Product Description

Explores the new cartographic and visualization techniques being employed in the mapping of cyberspace, concentrating on the areas of; Internet infrastructure and traffic flows, the World Wide Web, Online conversation and community, and Imaging cyberspace in art, literature and film.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1314462 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Amazon.com Review
We don't normally consider maps contentious, but the Atlas of Cyberspace makes us think otherwise. Information cartographers Martin Dodge and Rob Kitchin show off a wide range of possibilities in representing the vast realms of data existing on and supporting the Internet. Since so many of these models were created to display never-before-charted territories, the book is largely devoted to analyzing their accuracy, ease of development and use, potential for abuse, and other qualities.

Chapters cover infrastructural elements, the Web, communities, and creative renderings of cyberspace, and contain both compelling images and thought-provoking texts. Though it ends up feeling more like a catalog of visual display methods than a reference book detailing virtual geography, its examples still inform and startle the viewer with unexpected transformations of data into understanding, and, occasionally, art. --Rob Lightner

Review
"The Atlas of Cyberspace explores a remarkable universe of visual representations of the Internet's diversity, structure and content." --Vint Cerf, Chairman, ICANN

From the Back Cover

What does cyberspace look like?

For thousands of years, people have created maps of the world around them -- cave paintings, drawings in the sand, pencil sketches, lavish manuscripts, 3D models and, more recently, satellite images and computer-generated simulations. Now, a new generation of cartographers is focusing on a different realm: cyberspace. Here for the first time is an examination and selection of their maps, gathered together into one comprehensive source: the Atlas of Cyberspace. Written in accessible style and illustrated with over 300 full colour images, the Atlas of Cyberspace catalogues thirty year's worth of maps to reveal the rich and varied landscapes of cyberspace -- a world occupied by half a billion users.

The Atlas explores the new cartographic and visualization techniques being employed in the mapping of cyberspace, concentrating on the following main areas:

• Internet infrastructure and traffic flows;
• The World Wide Web;
• Online conversation and community;
• Imagining cyberspace in art, literature and film.

Based on extensive research and written by two of the world's leading cybergeography experts, the Atlas of Cyberspace provides an unprecedented insight into the shape of the Internet and World Wide Web. For anyone with an interest in the structure, content and social dimension of the online world, this is a fascinating and invaluable resource.

Customer Reviews

Some great photos, drawings and maps
In "The Atlas of Cyberspace", I was anticipating a book patterned on Tufte's "Visual Display of Quantitative Information". Indeed, much of the graphical content of Dodge and Kitchin's book is beautiful, thought-provoking and informative. Unfortunately, the printing is unforgivably bad; the images deserve high quality renderings. Several of the most intriguing hand-drawn and computer-generated images are simply illegible; all of them have lost their textural presence and contrast.

The text, on the other hand, ranges from workmanlike commentary on the graphics to watered down post modern cultural analysis. Light editing could remove at least half of the illustrations, providing a tighter focus on the remainder. In many cases, multiple instances of the same type of diagram are presented. Although this may be a start toward serious design analyses, it's distracting in a coffee table book such as this one.

The organization is by content rather than by visualization type. The first quarter of the book traces the history of the development of the web, and attempts to map traffic patterns and growth. The next section concentrates on the informational organization of the web, as opposed to the physical or topological. The third quarter maps "community", including more literal instances such as MUDs, as well as purely virtual ones such as discussion groups. The weakest section of the book is the last, which traces "cyberpunk", represented here with quotes from Gibson and Stephenson. This final section includes gratuituous screen shots from "The Matrix" and even more gratuitous "analysis".

Despite this book's many shortcomings, there's no alternative, and the fraction of the images that are truly inspiring make "Atlas of Cyberspace" not only worthwhile, but almost necessary.

This book will BLOW YOUR MIND!
This was all I expected and more. Over 100 ways of presenting data about the Internet, including fantastic advances in data collection AND analysis AND presentation. Beauty arises from every page. You may need to have a love for mathematics, statistics, the Internet, or just art to "get" this book - but I have a soft spot for all four of those, and fell head over heels.

A Cyberspace Overview You Must See
There are many books that discuss various aspects of cyberspace, but this one tops them all. Dated yes, but it will give the reader a very balanced look in an interesting fashion. Strongly recommended.