Little Blue Dot: How GPS Shaped the Modern World

by Katherine Dunn

The unknown history of the GPS, created as a military technology for accurate bombing during wartime, now turned daily necessity that impacts all matters economic, social, and cultural.

Gone are the days when we pulled off to the side of the road, twisted a map this way and that and squinted in exasperation before saying, “We're lost.” Now, a network of satellites circling the earth points us in the right direction. The Global Positioning System is now not only embedded in our phones but in our cultural histories and futures. GPS, intangible but ubiquitous, has instigated a radical shift in our relationship to our own intuition and place in the world, making us critically dependent on technology we forget is even there.

Little Blue Dot uncovers the GPS's origins in the air battles of World War II, following along as its military uses expanded and shapeshifted to become part of the fabric of modern life. With pulsating detail, investigative reporter Katherine Dunn takes the reader on a fascinating journey from the clunky origins of the technology to its modern day iteration, considering its role in international politics, climate, and artificial intelligence-and its vulnerabilities to manipulation. Sharp and evocative, Little Blue Dot considers the future of GPS, its impact on our understanding of space and time, and the role of technology in our lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Technology, Science

384 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Ricky Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this “history” book. I loved the way it tied WW2 with the development of satellite technology. Having survey experience did tweak my interest in the book initially, but the book went far beyond my expectations in explaining the how, and why, of the system coming together. Then went on to make me aware of the dark side of the system. I highly recommend anyone with any ties to gps (which pretty well means everyone) to pick up this book.

Full disclosure, this was a pre-publication give away I won in exchange for a honest review.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. It made me aware of how rapidly the world has changed. I distinctly remember on my 'babymoon' with my husband in 2009, going to the hotel lobby to use a computer to print out Google directions to somewhere we wanted to go in Seattle.

And the baby from that babymoon is only 16 now, and I can't even remember the last time I used a map NOT on my phone.

Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.