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Atlas Obscura, 2nd Edition: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders Hardcover – Illustrated, October 15, 2019

by Joshua Foer (Author), Ella Morton (Author), Dylan Thuras (Author),
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 2,252 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Discover wonder.

“A wanderlust-whetting cabinet of curiosities on paper.”— New York Times

Inspiring equal parts wonder and wanderlust, Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of a travel book that shot to the top of bestseller lists when it was first published and changed the way we think about the world, expanding our sense of how strange and marvelous it really is.

This second edition takes readers to even more curious and unusual destinations, with more than 100 new places, dozens and dozens of new photographs, and two very special features: twelve city guides, covering Berlin, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Cairo, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Moscow, New York City, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Plus a foldout map with a dream itinerary for the ultimate around-the-world road trip. More a cabinet of curiosities than traditional guidebook, Atlas Obscura revels in the unexpected, the overlooked, the bizarre, and the mysterious. Here are natural wonders, like the dazzling glowworm caves in New Zealand, or a baobob tree in South Africa so large it has a pub inside where 15 people can sit and drink comfortably. Architectural marvels, including the M. C. Escher–like stepwells in India. Mind-boggling events, like the Baby-Jumping Festival in Spain—and no, it’s not the babies doing the jumping, but masked men dressed as devils who vault over rows of squirming infants.

Every page gets to the very core of why humans want to travel in the first place: to be delighted and disoriented, uprooted from the familiar and amazed by the new. With its compelling descriptions, hundreds of photographs, surprising charts, maps for every region of the world, and new city guides, it is a book you can open anywhere and be transported. But proceed with caution: It’s almost impossible not to turn to the next entry, and the next, and the next.

 
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Atlas Obscura
  2. Print length
    480 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Workman Publishing Company
  5. Publication date
    October 15, 2019
  6. Dimensions
    7.5 x 1.5 x 11 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1523506482
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1523506484
  9. See all details
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From the brand

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  2. brand text

    Atlas Obscura is a global community of explorers who have together created an extensive library of the world’s most wondrous places and foods—from a secret apartment atop the Eiffel Tower to bridges built out of living roots, from a fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding to a spicy chutney made out of red ants, from Bleeding Tooth fungi that ooze blood-colored goo to the world’s largest beaver dam—so big it can be seen from space.

  3. Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders
    Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide (Atlas Obscura)
    Atlas Obscura, 2nd Edition: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
    The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid

    Books for Adults and Children

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  4. Atlas Obscura Wild Life Reviews
  5. AO 2nd Edition Interior

    With compelling descriptions, hundreds of photographs, surprising charts, and maps for every region of the world.

  6. Gastro Obscura Forbes Review
  7. The Explorer's Library: Books That Inspire Wonder (Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura 2-Book Set)
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From the Publisher

Join the global community of explorers and feed your curiosity with Atlas Obscura
"A wanderlust-whetting cabinet of curiosities on paper." - New York Times

Explore curious and unusual destinations like...

Egypt's white desert, white sand resembling a mushroom cloud

Australia's big things; a giant boxing crocodile

Canada's Diefenbunker; an industrial tunnel

Poland's crooked forest; twisted trees on a forest floor

Egypt's White Desert

Australia's Big Things

Canada's Diefenbunker

Poland's Crooked Forest

Atlas Obscura Wild Life Atlas Obscura second edition Gastro Obscura The Explorer's Library Atlas Obscura Explorers Guide for Kids
Atlas Obscura: Wild Life Atlas Obscura, 2nd Edition: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide The Explorer's Library: Books That Inspire Wonder The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid
Customer Reviews
—
4.8 out of 5 stars
2,252
4.7 out of 5 stars
1,675
4.7 out of 5 stars
26
4.8 out of 5 stars
1,407
Price $40.00 $20.66 $17.97 $46.75 $9.98
Also Available from Atlas Obscura A nature book like no other---a dazzling, over-the-top collection of the world's most extraordinary wild species that takes you to all seven continents and beyond. It's more than a field guide–it's an adventure. This second edition takes readers to even more curious and unusual destinations, with more than 100 new places, dozens and dozens of new photographs, and two very special features. Created by the ever-curious minds behind Atlas Obscura, this breathtaking guide transforms our sense of what people around the world eat and drink. The Explorer’s Library combines the two New York Times bestselling guides from Atlas Obscura, packaged in a slipcase that evokes the timeless allure of travel. It is the perfect gift for the person who lets curiosity be their compass. Embark on the journey of a lifetime—and see how faraway places have more in common than you might expect! This book is your passport to a world of hidden wonders, illuminated by gorgeous art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the first edition of Atlas Obscura:An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders

