Rhumb Lines and Map Wars: A Social History of the Mercator Projection
Rhumb Lines and Map Wars: A Social History of the Mercator Projection
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1467-9272.2006.00585_3.x
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发表时间：
2006-11
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Dennis E. Fitzsimons
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文献类型：
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作者：
Dennis E. Fitzsimons
书评497所带来的普遍缺乏知识的基础知识的地图投影。从恒向线（恒定罗盘方位或方向的线）和loxosit（船舶遵循恒定方位的路径）航海的重要性开始，这本富有洞察力和有趣的书进一步增加了Monmonier作为一个能够启发学生，技术人员，专业人士和任何喜欢地图和测绘的人的作者的声誉。制图者选择特定投影的理由是基于投影的属性对地图的目的和受众的效用，这一事实通常不被地图读者理解。不幸的是，即使是一些专业地理学家也不理解。一个特定的地图投影的有用性，以及它从三维球面到二维平面的转换背后的理由，往往是从一个天真的地图阅读者的审美或怀疑的眼睛来判断的，而不是根据它的创造背后的科学。包括与政治正确性和媒体营销技术有关的问题，人们开始忽视在特定投影上代表地球的实际效用。虽然这项工作本身不是地图投影的教科书，但它为没有先进数学背景的广大观众提供了学习和欣赏地图投影的机会。正如他的文章标题所言，蒙莫尼尔简洁地揭示了关于“正确”世界地图投影的一场更令人困惑、充满情感的辩论背后的历史--不幸的是，三十多年过去了，这场辩论至今仍在继续。
Book Reviews 497 brought about by a general lack of knowledge concerning the basics of map projection. Beginning with the importance to seafaring of rhumb lines (lines of constant compass bearing or direction) and loxodromes (the path ships take following a constant bearing), this insightful and interesting book further adds to Monmonier’s reputation as an author capable of enlightening students, technicians, professionals, and anyone who enjoys maps and mapping. A cartographer’s rationale for selecting a particular projection is based on the utility of the projection’s properties for the map’s purpose and audience, a fact not generally understood by map readers. Unfortunately, it is not understood even by some professional geographers. The usefulness of a particular map projection and the justification behind its transformation from a three-dimensional spherical surface to a two-dimensional plane surface is all too often judged from the esthetic or suspicious eye of a naıve map reader rather than by the science behind its creation. Include issues charged with political correctness and media marketing techniques, and one begins to lose sight of the actual utility in representing the Earth on particular projections. Although this work is not a textbook on map projection per se, it provides access for a wide audience without an advanced mathematical background to learn and appreciate map projections. And true to his text’s title, Monmonier succinctly uncovers the history behind one of the more confounding, emotion-filled debates over the ‘‘right’’world map projection—which unfortunately still continues today after more than thirty years.