Mark Monmonier's Mapping It Out

The originator is successful because he immediately adopts a clear and open style and get on to the subject, and because he maintains that style and approach through let on the watchword. At all(prenominal) step of his study he explains what he is going to do and how he is going to do it, and defines terms he uses all the way and in a way which refers the sound outer not altogether informed but interested:

'Map causeship', which is what this book is active, is more than a glib phrase. Maps used in scholarly books and articles should not further support and supplement the author;s words, but should in addition convey a definite message. A good expository map is an integral and unambiguous part of the author's narrative, adapted to the reader's expectations and precedent knowledge and designed to promote understanding, complement other illustrations, and hold on what has gone before (x).

The importance of the demystification process the author wants to advance is found in the fact that the sciences at which he aims his book are human-oriented. In other words, as he writes, he wrote the book "to convince humanists, social scientists, journalists, and others who write about people . . . that there are times when their writing inescapably maps, and to show them how to begin" (xii). Accordingly, the book is limited in its scope, and intentionally so. The author does not waste time and space rivet on the s

pecifics of the graphic software product needed for some map making, for example. He also notes that his book should be seen as a stepping-stone to more "complicated single-valued function needs" (xi-xiii). His work is effective in part because he has such limited and clearly defined goals, and because he is not sidetracked into peripheral areas.

Again, this cautionary point reminds us of two facts. First, although the author aims to demystify map making, he does not intend to actualise it simple and comprehensible for any reader. His audience is the world of scientists, a highly educated group which wants to find ways to increment the power, clarity and significance of its research and reporting of that research and its findings.

Second, flush the educated scientist reading this book impart need to read the book as it is chronologically written, or that reader will certainly find himself or herself lost in a forest of terms which simply do not make sense.

In other words, maps should not be viewed as something international which should only be slapped onto the work as a single out of scholarly "padding" to buttress the research proper.

it is astonishing that paying attention writers who have spent considerable time planning, sculpturing, and polishing their prose ofttimes have little appreciation that mapping, like writing, can be done lucidly and elegantly. Helping the conscientious scholar occasion and use visually efficient, aesthetically satisfactory maps is my goal in this book (4).

When the reader does read the book as it is written, he or she will dis bulk large that, indeed, the author has laid out in detail the process whereby maps can be coordinated into scientific research to bring about the desired results. He shows ways in which maps can be used which will heighten and clarify the findings, rather than confuse or entirely add bulk to the report. Not only does the author cover principles and concepts of map making, he deals with the smallest practical details involved in the process which will aid
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