Andrew Middleton was living in Oakland, California, and had just landed a new job when he heard the owner of a Rhode Island map store wanted to “give the shop away.” Though he had family in southern New England, Middleton had no intention of moving cross-country — that is, until Andy Nosal, who’d owned the Map Center since 1981 and was looking to retire, responded to his email. “I realized if I have two really good options, I should do the one that’s a better story,” he says. A year later, Middleton is the proud owner of the Pawtucket map store, where the art of cartography remains strong, and maps reveal as much about their makers as the people who buy them. “Maps have power. And it’s a power that we need to learn how to wield correctly,” he cautions. A lifelong map aficionado who previously worked as a geographic information systems consultant, Middleton prefers contemporary maps to their antique counterparts. His shelves are stocked with designs showing everything from public transit to the ocean floor — depictions, he hopes, that will encourage empathy and inspire adventure in his customers. “You can buy a Coca-Cola anywhere on Earth now, but I think you can still have an adventure going across town,” he says. “I want to encourage people to see the world a little differently.” 545 Pawtucket Ave., MS208, Pawtucket, 401-421-2184, mapcenter.com.