“A wanderlust-whetting cabinet of curiosities on paper” —The New York Times

“This book is as curious and enthralling as the world it covers. Each page reveals some hidden realm—a realm that is frightening, or funny, or magical, or simply mad, but that always leaves the reader in wonder.”
—DAVID GRANN, author of Killers of the Flower Moon

“I thought I had seen most of the interesting bits of the world. Atlas Obscura showed me that I was wrong. It's the kind of book that makes you want to pack in your workaday life and head out to places you'd never have dreamed of going, to see things you could not even have imagined. A joy to read and to reread.”
—NEIL GAIMAN, author of Sandman and American Gods

“Atlas Obscura is a joyful antidote to the creeping suspicion that travel these days is little more than a homogenized corporate shopping opportunity. Here are hundreds of surprising, perplexing, mind-blowing, inspiring reasons to travel a day longer and farther off the path. . . . Bestest travel guide ever.”
—MARY ROACH, author of Stiff and Gulp

“My favorite travel guide! Never start a trip without knowing where a haunted hotel or a mouth of hell is!”
—GUILLERMO DEL TORO, filmmaker, Pan’s Labyrinth

“Fair warning: It's addictive.” —NPR, “Cosmos & Culture”

“In this gorgeous collection, the celebrated Atlas Obscura website is condensed into 480 pages of awe-inspiring destinations. For lovers of history and exploration, the striking color photographs will spark immediate wanderlust.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Odds are you won’t get past three pages without being amazed at something truly strange that you didn’t know existed.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Richly illustrated, delightfully strange, this compendium of off-beat destinations should spark many adventures, both terrestrial and imaginary.” —Boston Globe

“This book is PACKED with wonderful, amazing, fascinating places all around the world. This is the perfect gift for the person who thinks they’ve done it all and seen it all because this shows that there’s so much more in the world to explore. It’s a wonderful, wonderful coffee table book.” —NBC, “TODAY”

“A perfect tome for the armchair explorer and the actual traveler alike.” —Austin American Statesman

“Whether describing a Canadian museum that showcases world history through shoes, a pet-casket company that will also sell you a unit for your severed limb, a Greek snake festival, or a place in the Canary Islands where inhabitants communicate through whistling, the authors have compiled an enthralling range of oddities. Featuring full-color illustrations, this hefty and gorgeously produced tome will be eagerly pored over by readers of many ages and fans of the original website.”—Booklist (Starred Review)

“If this compendium of the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderful destinations on the planet doesn't fill you with insatiable wanderlust, then you need to check your pulse.” —mental_floss

“This is the fun way, a deep dive (sometimes literally) into places you’d never find otherwise, the weird and wild wonders of the world.” —WIRED

“The book is for people who prefer to live like locals when they travel, seek out new cultures on vacation, or just prefer the weirdness of history to traditional by-the-book experiences. Even if you can’t travel, Atlas Obscura is a window into places you’d otherwise never know existed.” —lifehacker

“A travel guide for the most adventurous of tourists . . . a wonderful browse [for] armchair travelers who enjoyed Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York and Frank Warren’s PostSecret.” —Library Journal

“The most addictive book of the year.” —Colin McEnroe, WNPR

Praise for the second edition of Atlas Obscura:An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders

“The Second Edition of Atlas Obscura is a hefty book but one that the world traveler in your life will love. There are hidden gems with over 100 more places added from the original. Travel through Budapest, Moscow, Tokyo, and more with the turn of the page and showcase all the curiosities this world holds.” — The Daily Beast

“Beholding hundreds of off-the-beaten-path gems, this book is a treasure chest of wanderlust where readers are transported to places they’re certain to have never encountered.” — Marie Claire

“The second edition of “Atlas Obscura” is a gift so enthralling that it may draw the recipient into a kind of extended trance. Crammed fore-to-aft with “the world’s hidden wonders,” this collaboration by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras and Ella Morton features mesmerizing photos, maps, drawings, info and addresses. On one page there’s a Thai monk standing in saffron serenity in a village temple built of brown and green beer bottles; on another a bust of Vladimir Lenin, erected in 1958 by Soviet scientists who made it to Antarctica’s “Southern Pole of Inaccessibility.” If you can get there (the authors have advice about that), you may find, depending on the weather, only the top of the tyrant’s head poking from the snow.”  — Wall Street Journal

"Satisfy your wanderlust and plan your next travel adventure with the help of this brilliantly illustrated guide." —Car and Driver Magazine

About the Author

Joshua Foer is the cofounder and chairman of Atlas Obscura. He is also the author of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, a bestseller published in 33 languages, and a forthcoming book about the world's last hunter-gatherers.

