The four points of the compass. The unexpected history of direction

This book by the historian and writer Jerry Brotton is about the four cardinal directions and the significance they have beyond navigation and exploration and which vary across cultures. The knowledge they all have in common is that they provide orientation and help people find and understand their place in the world. However, as explained by the author, also differences can be seen throughout history. He devotes a separate chapter to each of the four cardinal directions, describing their different and sometimes highly complex symbolic, metaphorical and political meanings which shaped people’s lives at certain times and in certain cultures.

The book concludes with a chapter on the significance of the “blue dot” for life in the digital age. As a combination of online maps and smartphone technology it now puts the user in the centre, so that the original meaning of directions loses relevance today. According to the author, this even leads to the addition of another cardinal direction, namely the “You”, which is becoming increasingly important. But the author only touches on the consequences of such an attitude, which distances people from the world around them and encourages egocentricity and hints at new directions that political and economic powers may give to the world in a near future.