The Map Reader published

The second of my books published this month turned up on Thursday. The Map Reader published by Wiley-Blackwell and edited by myself, Martin Dodge and Chris Perkins. At 478 pages in a large format, with double column format, it looks and feels like a substantial read. And the production values are excellent, with it nicely typeset and generous reproduction of maps and use of colour plates as section breaks.

The book itself is a reader drawing together 55 key academic papers and chapters concerning the theory and practice of cartography written over the past 60 years. The chapters are organized into five sections: Conceptualising Mapping; Technologies of Mapping; Cartographic Aesthetics and Map Design; Cognition and Cultures of Mapping; and Power and Politics in Mapping. For each section we have provided an introductory essay and for each chapter a short abstract, along with further reader and suggested cross-links.

Given space constraints, all the chapters included had to be edited down to be under 5,000 words in length. Most were 8-12,000 words long. The rule was that we could only edit out text, but not add anything, and yet we had to retain argument and narrative flow. An interesting exercise and I think we did a pretty good job.

Unfortunately its quite a pricey buy at £80 (Amazon.co.uk) and $130 (Amazon.com). Hopefully it will be published in paperback at some point in the future.

Dodge, M., Kitchin, R. and Perkins, C. (2011) The Map Reader: Theories of Mapping Practice and Cartographic Representation. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.