Radical Cartography

This is it: the full download from a true genius of cartography. Radical Cartography will make you see maps and, indeed, your place on the planet, with fresh eyesDaniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire

A fearless, fascinating examination of how maps shape our worldview. This revolutionary text strips away the myth of cartographic neutrality, revealing the power structures embedded in every contour line and choice of color. By turns charming and fierce, Radical Cartography is essential reading for anyone who’s ever taken a map at face valueGareth Cook, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former series editor of Best American Infographics

A significant addition to the literature on cartography, William Rankin’s Radical Cartography uses seven parameters—boundaries, people, layers, projections, color, scale, and time—to systematically demonstrate that the graphics of maps are their argument. Readable and engaging, Rankin’s work expands the possibilities of cartographic representationJohanna Drucker, author of Inventing the Alphabet

In Radical Cartography, Bill Rankin interrogates the very concept of a map, while also showing us how its various elements—such as projection, color, scale, and layers—shape our understanding of reality. Through his attention to both the big picture and consequential details, we see mapmaking in all its complexity: messy, necessary, and full of promiseSusan Schulten, author of A History of America in 100 Maps