Michael Rowley

Fifty States of Mind is my latest book for learning US geography and history using visual mnemonics. I've drawn pictures that match the shape of each state and that also convey the history of the area. Minnesota is a Viking. California is a pair of Levi's jeans. Illinois is Shoeless Joe Jackson of the White Sox. Fifty States is designed for kids to learn geography, but it's also a valuable and painless resource for adults who want a better working knowledge of US maps. The book includes quotes from famous people who are from or associated with each state. Mark Twain, who hails from Missouri, says, "God created war so that Americans would learn geography." Using proven memory-enhancing techniques employed here, you can, with a little effort, be able to hold a picture of the map of the United States in your mind and recite the capitals of each state. Knowing geography allows you to place current events and better grasp US history. While living in Japan, I wrote two illustrated books, ‘Kanji Pictographix’ and ‘Kana Pictographix.’ My wife and I run CreativeKi.com, a branding and design studio focused on education, health, and social and environmental justice.