7 replies to this topic

[manopie]

Hiya folks! Great idea setting up this forum . . . not too many around for those of us interested in maps and mapping . . . well at least I haven't found them yet!

Anyway, my name is Simon, I have a general major in the Social Sciences (Geography, History and Sociology) and have recently started looking at getting into cartography. I've done basic mapwork using ESRI and IDRISI, AutoCAD and a couple other GIS programs and I'd like to get into it more and more . . .

However, except for going back to school -- which is out of the picture at the moment -- what resources do you folks recommend to self-teaching/-learning products? I'm thinking of getting the book Elements of Cartography by Arthur Robinson. The cost is over $100 Cdn so it's getting up there in price but may be worth it.

Does anyone have any recommendations or resources on where to start a more in-depth acquisiton of skills and knowledge?

Any and all replies are welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Simon

[Nick Springer]

Good question. There aren't a lot of great cartographic self-teaching books out there, and you have already mentioned the best one, well worth the investment.

Another good route to go as well is general information graphics design.

Check the books by Edward Tufte:
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Envisioning Information

Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative

This is another good book with great examples:
Information Graphics: Innovative Solutions in Contemporary Design

[manopie]

Thanks for the response Nick! I'll have a gander at those books as well! Thanks for the input!

Simon

[reprezant]

Elements of Cartography is pretty good, but if you want to read parts of it without having to purchase it, check online with your library to see if they have it in stock. I personally purchased the book and make sure if you do decide to get this book that it is a current version. It's nice to have a book that contains both traditional and current traits in Cartography and there are quite a few out there now, but check out your local library if you're not interested in spending $$$.

Cheers.


Map It Out Inc.

[manopie]

I'll have a gander at the library but I have one of those suspicions that it isn't there -- our library, as good as it is, is limited in good books relating to 3 out of my 4 main interests!

Good to know that this is one of, if not the best book out there for learning the ins and outs . . .

Thanks for the help!

Simon

[reprezant]

I was just looking at home today and saw I had these two other carto books in addition to the Elements of Cartography:

Cartographic Design and Production by John Keates

Map Use and Analysis by John Campbell



Map It Out Inc.

[Nick Springer]

If you're interested in thematic cartography, than the classic book is "Cartography: Thematic Map Design" by Borden Dent. It goes over symbology as well as statistics.

[manopie]

I have "Map Use and Analysis," had to buy it for my Map Use and Analysis class! VERY good text too but it doesn't really have the basics involved, I think it was more of a this is a(n) XXX map and this is what it does and what it's used for.

I'll have a gander at Keates and Dent as well!

Thanks folks!

Simon