Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization

Interest in professional cartography has decreased since the 1980s at the expense of newer and emergent geographic information systems (GIS) software and related technologies. However, the fourth edition of this classic cartography textbook features significant additions made since its previous edition (2009) and reclaims geographic analysis as the realm of digital cartography. This text is admirably comprehensive in describing the development of the field of modern cartography from the 1950s to the present and surprisingly current in its engagement with the latest research. The text is organized into three main parts covering, respectively, principles, techniques, and geovisualization. The principles section covers foundational cartographic topics, including symbolization, classification, map projections, and map production. The techniques section covers choropleth maps and more advanced approaches, including highly informative chapters on intelligent dasymetric mapping (IDM) and multivariate mapping. The geovisualization chapters (part 3) include the most significant additions, including details of geovisual data analytics, map animation, and virtual environments. This edition clearly conveys the relevance of digital cartography to the emerging field of data science and will continue to be a required resource for academic programs offering the GIS specialization. This latest version is a teaching resource for undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals offering entrée to the classic and latest cartographic innovations.

C. A. Badurek, SUNY Cortland

Overall, to my mind, this impressive book stands far above any other cartographic textbook available. I rec­ommend it as required reading for every GIS/cartographic program across academia… and will remain a rich and relevant resource of cartographic and geovisualization knowledge for some years to come.

Daniel G. Cole, Smithsonian Institution, published in Cartographic Perspectives #103, 2024 (full review https://cartographicperspectives.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1919/2283)

Slocum, McMaster, Kessler, and Howard have done an excellent job in both updating the previous edition and adding new material. This is a first-class textbook that I recommend without reservation. Thematic cartography and visualization are, in my view, increasingly important topics. The basic elements of cartography remain central, but students must be exposed to the latest cutting-edge visualization techniques, which this volume does very well.

Fraser Taylor, Carleton University, published in Cartographica, Vol. 59, No. 2, 2024 (full review https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.3138/cart-2024-0011)

The long-awaited update of this book is welcomed. It provides a good overview of many developments in recent cartographic research in a manner that is accessible to upper-level undergraduate students or (post-)graduate students. Its breadth might mean that students need to purchase only one book for multiple courses. For those cartographic practitioners who may have come to the discipline from another industry and who are looking to increase their technical knowledge, this is also a fine reference that introduces the scholarship that sits behind many mapping techniques.

Amy L. Griffin, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia – Published in the International Journal of Cartography, 05 Nov 2024 (full review: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23729333.2024.2423320)