Overview Timelapse

How We Change the Earth

$14.99 US
Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed | Ten Speed Press
On sale Oct 13, 2020 | 9781984858665
Sales rights: World
A stunning and unique collection of satellite images of Earth that offer an unexpected look at humanity, derived from the wildly popular Daily Overview Instagram project.

Inspired by the “Overview Effect”—a sensation that astronauts experience when given the opportunity to look down and view the Earth as a whole—the breathtaking, high definition satellite photographs in OVERVIEW offer a new way to look at the landscape that we have shaped. More than 200 images of industry, agriculture, architecture, and nature highlight incredible patterns while also revealing a deeper story about human impact. This extraordinary photographic journey around our planet captures the sense of wonder gained from a new, aerial vantage point and creates a perspective of Earth as it has never been seen before.
INTRODUCTION 

This all began with an accident. I was preparing for a meeting of a space club that I started and since the upcoming talk was focused on satellites and how they affect our daily lives, I was playing around on a mapping program. I typed “Earth” into the search bar to see if it would zoom out to show the entire planet. When I pressed enter, to my surprise, it did the opposite of what I hoped for, and zoomed in. 

The map had indeed settled on Earth—Earth, Texas. I was astounded by what I saw. My screen had filled with a stunning patchwork of green and brown circles. I saved the image (seen here on the left) and showed it to my friends; they, too, were amazed. It turns out my entire screen contained pivot irrigation fields, created by sprinklers that water crops in a circular pattern. 

A few months before I discovered Earth in Texas, a friend shared a short film with me called Overview. The film introduced me to the idea of the “Overview Effect”—an idea that changed the way I see our planet and its place in the universe. Coined by Frank White in 1987, the “Overview Effect” refers to the profound emotional sensation that astronauts experience when given the opportunity to look down at Earth from space. From a distant vantage point, one has the chance to appreciate our home as a whole, to reflect on its beauty and its fragility all at once. 

The anecdotes of the astronauts in the film inspired the map search for “Earth” that fortuitously led me astray a few months later. They also helped me realize that there needs to be a dramatic shift in the way our species views our planet before we can truly understand the full extent of our impact. As inspirational as this idea was, I had no clue how I, or anyone for that matter, could make that shift happen. For me, everything changed once I saw those crop circles.

As seen in The New York Times, Fodor's, Mental Floss, American Photo, and many more...

"A compendium of spectacular satellite imagery...Overview documents the impact of human existence."
Wall Street Journal


"Absolutely gorgeous, yet utterly gut-wrenching"
Wired

"Stunning, surprising and intriguing photographs of Earth from the skies."
The Guardian

"Photos of earth from above will change your outlook of the planet"
Fast Company 

"Incredible images that show Earth’s surface as you’ve never seen it before"
–BBC

"Grant’s book...uses satellite photography to reveal both environmental wonders and suburban sprawl from a new perspective."
Los Angeles Times

"From far away, it’s possible to get a glimpse of what connects us, and why it’s worth protecting."
Boston Globe

"Hypnotic images from across the globe"
Daily Mail

"Totally breathtaking"
Thrillist

"A unique view of the globe we all call home."
Smithsonian

"The awesomeness of earth from above"
The Atlantic

"Stunning"
Huffington Post

"A tour de force of research and image presentation"
American Photo

About

A stunning and unique collection of satellite images of Earth that offer an unexpected look at humanity, derived from the wildly popular Daily Overview Instagram project.

Inspired by the “Overview Effect”—a sensation that astronauts experience when given the opportunity to look down and view the Earth as a whole—the breathtaking, high definition satellite photographs in OVERVIEW offer a new way to look at the landscape that we have shaped. More than 200 images of industry, agriculture, architecture, and nature highlight incredible patterns while also revealing a deeper story about human impact. This extraordinary photographic journey around our planet captures the sense of wonder gained from a new, aerial vantage point and creates a perspective of Earth as it has never been seen before.

Excerpt

INTRODUCTION 

This all began with an accident. I was preparing for a meeting of a space club that I started and since the upcoming talk was focused on satellites and how they affect our daily lives, I was playing around on a mapping program. I typed “Earth” into the search bar to see if it would zoom out to show the entire planet. When I pressed enter, to my surprise, it did the opposite of what I hoped for, and zoomed in. 

The map had indeed settled on Earth—Earth, Texas. I was astounded by what I saw. My screen had filled with a stunning patchwork of green and brown circles. I saved the image (seen here on the left) and showed it to my friends; they, too, were amazed. It turns out my entire screen contained pivot irrigation fields, created by sprinklers that water crops in a circular pattern. 

A few months before I discovered Earth in Texas, a friend shared a short film with me called Overview. The film introduced me to the idea of the “Overview Effect”—an idea that changed the way I see our planet and its place in the universe. Coined by Frank White in 1987, the “Overview Effect” refers to the profound emotional sensation that astronauts experience when given the opportunity to look down at Earth from space. From a distant vantage point, one has the chance to appreciate our home as a whole, to reflect on its beauty and its fragility all at once. 

The anecdotes of the astronauts in the film inspired the map search for “Earth” that fortuitously led me astray a few months later. They also helped me realize that there needs to be a dramatic shift in the way our species views our planet before we can truly understand the full extent of our impact. As inspirational as this idea was, I had no clue how I, or anyone for that matter, could make that shift happen. For me, everything changed once I saw those crop circles.

Praise

As seen in The New York Times, Fodor's, Mental Floss, American Photo, and many more...

"A compendium of spectacular satellite imagery...Overview documents the impact of human existence."
Wall Street Journal


"Absolutely gorgeous, yet utterly gut-wrenching"
Wired

"Stunning, surprising and intriguing photographs of Earth from the skies."
The Guardian

"Photos of earth from above will change your outlook of the planet"
Fast Company 

"Incredible images that show Earth’s surface as you’ve never seen it before"
–BBC

"Grant’s book...uses satellite photography to reveal both environmental wonders and suburban sprawl from a new perspective."
Los Angeles Times

"From far away, it’s possible to get a glimpse of what connects us, and why it’s worth protecting."
Boston Globe

"Hypnotic images from across the globe"
Daily Mail

"Totally breathtaking"
Thrillist

"A unique view of the globe we all call home."
Smithsonian

"The awesomeness of earth from above"
The Atlantic

"Stunning"
Huffington Post

"A tour de force of research and image presentation"
American Photo