Read “How to lie with maps” by Mark Monmonier with us!

Do you keep getting recommendations for data vis books, maybe even buying them, but then don’t make it a priority to read them? Let’s get more out of these books by reading and discussing them together in the Data Vis Book Club. Here’s what we’ll read next — join us!

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We’re very excited to announce the next book for our book club: “How to Lie with Maps” by Mark Monmonier, author and professor of cartography.

That’s 9 a.m. on the U.S. West Coast; 11 a.m. in Chicago and Peru; 12 p.m. in the U.S. East Coast; 1 p.m. in Brazil and Argentina; 5 p.m. for readers in the U.K.; 6 p.m. for most Europeans and West Africans; and 9:30 p.m. in India.

As always, everyone is welcome to join! Just open the notepad at the correct date and time and start typing. Many participants will be new to the conversation — we’ll figure it out as we go.

What is this book about?

“How to Lie with Maps” has become a key work in the field of cartography — it’s been called a “bible for cartographers” and “the closest thing to a religious text we have in cartography.”

But Monmonier also shows how certain designs are more misleading than necessary — and how maps can even be used for deliberate obfuscation or propaganda.

Although the book was first published in 1991, when Google Maps didn’t exist and GPS in cars was a complete novelty, this third edition from 2018 brings these ideas into the modern era with new insights into how digital mapping technologies can contribute to cartographic misrepresentations.

Monmonier’s goal is to make us think critically about maps — not just their technical aspects but also their cultural, political, and social implications.

Should you read this book?

If you’re a map aficionado or someone fascinated by the intricacies of cartography, then absolutely, yes. “How to Lie with Maps” is for readers who love exploring the finer details of how maps work — projections, scales, symbols, and the ways these features shape our understanding of the world. But don’t be intimidated: This book was written for the general public and will be an easy read for map beginners too.

What you shouldn’t expect is a coffee table book packed with beautiful maps. This small book is less about showcasing maps and more about unpacking their hidden complexities.

How does the book club work?

1. You get yourself a copy of “How to lie with maps.” Ask your local library to order it for you, buy it, borrow it from a friend, ask around on your preferred social network.

2. We all read the book. This is where the fun begins! Please mention @datavisclub on X or use the hashtag #datavisclub if you want to share your process, insights, and surprises — I’ll make sure to post them from @datavisclub as motivation for us all. Don’t worry about reading every word of the book! Start with the chapters that most appeal to you and see how far you get.

3. We get together to talk about the book. This will happen digitally on Monday, March 31st at 4pm UTC over at https://notes.dw.tools/p/lie-with-maps.

It won’t be a call or a video chat; we’ll just write down our thoughts. The discussion will be structured into three questions:

Three questions

During the conversation, I’ll ask these three questions in the following order:

1. What was your general impression of the book? Would you recommend it? To whom?

2. What was most inspiring, insightful, or surprising? What did you learn that you didn’t expect to?

3. Having read the book, what will you do differently the next time you visualize data?

For each question, you can prepare an answer in 1-2 sentences and paste it into the notes once I ask the question during the conversation. If you can’t find the time to prepare anything at all just come by and chat — we’ll quickly get into discussion mode.

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More questions?

Here’s a short FAQ!

So what will happen, exactly, during the book club?

A digital book club is a new experience for many of us. This is what our book club discussions have looked like in the past:

You can also read the review of the first book club, to learn how people found the experience.

This is what others have said about past book club discussions:

• “Just wanted to say this was my first time joining the book club and I JUST LOVED IT! Thank you everyone! This experience was incredible.”
• “Such a great experience connecting with the authors and fans of this unique book that I love.”
• “Great experience! It was fun reading all of the questions and answers as they popped up and to scroll up and down the screen to check out any new comments.”
• “OMG! First time that I do it and I just loved it!!! I like that I can write everything I’m thinking about live and comment on other people’s ideas easily.”

Why don’t we do a call? Why the notepad?

Because it works well for introverts and for people who prefer to stay anonymous in the discussion. Plus, native English speakers have less of an advantage than they have in calls. Plus, the documentation of our meeting writes itself.

I can’t make it on this date/time.

Do you have a lunch date? Vacation? Need to put the kids to bed? Need to sleep yourself? No problem! The conversation will be archived in the notes and can still be continued over the following days.

How can I learn about new book club discussions?

You can either subscribe to our Book Club newsletter or turn on notifications for our account on X. I explain both options in more detail here.

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I’m looking forward to reading “How to lie with maps” with all of you. If you have any questions, write them in the comments or send them to guillermina@datawrappper.de. Also, make sure to follow @datavisclub to stay up-to-date and get a dose of motivation from time to time. I’ll see you in March!