{"product_id":"where-am-i-michael-j-martin-9798185156285","title":"Where Am I?: The Epic Science and Secret History of How We Find Our Way","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt some point, every living creature faces the same urgent question: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhere am I?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor humans, that question has shaped everything - our brains, our cultures, our maps, our ships, our cities, our satellites, and our future among the stars.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cb\u003eWhere Am I?\u003c\/b\u003e, Michael J Martin takes readers on a sweeping journey through the science, history, and hidden art of finding our way. From the brain's internal GPS to Polynesian star paths, Inuit snow navigation, Aboriginal songlines, magnetic compasses, marine chronometers, and the invisible satellite systems guiding our phones, this fascinating book explores one of humanity's oldest and most essential skills: orientation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy do people walk in circles when lost? How does the brain build a mental map of the world? What happens during \"woods shock,\" when panic breaks our sense of direction? How did ancient ocean voyagers cross thousands of miles of open sea without instruments? And what are we losing now that GPS does so much of our thinking for us?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside, you'll discover: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow place cells and grid cells create a living map inside your skull\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy being lost can trigger panic, denial, and dangerous decision-making\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow traditional wayfinders used stars, waves, wind, snow, story, and song\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow the compass, sextant, and marine chronometer transformed global exploration\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow GPS really works, from atomic clocks to orbiting satellites\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy over-reliance on navigation apps may weaken our spatial memory\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow future explorers may navigate oceans, caves, planets, and deep space\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending neuroscience, anthropology, adventure history, and modern technology, \u003cb\u003eWhere Am I?\u003c\/b\u003e is an epic, accessible, and deeply human guide to the systems that stop us from spinning into the void of being utterly lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause to know where you are is never just a matter of location.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a matter of memory, survival, identity, and imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael J. Martin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798185156285\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 172\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.52lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.37d","brand":"Michael J. Martin","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50665803088127,"sku":"9798185156285","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_14be4d64-c991-4c64-b0e5-41ef08381be2.jpg?v=1792013991","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/where-am-i-michael-j-martin-9798185156285","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}