In "The Fourth Part of the World," Toby Lester presents a mesmerizing journey through the annals of history, embarking on a quest that centers around the groundbreaking Waldseemüller world map of 1507 – the very document that christened the continents of the New World "America." Lester weaves a narrative that is as vast as the oceans the explorers traversed, tracing the evolution of humanity's understanding of the world from an amalgamation of myth and speculation to a more precise geographical comprehension. Through the ambitious endeavors of Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringmann, Lester reveals how a new continent emerged from the mists of the unknown, reshaping the global landscape and challenging centuries-old perceptions. This tale is not merely about the drawing of continents and the naming of lands; it is a story of the insatiable human thirst for knowledge and the relentless pursuit of discovery. Lester delves into the lives of legendary figures such as Marco Polo, Amerigo Vespucci, and Christopher Columbus, whose voyages across unknown waters laid the groundwork for the creation of the map. He captures the intellectual fervor of the Renaissance, where scholars, explorers, and cartographers converged in a shared quest to understand the world's mysteries. "The Fourth Part of the World" stands as a testament to the power of maps to transform our understanding of the world - a riveting exploration of how a single sheet of paper altered the course of history and expanded the horizons of humanity forever.