How to Lie with Maps
Third Edition
An instant classic when first published in 1991, "How to Lie with Maps" revealed how the choices mapmakers make – consciously or unconsciously – mean that every map inevitably presents only one of many possible stories about the places it depicts. The principles Mark Monmonier outlined back then remain true today, despite significant technological changes in the making and use of maps. The introduction and spread of digital maps and mapping software, however, have added new wrinkles to the ever-evolving landscape of modern mapmaking.
?Fully updated for the digital age, this new edition of "How to Lie with Maps" examines the myriad ways that technology offers new opportunities for cartographic mischief, deception, and propaganda. While retaining the same brevity, range, and humor as its predecessors, this third edition includes significant updates throughout as well as new chapters on image maps, prohibitive cartography, and online maps. It also includes an expanded section of color images and an updated list of sources for further reading.
About the Author
Mark Monmonier is distinguished professor of geography at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has been editor of "The American Cartographer" and president of the American Cartographic Association, and has served on advisory panels for the National Research Council and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Reviews
"Professor Monmonier himself knows how to gain our attention; it is not in fact the lies in maps but their truth, if always approximate and incomplete, that he wants us to admire and use, even to draw for ourselves on the facile screen. His is an artful and funny book, which like any good map, packs plenty in little space" – Scientific American
"A useful guide to a subject most people probably take too much for granted. It shows how map makers translate abstract data into eye-catching cartograms, as they are called. It combats cartographic illiteracy. It fights cartophobia. It may even teach you to find your way. For that alone, it seems worthwhile" – Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times
"... witty examination of how and why maps lie. [The book] conveys an important message about how statistics of any kind can be manipulated. But it also communicates much of the challenge, aesthetic appeal, and sheer fun of maps. Even those who hated geography in grammar school might well find a new enthusiasm for the subject after reading Monmonier's lively and surprising book" – Wilson Library Bulletin
"A reading of this book will leave you much better defended against cheap atlases, shoddy journalism, unscrupulous advertisers, predatory special-interest groups, and others who may use or abuse maps at your expense" – John Van Pelt, Christian Science Monitor
"Monmonier meets his goal admirably... [His] book should be put on every map user's 'must read' list. It is informative and readable... a big step forward in helping us to understand how maps can mislead their readers" – Jeffrey S. Murray, Canadian Geographic
