Amazon.com: Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS (9781593852009): John Krygier PhD, Denis Wood PhD: Books

Review

"This detailed guide to elementary mapping in the age of digital information, Internet resources, and geographic information systems is simple, clear, and comprehensive. The book's lucid style and dramatic, apposite, and often funny illustrations make it a novel and effective resource in a culture where the map is a ubiquitous presence. More than an instruction manual on making maps, it is also a guide to their critical reading and interpretation. Making Maps will be invaluable for users as well as creators of maps at the university level and beyond."--Denis Cosgrove, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles

"Although it looks deceptively simple--like the textbook equivalent of a graphic novel--Making Maps condenses all the essential principles of map making and the geographic concepts behind them into a remarkably accessible, witty, engaging book. The text is crystal clear and irreverent, the hundreds of illustrations inspiring and memorable. Only Krygier and Wood, two of the most creative geographers on the planet, could come up with this breakthrough visualization of the art and science of making good maps. Novice and even experienced cartographers will find it an indispensable guide."--Anne Knowles, Department of Geography, Middlebury College

"A unique and timely book that provides much-needed guidance to GIS users making thematic maps. One strength of the book is that principles of map design are often best shown by visual example, and another is that the examples are not tied to any one GIS software package. Cartographically sound and very approachable, this book will help readers ensure that the maps they make are clear, legible and easy to understand."--Barbara P. Buttenfield, Department of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder

"What makes the book unique is that on each page illustrations highlight the idea under discussion, the text merely works in a supportive, explanatory role....A book that is heavy on example and short on theory, Making Maps is a worthwhile investment for any who are looking to produce better maps without having to take a Cartography 101 course."--Cartography (Paul Heersink, Jan. 7, 2006)

"Should be examined by anyone charged with communicating issues and ideas through geography. Authored by two respected cartographers, this volume provides comprehensive and thorough instruction on virtually every aspect of map design. It is a great book for students who are just starting to create maps and for practitioners needing a refresher on the fundamentals of map design....The book's major strength is the enormous amount of practical how-to information that is packed into each section....A distinctive characteristic of the book is its slightly irreverent or whimsical bent...This volume is a valuable nuts-and-bolts introduction to map making that can help both students and practitioners create effective and insightful cartography."--Journal of Planning Literature

"I find this book's approach to key geospatial concepts to be extremely effective, user-friendly, and just plain helpful....Delivers useful map making insights, quickly, simply, and appropriately."--Journal of the American Planning Association

"It's a comprehensive manual that explains how you can obtain data, organise and transform it, and query its accuracy. It shows how to make decisions about map layout, generalisation, symbolisation, color, and type. There's an authentic feel for real-world practice in the way the authors illustrate how database files, graphic design tools, image processing software, animation and web scripting software are typically combined to make a cartographic vision work. It's a highly illustrated book with each page having as much space devoted to maps and other figures as text....This makes the information succinct and immediately accessible, whether you're reading from cover to cover or using the book as a reference work....There are some brilliant literary map quotations that accompany each chapter and some intriguing un-annotated maps to consider. This book adds to the growing list of Guilford Press 'cartographic classics.'"--International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education

"This book is a compact, readable volume....It would be of interest to those teaching introductory cartography or GIS courses where map design issues are introduced....This volume would be useful as both a guide for instructors and as a textbook for the students....For people working in GIS settings, it would serve as an indispensable office reference to consult on a daily basis for assistance with mapping dilemmas....Making Maps is a visual adventure, with numerous maps and diagrams taking the place of the text....The illustrations are the focal point of each chapter, with the text relegated to a supporting role. By replacing pages of text with clear, concise visual examples, the authors manage to provide a wealth of material on the map making process in an economy of pages."--Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing

Product Description

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.

