THE STATE OF THE U.S.A ATLAS: The...

THE STATE OF THE U.S.A ATLAS: The Changing Face of American Life in Maps and Graphics by Doug Henwood (Touchstone: $17; 127 pp., paperback original, illustrated) and ALL OVER THE MAP: An Extraordinary Atlas of the United States by David Jouris (Ten Speed Press: $9.95; 96 pp., illustrated, paperback original). Doug Henwood uses graphs, tables and maps to trace the shifting demographics of the United States. Although some of the diagrams are difficult to decipher, “State of the U.S.A.” offers a great deal of information on a variety of topics including the changing ethnic make-up of various states, health care costs, gay rights, divorce rates and the percentage of working women. Jouris has compiled a gazetteer of quirky place names, from Why, Ariz. to Why Not, Mo. There are towns named for animals (Gazelle, Calif.; Lamb, Iowa; Rabbit Town, Alaska) and edibles (Lemons, Mo.; Toast, N.C.; Fried, N.D.). Even more fun is the “Confusing Map” that includes Honolulu, S.C.; Reno, Minn., and Beverly Hills--not 90210, but Michigan.