GPS

The MIT Press Essential Knowledge

by Paul E. Ceruzzi

A concise history of GPS, from its military origins to its commercial applications and ubiquity in everyday life.

GPS is ubiquitous in everyday life. GPS mapping is standard equipment in many new cars and geolocation services are embedded in smart phones. GPS makes Uber and Lyft possible; driverless cars won't be able to drive without it. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Paul Ceruzzi offers a concise history of GPS, explaining how a once-obscure space technology became an invisible piece of our infrastructure, as essential to modern life as electric power or clean water.

GPS relays precise time and positioning information from orbiting satellites to receivers on the ground, at sea, and in the air. It operates worldwide, and its basic signals are free, although private companies can commodify the data provided. Ceruzzi recounts the origins of GPS and its predecessor technologies, including early aircraft navigation systems and satellites. He describes the invention of GPS as a space technology in the post-Apollo, pre-Space Shuttle years and its first military and commercial uses. Ceruzzi explains how the convergence of three major technological developments—the microprocessor, the Internet, and cellular telephony—enabled the development and application of GPS technology. Recognizing the importance of satellite positioning systems in a shifting geopolitical landscape—and perhaps doubting U.S. assurances of perpetual GPS availability—other countries are now building or have already developed their own systems, and Ceruzzi reports on these efforts in the European Union, Russia, India, China, and Japan.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction, Science

232 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2018

About the author

Paul E. Ceruzzi is Curator at the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of Computing: A Concise History, A History of Modern Computing, and Internet Alley: High Technology in Tysons Corner, 1945–2005, all published by the MIT Press, and other books.

Reviews

[Iver Band · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good History of GPS and Related Technologies

I started this book looking to learn more about GPS worked, particularly with smartphones. I got more history and less technology than I was looking for, but the book was still well worth reading. It clearly explains GPS development in the context of the development of the microprocessor, the Internet, satellites, cellular communications and the smartphone. The book also places the development of GPS and other satellite positioning systems such as the Russian Glonass in the context of historical events such as the downing of Korean Airlines Flight 007 and the first and second Gulf Wars.

All in all, a good quick read and a solid foundation for more technical reading.

[David Schwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a book about the GPS system, this book gives a history of navigation systems. The book deals with the Korean airliner shut down by Russia, and discusses initial navigation versus land based systems. Covered is the history of all the players involved in bringing the first GPS system into existence, with some surprising almost holdouts. GPS is invasive in much of the internet, and I suspect the recent decision to stop updating the internet with leap seconds stems from the availability of GPS.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never given much thought about GPS before reading this book. All I knew about GPS was that it gave you your location. I was surprised to learn that other countries also have there own GPS systems. I thought the U.S gps was the only game in town.
It was exciting to learn about the systems that were used to give your location before GPS. Though I can't recall their names right now as I am wring this review.

[Peter Aronson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat dry history of GPS and the navigation systems that came before it. It does describe roughly how GPS works, but without any details. The author is an historian of science and computing, and writes as a historian -- ie, there are footnotes, but they are to (mostly secondary) sources, and not expansions on, or explanations of the text.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a history of the development of GPS than anything else. Still found it semi-interesting. It touches on more technical topics through its discussion of context and also explains growth of GPS adoption within the commercial market - 3.5/5 overall

[Alexander Van Leadam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable and informative overview but frequently irritatingly fuzzy and inconsistent about critical details, both technical (which may be excusable) and historical (e.g. sometimes it seems like name dropping and sometimes it's just some anonymous researcher or committee).

[Duy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook tóm tắt lịch sử phát triển của GPS. Khá hay.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice high-level overview of the technology, its advantages over legacy systems, issues, and opportunities, which it brought to the world. Though, it will be enough to read the Wikipedia article about GPS, to get acquainted with these questions.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.