Famous Upside-Down View of World Now in Versatile New Size for Wider Use and More Occasions

Amherst, MA, May 18, 2010 --(PR.com)-- ODT Maps, one of the nation’s most respected publishers of innovative world maps and related products, now offers its most popular map – What’s Up? South! – in a new smaller, poster size, making it accessible, by popular demand, to more people for more uses and occasions. The What’s Up? South! map turns the world upside down, presenting Africa and South America at the top and Europe and North America at the bottom, startling viewers, challenging their assumptions, and jogging them into seeing that mapmaking – flattening a three-dimensional globe onto a two-dimensional surface – is a highly subjective endeavor, one that requires choices about shape, size and position, each of which affects perceptions of power and value. The impact of alternative views is reinforced by seven full-color comparison panels at the bottom of the map, each showing a different way of mapping the Earth.

Previously published only in a large 36” x 56” format, What’s Up? South! is now also available in a 2’ x 3’ format, which fits a standard poster frame and can be hung in a small office or on a living-room, study or bedroom wall. The change came by popular demand, as many customers, fascinated by the map, wanted a size that could fit into their homes or personal offices.

The new size can be purchased in standard or acid-free archival paper stock. Available in several formats: flat paper, folded paper, or laminated and shipped in a plastic tube with a detailed 4-page explanation.

"What's Up? South!" World Map (laminated and tubed) $28.95
ISBN# 978-1-931057-29-5 (for 2’ x 3’ size) Larger format (36” x 56”) map available for $1 additional

The full color map can be viewed and purchased on-line at:
www.odtmaps.com/detail.asp_Q_product_id_E_WUS-36x56-LT

It is also available at local book and map stores, and many Fair Trade stores throughout the U.S and Canada.

Bob Abramms, founder and publisher of ODT, said, “ODT maps are used in diverse settings such as classrooms, corporate training sessions, geographical publications, and international non-profit organizations. The What’s Up? South! map is a particularly mind-stretching, world-broadening tool that invites viewers to re-examine their view of the world and realize that every map has a built-in bias or point-of-view. We think this new format will generate provocative thinking and fun for many new audiences.”

About ODT Maps, Inc.
ODT Maps, Inc., based in Amherst, Massachusetts, has been publishing innovative ways to view the world for over 20 years. Their products include equal-area world maps, world population maps, and an entire series of “South-on-top” maps, including a jigsaw puzzle. In 2001, ODT gained international fame after having its Peters equal-area map featured on an episode of the hit TV show “West Wing.” In 2002, former President Jimmy Carter used the equal-area Hobo-Dyer map in his media materials when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. The company’s products have been praised by late historian Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, and have been purchased by the National Council for the Social Studies. Most of ODT’s maps are sold through map and book stores as well as Fair Trade stores like Ten Thousand Villages, which focus on providing a living wage for farmers and artisans around the world. In addition, corporations and religious groups use them for training sessions.

ODT's mission is to honor differences and teach people to see the world from a broader, more inclusive perspective; this remains at the core of all ODT activities. In addition to publishing new maps and resource materials and updating previous material, the Company is initiating extensive in-service teacher training and train-the-trainer workshops to expand the reach of its message.

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