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The Book of OSM
OpenStreetMap is the free and open wiki map of the world made by millions of volunteers whoíre just like you. Contributors use paper, pens, GPS devices, phones and laptops to capture the world around them (like a street name and location) and then upload it to OSM. The map data is then given away for free, all just like wikipedia.
This book contains 15 interviews conducted by OSM founder Steve Coast with the people who were there as the project began and grew. Starting in 2004, the interviews trace how a rag tag collection of volunteers was able to produce a map which compares in quality to maps produced by multi-billion dollar corporations.
Learn how such an ambitious project got started and then succeeded at mapping the world, for free!
This book contains 15 interviews conducted by OSM founder Steve Coast with the people who were there as the project began and grew. Starting in 2004, the interviews trace how a rag tag collection of volunteers was able to produce a map which compares in quality to maps produced by multi-billion dollar corporations.
Learn how such an ambitious project got started and then succeeded at mapping the world, for free!
288 pages, Paperback
Published November 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 10, 2025
Given there are few books about OpenStreetMap, this looked like an compelling read about its history. It contains transcripts of interviews with a dozen of contributors to OSM during the first 10 years, since the book was published in 2015. There are interesting stories there indeed, but it's very hard to read because the transcripts aren't edited at all: there are "uhm"s and "ahm"s and unfinished sentences. Unfortunately, spending the time on it wasn't worth it much.
December 13, 2015
Disclaimer: I'm listed as an editor due to backing this book on Kickstarter. Like the other editors I had no hand in the text or finished product.
A fantastic look into the history of OpenStreetMap, the crowd-sourced database of the spatial world.
This book contains 15 interviews with people that played their parts in the beginning.
For those of us that are OSM enthusiasts, some of the names are very familiar. I myself have argued with, agreed with and talked with some of the people interviewed here. As a late-comer (registered in 2009, very active since 2013) this book greatly enhanced the context of many of the things that still come up, and the roles of the currently active old-timers.
I enjoyed the read, it was very informative and for anyone who is interested in OpenStreetMap or similar crowd-sourcing projects it is a very good read.
The second edition could use some miniscule editing work.
A fantastic look into the history of OpenStreetMap, the crowd-sourced database of the spatial world.
This book contains 15 interviews with people that played their parts in the beginning.
For those of us that are OSM enthusiasts, some of the names are very familiar. I myself have argued with, agreed with and talked with some of the people interviewed here. As a late-comer (registered in 2009, very active since 2013) this book greatly enhanced the context of many of the things that still come up, and the roles of the currently active old-timers.
I enjoyed the read, it was very informative and for anyone who is interested in OpenStreetMap or similar crowd-sourcing projects it is a very good read.
The second edition could use some miniscule editing work.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews