Cartographers have known for decades that maps are far from objective representations of the world; rather, every map reflects the agendas and intentions of its creators. Yet that understanding has had almost no effect on the way maps are viewed and used by the general public. In The Natures of Maps, cartographers Denis Wood and John Fels present a compelling exploration of a wide range of maps to answer the question of, as they put it, why maps have “gotten away with it.” To answer that question, the authors turn to a category of maps with a particularly strong reputation for objectivity: maps of nature. From depictions of species habitats and bird migrations to portrayals of the wilds of the Grand Canyon and the reaches of the Milky Way, such maps are usually presumed—even by users who should know better—to be strictly scientific. Yet by drawing our attention to every aspect of these maps’ self-presentation, from place names to titles and legends, the authors reveal the way that each piece of information collaborates in a disguised effort to mount an argument about reality. Without our realizing it, those arguments can then come to define our very relationship to the natural world—determining whether we see ourselves as humble hikers or rampaging despoilers, participants or observers, consumers or stewards. Richly illustrated, and crafted in vivid and witty prose, The Natures of Maps will enlighten and entertain map aficionados, scholars, and armchair navigators alike. You’ll never be able to look at Google Maps quite the same way again.

The Natures of Maps: Cartographic Constructions of the Natural World

Science & Math

Wood, Denis

Fels, John

Earth Sciences

University of Chicago Press

If every map has a perspective, a point of view, whose interest do they serve? "The Power of Maps" re-examines the maps we have known all our lives to reconsider what and how they tell us about the places we know and the places we learn about. The pretence of objective, "scientific" map-making is demolished as the author explores how maps can change the way we see our world.

Power of Maps

Astronomy & Space Science

Routledge

This volume ventures into terrain where even the most sophisticated map fails to lead--through the mapmaker's bias. Denis Wood shows how maps are not impartial reference objects, but rather instruments of communication, persuasion, and power. Like paintings, they express a point of view. By connecting us to a reality that could not exist in the absence of maps--a world of property lines and voting rights, taxation districts and enterprise zones--they embody and project the interests of their creators. Sampling the scope of maps available today, illustrations include Peter Gould's AIDS map, Tom Van Sant's map of the earth, U.S. Geological Survey maps, and a child's drawing of the world. THE POWER OF MAPS was published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Design.

The Power of Maps

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Exercise & Fitness

The Guilford Press

Lauded for its accessibility and beautiful design, this text has given thousands of students and professionals the tools to create effective, compelling maps. Using a wealth of illustrations--with 74 in full color--to elucidate each concisely presented point, the revised and updated third edition continues to emphasize how design choices relate to the reasons for making a map and its intended purpose. All components of map making are covered: titles, labels, legends, visual hierarchy, font selection, how to turn phenomena into visual data, data organization, symbolization, and more. Innovative pedagogical features include a short graphic novella, good design/poor design map examples, end-of-chapter suggestions for further reading, and an annotated map examplar that runs throughout the book. New to This Edition *Expanded coverage of using mobile digital devices to collect data for maps, including discussions of location services and locational privacy. *New and revised topics: how to do sketch maps, how map categories and symbols have changed over time, designing maps on desktop computers and mobile devices, human perception and color, and more. *Separate, expanded chapter on map symbol abstraction. *Additional case studies of compelling phenomena such as children's traffic fatalities based on race, the spread of tropical diseases, and the 2012 presidential election. *Many additional color illustrations.

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS

Politics & Social Sciences

Krygier, John

Social Sciences

Maps play an indispensable role in indigenous peoples’ efforts to secure land rights in the Americas and beyond. Yet indigenous peoples did not invent participatory mapping techniques on their own; they appropriated them from techniques developed for colonial rule and counterinsurgency campaigns, and refined by anthropologists and geographers. Through a series of historical and contemporary examples from Nicaragua, Canada, and Mexico, this book explores the tension between military applications of participatory mapping and its use for political mobilization and advocacy. The authors analyze the emergence of indigenous territories as spaces defined by a collective way of life--and as a particular kind of battleground.

Weaponizing Maps: Indigenous Peoples and Counterinsurgency in the Americas

History

Bryan, Joe

Americas

Demonstrating how the story of our past can help us better understand the present, geographer Denis Wood tells the story of our entire past, from the Big Bang to the World Wide Web. Five Billion Years of Global Change takes readers through the formation of the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, continents, and mountains; the origin of life; the evolution of the human species; the spread of agricultural production; and the growth of international trade. In a uniquely evocative and philosophical style, Wood shows how a greater knowledge of the interconnectedness of our world could potentially change the way we approach contemporary problems. This eye-opening book will be enjoyed by all readers interested in the history of our planet and concerned about its future.

Five Billion Years of Global Change: A History of the Land

A concise, down-to-earth guide to creating maps using GIS, this book is visually engaging, clear, and compelling--exactly how an effective map should be. Featuring over 300 maps and other figures, including instructive examples of both good and poor design choices, the book covers everything from locating and processing data to making decisions about layout, map symbols, color, and type. For students, professionals, and others who want to make better maps, this is an essential, uniquely helpful resource. The author's website (http://makingmaps.owu.edu) offers excerpts from each chapter, links to related sites, and a regularly updated blog on the topic of making maps.

Archaeology

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wood, Denis. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wood, Denis

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wood, Denis. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Natures of Maps: Cartographic Constructions of the Natural World

The Natures of Maps: Cartographic Constructions of the Natural World

Power of Maps

The Power of Maps

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS

Weaponizing Maps: Indigenous Peoples and Counterinsurgency in the Americas

Weaponizing Maps: Indigenous Peoples and Counterinsurgency in the Americas

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS

Five Billion Years of Global Change: A History of the Land

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS