotten cities rising out of deserted lands and even mankind’s own feats of engineering eccentricity lie in the most unusual of destinations.Travis Elborough goes in search of the obscure and bizarre, the beautiful and estranged. Taking in the defiant relics of ancient cities such as Ani, a once thriving metropolis lost to conquered lands, and the church tower of San Juan Parangaricuto, that miraculously stands as the sole survivor of a town sunk by lava.Through the labyrinths of Berlin and Beijing – underground realms dug for refuge, espionage and even, as Canada’s Moose Jaw, used as the playground for gangsters trading liquor and money over cards.Never forgetting the freaks and wonders of nature’s own unusual masterpieces: the magical underground river shaped like a dragon’s mouth in the Philippines and the floating world of Palmerston.With beautiful maps and stunning photography illustrating each destination, Atlas of Improbable Places is a fascinating voyage to the world’s most incredible destinations.As the Island of Dolls and the hauntingly titled Door to Hell – an inextinguishable fire pit – attest, mystery is never far away. The truths and myths behind their creation are as varied as the destinations themselves.Standing as symbols of worship, testaments to kingships or even the strange and wonderful traditions of old and new, these curious places are not just extraordinary sights but reflections on man’s own relationship with the world around us.Review: 4.1/5Publisher: Aurum PressPublication date: October 15, 2016Edition: First EditionList Price: $29.99Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon24. Atlas of Remote IslandsDescription: There are still places on earth that are unknown. Visually stunning and uniquely designed, this wondrous book captures fifty islands that are far away in every sense-from the mainland, from people, from airports, and from holiday brochures.Author Judith Schalansky used historic events and scientific reports as a springboard for each island, providing information on its distance from the mainland, whether its inhabited, its features, and the stories that have shaped its lore.With stunning full-color maps and an air of mysterious adventure, Atlas of Remote Island is perfect for the traveler or romantic in all of us.Review: 4.1/5Publisher: Penguin BooksPublication date: October 5, 2010Edition: First EditionList Price: $30.00Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon25. Atlas of CitiesDescription: More than half the world’s population lives in cities, and that proportion is expected to rise to three-quarters by 2050.Urbanization is a global phenomenon, but the way cities are developing, the experience of city life, and the prospects for the future of cities vary widely from region to region. The Atlas of Cities presents a unique taxonomy of cities that looks at different aspects of their physical, economic, social, and political structures; their interactions with each other and with their hinterlands; the challenges and opportunities they present; and where cities might be going in the future.Each chapter explores a particular type of city–from the foundational cities of Greece and Rome and the networked cities of the Hanseatic League, through the nineteenth-century modernization of Paris and the industrialization of Manchester, to the green and “smart” cities of today.Expert contributors explore how the development of these cities reflects one or more of the common themes of urban development: the mobilizing function (transport, communication, and infrastructure); the generative function (innovation and technology); the decision-making capacity (governance, economics, and institutions); and the transformative capacity (society, lifestyle, and culture).Using stunning info-graphics, maps, charts, tables, and photographs, the Atlas of Cities is a comprehensive overview of the patterns of production, consumption, generation, and decay of the twenty-first century’s defining form.Presents a one-of-a-kind taxonomy of cities that looks at their origins, development, and future prospectsFeatures core case studies of particular types of cities, from the foundational cities of Greece and Rome to the “smart” cities of todayExplores common themes of urban development, from transport and communication to lifestyle and cultureIncludes stunning info-graphics, maps, charts, tables, and photosReview: 4.4/5Publisher: Princeton University PressPublication date: August 24, 2014Edition: NAList Price: $49.50Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon26. Map: Exploring the WorldDescription: Map: Exploring the World brings together more than 300 fascinating maps from the birth of cartography to cutting-edge digital maps of the twenty-fist century.The book’s unique arrangement, with the maps organized in complimentary or contrasting pairs, reveals how the history of our attempts to make flat representations of the world has been full of beauty, ingenuity and innovation.Selected by an international panel of curators, academics and collectors, the maps reflect the many reasons people make maps, such as to