Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: I. Map Reading Basics -- 1. Introduction: The Importance of Map Reading -- 2. Landmarks of Mapmaking -- 3. Map Basics -- 4. The Figure of the Earth and Coordinate Systems -- 5. Map Projections: The Round Earth on Flat Paper -- 6. The Earth from Above: Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation -- II. Map Types and Their Analysis -- 7. Virtual Maps and GPS -- 8. Topographic Maps -- 9. Thematic Maps -- 10. Maps for Navigation -- 11. Maps for Special Purposes -- III. Putting It All Together -- 12. Map Interpretation -- 13. Epilogue: The Future of Maps and Map Reading -- Appendix A. Glossary -- Appendix B. Abbreviations -- Appendix C. Useful Statistics -- Appendix D. Resources -- Appendix E. Commonly Used Projections -- Bibliography.

"Maps have power--they can instruct, make life easier, mislead, or even lie. This engaging text provides the tools to read, analyze, and use any kind of map and assess its strengths and weaknesses. Requiring no advanced math skills, the book presents basic concepts of symbolization, scale, coordinate systems, and projections. It gives students a deeper understanding of the types of maps they encounter every day, from turn-by-turn driving directions to the TV weather report. Readers also learn how to use multiple maps and imagery to analyze an area or region. The book includes 168 figures, among them 22 color plates; most of the figures can be downloaded as PowerPoint slides from the companion website. Appendices contain a glossary, recommended resources, a table of commonly used projections, and more"--