Book Review: You Are Here
Books and recommendations from Scientific American
By Clara Moskowitz
You Are Here: From the Compass to GPS, the History and Future of How We Find Ourselves
by Hiawatha Bray
Basic Books, 2014
Around 300 years ago ship captains had no way of knowing their precise longitude at sea. Now many people carry in their pockets the technology to pinpoint their exact geographic coordinates from nearly anywhere on the earth. “Few technological marvels have been as marvelous as humanity's victory over the mysteries of location,” writes journalist Bray. In this history of navigation, he tells the story of how we learned to find our way around the planet ever more accurately and explores the implications of our “locational transparency.” After all, Bray says, “we can find anyplace with ease, but others can also find us.”
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