find their way, to assert ownership, to record human activity, to establish control, to encourage settlement, to plan military campaigns or to show political power.The selection includes the greatest names in cartography, such as James Cook, Gerard Mercator, Matthew Fontaine Maury and Phyllis Pearsall, as well as maps from indigenous cultures around the world, rarely seen maps from lesser’known cartographers, and maps of outstanding beauty and surprising individuality from the current generation of map makers.Review: 5/5Publisher: Phaidon PressPublication date: September 28, 2015Edition: 1stList Price: $59.95Buy: Click To Buy On Amazon27. Transit Maps of the WorldDescription: Transit Maps of the World is the first and only comprehensive collection of historical and current maps of every rapid-transit system on earth. In glorious, colorful graphics, Mark Ovenden traces the cartographic history of mass transit—including rare and historic maps, diagrams, and photographs, some available for the first time since their original publication.Now expanded with thirty-six more pages, 250 city maps revised from previous editions, and listings given from almost a thousand systems in total, this is the graphic designer’s new bible, the transport enthusiast’s dream collection, and a coffee-table essential for everyone who’s ever traveled in a city.Review: 4.6/5Publisher: Penguin BooksPublication date: November 3, 2015Edition: Expanded and updatedList Price: $35.00Buy: Click To Buy On AmazonWe hope you enjoyed the list. However, if you think we’ve missed any great atlases, please let us know in the comments section below.Know anyone else who loves a good Atlas? Then please share this post with thThink This Map Was Brilliant? Get Our Most Brilliant Maps Free Each WeekNational Geographic Kids Beginner's World Atlas$18.95(406)World Atlas$16.94(375)The Atlas of Food: With a New Introduction$29.95(10)Map: Exploring the World$45.63$59.95(78)Ads by AmazonFiled Under: World Map

If you’re looking to improve mental cognition, increase your memory, and enhance your alertness, here are 15 easy ways to give your brain a six-pack.1. Exercise: You knew it was good for your muscles, but the brain? Absolutely! More than 20% of the body’s blood and oxygen go directly to the brain (without passing GO or paying $200). Exercise, particularly cardio training, effectively increases the flow to the brain, keeping it a well-oiled machine. But if you’d like something a little more Zen, try Yoga. Many of the Yoga poses, like Downward Facing Dog, are specifically engineered to get blood to your brain faster, by positioning the head below the heart. But if you’re really pressed for time, something as simple as opening a window and getting fresh air can give your brain the extra juice it needs.2. Hydrate: If you’re looking for a little pick-me-up, don’t reach for your usual double espresso. Instead try drinking two glasses of water. The caffeine in coffee and soda may temporarily make you feel more alert, but in the long run will make you even more tired by dehydrating your muscles and constricting your blood vessels. And in large quantities, caffeine can send you running for the bathroom with a bad case of the trots, as it stimulates the spastic contractions of the intestine. Water, on the other hand, is a simple way to keep the mind alert and refreshed. And you can’t beat the price.3. Find Stimulation: A friend of mine used to say, “I don’t need caffeine, I have Motorhead.” And he always got his papers in on time. Now heavy metal may not be your thing, but listening to music can increase your productivity. Just like the smell of dinner can bring on hunger pangs, engaging all five senses will stimulate brain activity. For example, the color pink is a visual aphrodisiac. The arousal will dilate your pupils, increase blood flow, and set off pleasure centers in the brain – all of which will make you more alert and focused. By decorating your work area brightly or switching your font color to something more vivid, you can work through boredom and fatigue. Aromatherapy can be enormously effective, as smell is the strongest of the senses. Lemon, peppermint, and cypress are several scents known to stimulate the brain. Or eating a peppermint candy will activate both scent and taste. Taking notes by hand instead of typing them, will help you retain the information more effectively, as the pressure points activated by holding a pen are linked to the creative and memory centers of the brain.4. Think Happy Thoughts: We’ve all seen those Hitchcock thrillers, where a person does or witnesses something so terrible they completely block it from their mind. Well, on a much smaller scale, that kind of memory loss is happening all the time. The brain, particularly the memory, doesn’t respond well to stress. If you’re tense, overwrought, or unhappy, you’re much less likely to retain information or stay alert. Try to eliminate stressful influences from your life and workplace. Practice relaxation techniques, take a hot bath, or get a massage. Or fry up some bacon. I’ve often found that happiness = bacon. Anyway, your