Ella Morton is a New Zealand-born, Australia-raised, Brooklyn-based writer, focusing on overlooked aspects of history and culture. After covering consumer technology at CNET she hosted Rocketboom NYC, a web show about New York’s quirkier people and places. Her most popular interview was a chat with Cookie Monster on the set of Sesame Street. Ella was associate editor at AtlasObscura.com, where she wrote about such topics as tobacco smoke enemas, Victorian streaming music services, and the etiquette of marrying a ghost.

Dylan Thuras is the cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura. He is also the coauthor of The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Workman Publishing Company; 2nd edition (October 15, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1523506482
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1523506484
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.17 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.5 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 2,252 ratings

About the author

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Joshua Foer

Joshua Foer

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Joshua Foer has written for National Geographic, Esquire, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
2,252 global ratings
Great for cats and curiosity
5 Stars
Great for cats and curiosity
This book is full of fun and awesome places to see, it needs an update though due to covid. Great read and my cat loves it as much as I do
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Top reviews from the United States

eugenia
5.0 out of 5 stars High quality present
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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Printed in Korea, paper is so pleasant to touch and therefore to read. Pictures are beautiful and text. It’s an amazing present for anyone
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Jeffrey Donatello
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZINGLY researched
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
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I read two pages per day early in the morning. Look forward the brilliant pics and cool ideas of where to explore next....places I would never have dreamed existed.
4 people found this helpful
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TedM
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
A must read! Dozens of places I never knew existed, and this book is a revealing guide to them. The world is a far stranger and more wonderful place than I ever realized! You will love reading the Atlas Obscura!
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars See the world with different glasses
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
Travelers like myself, always want to find the hidden gems in every country. This book is wonder filled with secret finds all over the globe. Atlas Obscura has collected so many delightful and very interesting places to visit. it is a great escape from the days work. It’s also a good reference to plan to see these on a trip there.
3 people found this helpful
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C Wm (Andy) Anderson
4.0 out of 5 stars If You Despise Use of the “F” Word, Skip Page 27
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
There is a lot in “Atlas Obscura” to get the reader’s attention.

For one, try the place in Europe dedicated to a dog’s waste.

Second, read about the Zabbaleen of Cairo. As a 15-year resident of Egypt, I can attest to this information. It is true.

Third, I always check books for language, since many readers want warnings regarding language. I admit, I was surprised to find a town in Europe named for fornication, using the more raw, uh, “eff-word.” Look to page 27, “...as residents of the town are called, have had to deal with hordes of visitors posing in front of their street signs.”

Naturally, this travel does mention the more common tourist sites, but only in passing.

BOTTOM LINE

Definitely recommend “Atlas Obscura,” but you will want other travel books, too.

Four stars out of five.
20 people found this helpful
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Sallie D. Baierlein
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration for travelers!
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
If you know someone who loves to explore the unusual, interesting and cool, this is a perfect gift. There’s also a book by the same folks for kids who are curious about the world.
4 people found this helpful
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David Plotz
5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect gift for a traveler
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2019
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This is a perfect gift for anyone who loves to travel. Like the original, best-selling Atlas Obscura book, this Second Edition is filled with incredible stories and stunning photos of some of the world's most remarkable places: the Boiling River, the Irish Sky Garden, the Harp Space gun, Skeleton Lake, New Zealand's glowworm caves....Every page is a marvel. The Second Edition has more than 100 new places, as well as a spectacular map and guides to the hidden wonders in a dozen cities. I work for Atlas Obscura, so I am biased, but I promise that the book is marvelous, literally filled with marvels.
28 people found this helpful
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Amanda Conrad
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2023
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I couldn't resist diving into as soon as I got it. Very interesting, informative, & abundant locations/facts.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ralph booth
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent obscure coffee table book
Reviewed in Canada on January 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great trivia source for the coffee table and at least one other location.
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Towhid
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent gift choice
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Excellent book. Great collection of photos and descriptions of obscure places. Always used the website, but seeing this in a book format is way more neat
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LFCV
1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Limited
Reviewed in Spain on January 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a book for tourists with a limited culture, not for travellers.
Not Great. If you have some insight and maturity, you will be better off on your own.
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M. P. BRUNO
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful.
Reviewed in France on November 6, 2021
Verified Purchase
Un livre esthétiquement superbe et un contenu fascinant. L'édition en anglais est largement mieux que l'édition fr.
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Davide
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastico
Reviewed in Italy on January 10, 2021
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Articolo stupendo e super consigliato per i veri amanti dei viaggi
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