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“The book is well written, utilizing language that can be easily understood by those with little or no experience in the art and science of cartography....Allows readers to quickly grasp the basic concepts of map making and would serve as an excellent resource to anyone interested in map design or as a supplement to texts that utilize a more theoretical approach.”

—Photogrammetric Engineering and Remoting Sensing (on the second edition)


“The book looks great, and Krygier and Wood simplify the ideas in a practical and useful manner. I am using it as a key text for a year 2 map design course.”

—Environment and Planning B (on the second edition)


“A worthwhile investment for any who are looking to produce better maps without having to take a Cartography 101 course.”

—Cartography (on the first edition)


“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 (on the first edition)


“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 (on the first edition)


“A comprehensive manual that explains how you can obtain data, organize and transform it, and query its accuracy....This book adds to the growing list of Guilford Press 'cartographic classics.'”

—International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education (on the first edition)


“Making Maps explains the power of cartographic design through a visually engaging style that encourages critical thinking and reflection. It provides a source of inspiration, motivation, and practical knowledge, empowering map makers with the essential guidance they need to make maps, as well as key examples that demonstrate when conventions should be set aside. Because the authors do not hew to any specific software or technology, the book has broad, lasting utility for map makers at all levels.”

—Anthony C. Robinson, PhD, Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University


“The advantage of this text is that the variety of examples and mapped data allow you to engage students in conversations about different cultural or philosophical approaches to mapping. It is an excellent introductory resource for students who are new to mapping. The book covers all the essential topics, with excellent visual examples, consideration of different map audiences and map purposes, and an emphasis on map design that makes it relevant no matter what mapping software you use.”

—Melinda Shimizu, PhD, Department of Geography, State University of New York at Cortland


“Making Maps is a gorgeous introduction to cartographic design and geovisual storytelling. Its quality means that I have a difficult time deciding which class gets the pleasure to read it. Making Maps is compelling for a cartography class, but also outside of a class for anyone who wants to learn how best to make and understand maps.”

—Nathan Burtch, PhD, Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University


“This book is very useful for helping students understand the driving questions behind communicating geographic information, such as 'Who is my audience?' and 'What is my message?' It also addresses questions about how to design and style maps—for example, 'Which projection should I use?' Students find the playful tone and interesting examples to be quite engaging—I have not heard a single complaint about the text.”

—Blake Walker, PhD, Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg, Germany


“Krygier and Wood’s text encourages critical thinking rather than absorbing information—and that made it by far the best choice for my cartographic design course. The mix of visual approaches, including the graphic novella, appeals to a broad mix of students.”

—Barbara Trapido-Lurie, MA, Research Professional Emerita, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University

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Table of Contents

1. How to Make a Map

2. What’s Your Map For?

3. Mappable Data

4. Map Making Tools

5. Geographic Framework

6. The Big Picture of Map Design

7. The Inner Workings of Map Design

8. Color on Maps

9. Words on Maps

10. Map Generalization and Classification

11. Map Symbolization

12. Map Symbol Abstraction

A Note to the Users of Making Maps

Acknowledgments / About the Authors

Index

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About the Authors

John Krygier, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability at Ohio Wesleyan University, with teaching and research specializations in cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and environmental and human geography. He has made lots of maps and published on map design, educational technology, cultural geography, multimedia in cartography, planning, the history of cartography, and participatory GIS.

• Author's website
• All titles by John Krygier

Denis Wood, PhD, is an independent scholar living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He curated the award-winning Power of Maps exhibition for the Smithsonian and writes widely about maps. He is a former professor of design at North Carolina State University.

• Author's website
• All titles by Denis Wood

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Audience

Students and instructors in geography; professionals who use GIS in their work.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on cartography, map making, and GIS.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Third Edition, © 2016
ISBN: 9781462509980

Second Edition, © 2011
ISBN: 9781609181666

First Edition, © 2005
ISBN: 9781593852009

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New to this edition:

• New or expanded topics: graduated symbol maps, multivariate choropleth maps, visual storytelling, maps and gerrymandering, artificial intelligence, workflow, and more.
• Integration of practical ideas from Indigenous and feminist perspectives.
• Color and type are shifted earlier in the book, and the chapters on map symbolization and abstraction now conclude the book, with many compelling new maps.