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Product Details

Paperback: 303 pages
Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (August 17, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593852002
ISBN-13: 978-1593852009
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#13 in Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Cartography
#17 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Remote Sensing
#54 in Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Geography > Regional

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More About the Author

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
This Native map, drawn on birch bark (which accounts for its shape), shows the migration legend of the Ojibwe, from the creation of their people (on the right) to their home in the upper Midwest (on the left). Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mappable data, graduated symbol map, internet mapping sites, color specification systems, visual variables, final medium, map layout, choropleth map, map generalization, visual hierarchy, intellectual hierarchy, dot value, denis wood, mapping totals, visual hierarchies, geographic framework, map pieces, type placement, map design, map projection, raster data, map reader

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Charles Fort, United States, Delaware County, Fort Charles, Geographic Information Systems, Thematic Map Design, University of Chicago Press, Asian Population, Big Tiger, Dane County, Geologic Survey, Graphics Press, Mark Monmonier, Times Roman, Bush Win, Edward Tufte, Buena Vista, Captain Black, Middle Earth, Miss Dove, Ohio State University, Township Elections Reed County, Borden Dent's Cartography, Cartographic Perspectives, Contour Interval

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 67 books:

Cartography: Thematic Map Design by Borden D. Dent on 6 pages
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition by Edward R. Tufte on page 119, page 139, and page 155
Big Tiger and Christian: Their Adventures in Mongolia by Fritz Muhlenweg on page 154, page 188, and page 248
How to Lie with Maps (2nd Edition) by Mark Monmonier on page 19, page 189, and page 257
My Own Country: A Doctor's Story by Abraham Verghese on page 19, and page 227

See all 67 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Elements of Graphic Design by Alexander W. White

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	61% buy the item featured on this page: Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS 3.9 out of 5 stars (9) $30.61
	12% buy Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users 3.8 out of 5 stars (10) $27.26
	11% buy How to Lie with Maps (2nd Edition) 4.0 out of 5 stars (11) $11.56
	10% buy Designed Maps: A Sourcebook for GIS Users 4.3 out of 5 stars (3) $26.37

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a real gem, May 18, 2006

By	charder@esri.com (SoCal, USA) - See all my reviews

This book should be required reading for anyone who is allowed to make maps with a GIS. It's actually a pretty quick read (3-4 hours for me) thanks to its concise and tightly organized text set in context of some very clean and simple graphics. There is even a healthy dash of humor (so welcome in technical writing), genuinely funny but always in service of the text.

Read this book to avoid the classic mistakes that all neophyte mapmakers commit.

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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Format makes this book a disappointment, December 13, 2007

By	Roger A. Andre - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I was honestly disappointed with this book, so much so, that I returned it to the seller. Although the subject matter it contains is quite good, the layout and presentation leave a great deal to be desired, especially for a book that is focused on cartography and which costs over $40.

My 2 greatest irritations with it were the following: 1) There is virtually no color in the book, with the exception of a few color plates in the middle. 2) Although the book's dimensions are roughly 9" x 7", the material contained inside appears to have been formatted for a small paperback. On average, it appears each page contains more than 50% whitespace. It feels like you are looking at a reduced slide show presentation that was converted into a grayscale printout.

My advice to prospective buyers of this book is to buy a copy of Monmonier's classic, "How to Lie with Maps", and Cynthia Brewer's excellent, "Designing Better Maps - A Guide for GIS Users" instead. The cost will be about the same - for 2 books.

To the authors of this book I say, "Nice try, but c'mon, you can do better than this. You're cartographers for Pete's sake!"

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, April 4, 2007

By	Alan Silverman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm newly employed with GIS. I use ArcMap to make maps of properties for a real estate developer. This book was nice in many ways. It is very informative regarding styles, helping me create professional looking maps at my job. It was detailed enough to be informative, but was not overloaded by any means. The book was a quick read. It did not bog me down in boring details. It was well written, well organized, and well designed. I like the book and recommend it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars good product
this is a good product. it has nice color maps and very visual. lots of good ideas and techniques.

Published 4 months ago by Benjamin E. Massey

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful
Very Helpful book.
As a GIS student at the university of Washington, this book was recommended by our professor to help design our maps. Read more

Published 8 months ago by G. Lund

2.0 out of 5 stars Very limited in scope
This is not a bad book, but the title and description bear almost no relation to its content. The audience of the book seems to be people who have occasional use for maps, but... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Adam Baker

3.0 out of 5 stars Not very comprehensive
This was not quite the book I was looking for. It doesn't cover the topics very comprehensively. I was hoping for a book which talked more specifically about map design(i. Read more

Published on August 4, 2007 by Espen Isaksen

4.0 out of 5 stars Why make maps
What makes this book exception is not its clear design and simple text. It's a book about making maps, after all. One would hope the design was adequate. Read more

Published on January 15, 2006 by T. Koch

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and Effective
While I do a lot of GIS work and never took a cartography course when I started my career in geography research work. Read more

Published on December 27, 2005 by Carlos Silva

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