What do you think?
Rate this book
Mapping in the Cloud
This engaging text provides a solid introduction to mapmaking in the era of cloud computing. It takes students through both the concepts and technology of modern cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and Web-based mapping. Conceptual chapters delve into the meaning of maps and how they are developed, covering such topics as map layers, GIS tools, mobile mapping, and map animation. Methods chapters take a learn-by-doing approach to help students master application programming interfaces and build other technical skills for creating maps and making them available on the Internet. The companion website offers invaluable supplementary materials for instructors and students.
Pedagogical Features
*End-of-chapter summaries, review questions, and exercises.
*Extensive graphics illustrating the concepts and procedures.
*Downloadable PowerPoints for each chapter.
*Downloadable code files (where applicable) for the exercises.
Pedagogical Features
*End-of-chapter summaries, review questions, and exercises.
*Extensive graphics illustrating the concepts and procedures.
*Downloadable PowerPoints for each chapter.
*Downloadable code files (where applicable) for the exercises.
421 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 5, 2017
Online maps are something that most of us take for granted now, but it has been a truly remarkable development. The combination of the Internet with pannable, zoomable maps and GPS-enabled location services have revolutionized how we conceive of the world around us. Mobile apps that mashup map data with other salient information (gas prices, restaurant locations, health data, etc) have become the norm.
I enjoyed the first seven of twenty-three chapters of this textbook, especially the parts that described the transformations brought about from online maps and the obstacles that map makers and digital content providers faced in the 1990s and 2000s.
The textbook provides useful insights into the fundamental challenges of mapping (such as distortion inherent in all maps). More to the point, the book addresses problems unique to digital mapping including the flaws of computer-created maps (for example, computers don't know where to put labels for cities without blocking key geographical features), how to display map content online efficiently given the file sizes and amount of data involved, privacy concerns with street-view maps and imagery, and how Google maps managed to surpass Mapquest and earlier alternatives by coming up with better algorithms to deliver map content on demand.
The middle and ending chapters are more technical including some instructions for programmers. That may be useful to practitioners, but it also seems like the information could become dated soon.
There is a chapter or two on geographic information systems (GIS), but I had expected more on that subject. GIS services are becoming deeply ingrained in all levels of government, and the demand from the general public is increasing.
Overall I think this would be a useful textbook for a class studying geography, cartography, GIS, or web/mobile app development. It may also be a useful primer for people who recently obtained a job in one of those fields. If you have an oversight role or influence on the procurement of mapping services, or you’re a frequent user/consumer of maps but not a creator of them, this book is less useful.
I enjoyed the first seven of twenty-three chapters of this textbook, especially the parts that described the transformations brought about from online maps and the obstacles that map makers and digital content providers faced in the 1990s and 2000s.
The textbook provides useful insights into the fundamental challenges of mapping (such as distortion inherent in all maps). More to the point, the book addresses problems unique to digital mapping including the flaws of computer-created maps (for example, computers don't know where to put labels for cities without blocking key geographical features), how to display map content online efficiently given the file sizes and amount of data involved, privacy concerns with street-view maps and imagery, and how Google maps managed to surpass Mapquest and earlier alternatives by coming up with better algorithms to deliver map content on demand.
The middle and ending chapters are more technical including some instructions for programmers. That may be useful to practitioners, but it also seems like the information could become dated soon.
There is a chapter or two on geographic information systems (GIS), but I had expected more on that subject. GIS services are becoming deeply ingrained in all levels of government, and the demand from the general public is increasing.
Overall I think this would be a useful textbook for a class studying geography, cartography, GIS, or web/mobile app development. It may also be a useful primer for people who recently obtained a job in one of those fields. If you have an oversight role or influence on the procurement of mapping services, or you’re a frequent user/consumer of maps but not a creator of them, this book is less useful.
Displaying 1 of 1 review