You Are Here: From the Compass to GPS, the History and Future of How We Find Ourselves

Technology writer Bray asserts that "mankind has essentially solved the problem of location." It is now difficult, if not impossible, to get ourselves lost%E2%80%94and, more significant for Bray, to be free and invisible in our movements and actions. The book maps how we reached this point of highly accurate wayfinding and limited locational privacy, reaching as far back as Egyptian stellar navigation and the Lapita people navigating the Pacific by the motion of the waves. Each chapter describes innovations in the "rigorous science of location." We learn of the harnessing of radio waves and their implementation in aerial warfare; the creation of the gyroscope and its use in sea and air navigation; the development of navigation by artificial satellites and then GPS; the launch of spy planes and satellites capable of photographing great tracts of land; and, more recently, the capabilities and potential of crowd-sourced mapmaking and constant locational awareness via smartphone. These achievements are impressive and the book acknowledges this, but it also notes and cautions the result of always knowing exactly where we are: "others know as well, whether we like it or not." Bray offers accessible explanations of complex innovations but his overall coverage of the topic too simplistic especially when describing modern technology and social implications. (Apr.)