The Map Maker: An Illustrated Short Story About How Each of Us Sees the World Differently and Why Objectivity is Just an Illusion

Can We Really See the World in a Fair and Unbiased Way?

The Map Maker is the story of a young adventurer who travels to Paradise Island with the aid of a magical map. Here, he begins his own “knowledge quest” to better understand why people see the world just the way they do.

Arguably, one of the most important traits any person can possess is the ability to see things from another person’s point of view. This story shows how different people, with differing viewpoints, can each believe that his or her own viewpoint is reasonable and accurate. It offers an explanation as to why it is difficult, if not impossible, to judge events objectively.

Using simple prose, this work introduces and explores the meaning behind the phrase “the subjectivity of truth and the relativity of reality.” A product of inspirational and literary fiction, The Map Maker will hold special appeal for readers interested in philosophy in fiction.

This short story will also introduce readers to the story line of the movie Rashomon. This Oscar-winning, Japanese foreign-language film was one of the first movies to present viewers with an account of multiple perspectives, in which each person who is called to testify at a trial gives conflicting testimony.

From the Publisher: This illustrated short story is ideally suited to high school or college students studying English literature or philosophy. It is a think piece that lends itself to classroom or group discussion.

Author’s bio: Brandon Royal is an award-winning writer whose educational authorship includes The Little Blue Reasoning Book, The Little Red Writing Book, The Little Gold Grammar Book, and The Little Green Math Book. During his tenure working in Hong Kong for US-based Kaplan Educational Centers – a Washington Post subsidiary and the largest test-preparation organization in the world – Brandon honed his theories of teaching and education and developed a set of key learning "principles" to help define the basics of writing, grammar, math, and reasoning. A Canadian by birth and graduate of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, his interest in writing began after completing writing courses at Harvard University. Since then he has authored a dozen books and reviews of his books have appeared in Time Asia magazine, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal of America, Midwest Book Review, The Asian Review of Books, Choice Reviews Online, Asia Times Online, and About.com. Brandon is a five-time winner of the International Book Awards, a seven-time gold medalist at the President’s Book Awards, as well as recipient of the “Educational Book of the Year” award as presented by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. He has also been a winner or finalist at the Ben Franklin Book Awards, the Global eBook Awards, the Beverly Hills Book Awards, the IPPY Awards, the USA Book News “Best Book Awards,” and the Foreword magazine Book of the Year Awards. He continues to write and publish in the belief that there will always be a place for books that inspire, enlighten, and enrich.

“The Map Maker is a short story as playful as it is poignant. The marriage of whimsical images and thought-provoking text creates a unique tapestry: one that weaves storytelling and philosophy with literary verve. Royal challenges us to think about the key role that perspective plays in our lives. He also shows how literature, acting as both an art form and a pragmatic tool, can help us gain critical insights.” —Rachel Metalin, B.A. M.A., English Instructor, Upper Canada College (UCC), Toronto, Canada