Maps are Territories: Science is an Atlas (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In these two passages Michael Polanyi and Thomas S. Kuhn equate theories with maps, and they take it for granted that the metaphor is self-explanatory..." (more)
Key Phrases: aboriginal maps, fire dreaming, dreaming tracks, Hawk Puma, Ordnance Survey, Land Rover (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The map is not the territory" is a cartographic truism. It means that unless the map is drawn on a mile-to-mile scale and has the same physical characteristics as the territory itself, it cannot be perfectly accurate. But as David Turnbull demonstrates, the map is a metaphor not only for the territory it represents but for the culture that created it. As such, it takes on the meaning of the territory and its importance in that culture.

In this ingenious book, Turnbull challenges common assumptions about the nature of cartography. In each of ten "exhibits" he addresses a seemingly basic concept--that a map is be factually accurate, for example, or that its symbols refer to concrete elements of the landscape--and then illustrates its complexities with maps from Western, Asian, and native cultures, from prehistoric to modern times, accompanied by quotations and historical background. The "exhibits" show how different cultures express their relation to the land, and how those differences ultimately define not only territory but also domination--religious, ideological, cultural, and political.

An ideal introduction to the concepts of cartography, this book teaches not only how to read maps, but how to read them between the lines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (March 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226817059
• ISBN-13: 978-0226817057
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #689,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars all over the map, December 2, 2001

By	simpcity - See all my reviews

This book is all over the map, but what exactly does that mean?

Turnbull begins with a quote, "...all theory may be regarded as a kind of map extended over space and time." (Michael Polanyi) How tempting to describe difficult concepts as "like a map." By page two we're dealing with Borges, and a page later Lewis Carroll. Maps are more complex than we ever imagined.

The discussion of Aboriginal-Australian Maps (Exhibit 5) takes us deeper still, as we learn that their dream time and painting contain elements of geographical knowledge which these people equate with magic.

Originally published in 1989, it remains way ahead of its time. Multicultural, lacking any cant, beautifully illustrated, intellectually exciting