body is very tuned into your emotions, and it shows way more than you think.5. Play Games: Not Hide n’ Seek. Studies with dementia patients have shown that playing word games and puzzles can increase and even restore mental cognitive abilities. The crossword, a pub quiz, or Soduku: all these fun activities can keep your grey matter in the pink. And the best part is that you don’t actually need to know anything. This is one instance where winning doesn’t matter, because your brain responds to the attempt to solve the problem, not the knowledge stored in your head. Probably the best brain games are those with strategic goals like Chess, Risk, and Stratego, as the objectives are in a constant flux, and require more activity from the brain.6. Watch Quality TV: Wouldn‘t it be nice if that were true. Unfortunately, studies indicate that passively sitting in front of the tube is counterproductive. But if that butt-shaped indention in your recliner calls out to you, choose a game or quiz shows like Jeopardy, and try to answer the questions. Even if you have never heard of the Federalist Papers, your brain will be stimulated in the same way as if you were playing Trivial Pursuit with your friends.7. Surf the Net: Net-addicts unite! We’ve known it all along, and now we’ve been proven right. A recent study at the University of California Los Angeles found that searching the web stimulated centers in the brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning. A simple task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry. Brain scans showed that much more of the brain was activated by internet use than by simply reading a book. Not to mention, there are all sorts of lovely online brain teasers and games on the web, just waiting to make you smarter. And here’s the clincher: the more you surf, the more your brain works.8. Eat Brain Food: Don’t go on one. Depriving yourself of food literally starves the brain and makes you dumb dumb dumb. But if you want to get peak mental performance from what you eat, here are a few things to remember. Protein is the main source of fuel for the brain. But don’t automatically switch over to Atkins, cause your brain also needs foods rich in crucial vitamins and minerals. It’s always better to get these from food rather than taking pills. Vitamin A, to protect brain cell membranes; B Vitamins, essential for neuronal growth and vitality; Vitamin C, so vital for brain function that its levels in the brain are fifteen times higher than anywhere outside the brain; Vitamin E, to prevent and actually reverse brain deterioration; Magnesium, to maintain the metabolic viability of neurons; Zinc, rids the brain of impurities such as lead to improve cognitive function; and Amino Acids, necessary to the growth and health of neurotransmitters.9. Load Up On Fish Oil: “Jeeves takes a size 14 hat, eats tons of fish, and works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.” When creating his immortal, all-knowing valet Jeeves, author P.G. Wodehouse gave the character an enormous, bulging cranium and a steady diet of brain-enhancing fish. It was no surprise when scientists proved what we knew all along: eating fish can make you brainy. Actually, it’s not the fish, but the Omega -3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that do the trick. These fatty acids keep the dopamine levels in the brain high, increase neuronal growth in the frontal cortex of the brain, and increase cerebral circulation. Which is a complicated way of saying that fatty acids make your brain work at top efficiency, kinda like a tune-up. But before you stockpile your pantry with tuna, remember that eating large amounts of fish can put you at risk to toxins and mercury poisoning. So it’s better to get EPA and DHA from alternative sources and supplements.10. Eat Weeds: Not the kind you hide from your parents, but herbal remedies. Eastern medicine is kicking ass and taking names where your brain is concerned. There are about a dozen or so ‘brain-boosting’ herbs, but the two most important are Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng. As medicinal tonics go, it doesn’t get more powerful than Ginkgo, by enhancing cerebral circulation, which freakishly boosts cognitive abilities. Ginseng, regarded as the ‘Cadillac’ of Asian herbs, has astonishing neurological effects. Once believed to re-harmonize the body’s ‘yang energy,’ we now know that Ginseng helps the brain adapt to stress agents by heightening the productivity of the adrenal glands. The result is a balanced stimulant, that achieves brain arousal and alertness without the nervous, jittery, guy-from-Shine response of most stimulants.11. Learn Something New: This seems pretty obvious, right? But it’s not that simple. Very few people find the time to master new skills or even read a new book that isn‘t for work or class. Learning a foreign language, a new handcraft or recipe, or challenging yourself with an unfamiliar subject all increase brain growth, stimulating parts of the brain that may have been stagnant and untapped til now. But all this takes time, right? Wrong! Try spending 15 minutes a day on your new discovery, about the same time as all the commercials in an hour-long TV show, and you’ll be surprised how much you learn.12. Don’t Waste Time: If your brain were a computer, how many times a day would it be flashing the hourglass sign? Albert Einstein, one of the world’s greatest thinkers, gave us the Theory of Relativity, and some very good advice: "Make everything as simple as possible." You can hardly expect your brain to perform at its best if it’s cluttered with non-essentials. The best way to organize your mind is to declutter your life. Maximize your time with a few personal alterations. Save time in the morning by deciding the night before what outfit you’ll wear. Make and keep a list of daily and long-term priorities, and don’t let your focus wander. Try multi-tasking. If you’re going to be in the bathroom awhile, take along a book or some work you need to finish (you’re not doing much else!) If you have a long commute or get stuck in traffic, make the most of the time by listening to an audio book. If you have to stand in line at the bank or the shops, bring along some notes you need to review or flashcards for that new language you decided to learn. Sure you may look funny, but you’re getting smarter.13. Actively Improve Your Memory:There’s a new character on Grey’s Anatomy who’s been stunning us with her photographic memory, recalling obscure articles from turn of the century medical journals, railing off the periodic table without batting an eye. For the actress playing this character to do so convincingly, I’ll bet she had to find a more efficient way of memorizing data. There are loads of different tricks and methods purporting to have the answer, but basically they all boil down to a few basic principles.First, know how you learn. There are three basic ways of learning: visual, auditory, kinetic. You can figure out which one you are by listening, reading, and writing three different sentences to see which you remember the best. Once you know how you learn, optimize that knowledge. If you are visual, post-its will be a big help. If you are auditory, invest in a hand-held recorder.Second, the most effective way to remember facts is by forming multiple associations. For example, you may remember the date of your dentist appointment, because that number was the age of your favorite singer when he died. Or something a little more cheerful, but you get the idea. If you’re a visual person, try to form an effective mental image or snap shot. For example, if you park your car in section 4b, you may remember that by taking a snap shot of four bumblebees hovering over the roof of your car. Try forming an emotional association. If your wife asks you to pick up something at the store, think for a minute how disappointed she’ll be if you forget it, and most likely you won’t.Third, rinse and repeat. Repetition is a tried and true method of memorization. Just for fun, pull out the old SAT prep book from high school and see how much vocabulary you still remember. Give your memory a workout by re-learning these forgotten gems.14. Rest Almost nothing is as crucial to proper and efficient brain functioning as sleep. Not everybody needs the same amount of sleep, but trying to think when you’re tired literally hurts. Here are some ways for your brain to get the most out of sleep. If it takes you a long time to fall asleep, don’t fight it or give up and take a pill. Instead ease into sleep by reading a book. But make sure it’s fiction. While you might think non-fiction would be more boring, studies show that non-fiction triggers forward thinking in the brain, which prevents sleep. If you wake up tired, it might not be because you didn’t get enough sleep. It could be because your brain is starved from fasting while you slept. Trying eating a low sugar, 100 calorie snack before bed. This won’t be enough to keep you awake, and it may prevent that tired-head in the morning. If, despite your best efforts, you don’t get enough Z’s, seriously consider a nap. Naps are not childish or European, they are a perfectly natural way to buck up your brain. A series of short naps (20-30 minutes) throughout the day won’t repair hours of sleep debt, but it will stave off the exhaustion that leaves your brain utterly useless and you without a job.15. Have Sex: Women will go weak at the knees at the thought of the size of your…brain. That’s right. A lot happens to the body during sex, and much of it goes on in your head. Your brain, that is. There is no activity that increases more blood flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive capabilities. Having sex also produces hormones that dramatically improve brain functioning. One example includes the ‘trust’ hormone Oxytocin, which is produced during sex. This increases your ability to think of original solutions to a problem while serotonin and dopamine, which surge after sex, help a person’s creative thinking and calm, logical decision-making. And if you’re having any trouble falling to sleep, to give your brain the rest it needs, look no further.Thankyou for reading✍️Saurabh Shetty