Overview

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.CONTENTS

A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF EARTH
9

INTRODUCTION
11

WHERE WE

HARVEST
25

EXTRACT
55

POWER
81

LIVE
109

MOVE
139

DESIGN
173

PLAY
203

WASTE
227

ARE NOT
255

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

Benjamin Grant is the author of Overview and also oversees the Instagram project Daily Overview, from which the book takes its inspiration. Since he began the project in December 2013, his daily posts have both delighted and challenged his audience from all corners of the globe. For Overview, Grant has curated and created more than 200 original images by stitching together numerous high‑resolution satellite photographs. With each image, he aims to not only inspire a fresh perspective of our planet but also encourage a new understanding of what human impact looks like. Grant graduated from Yale University, where he studied world history, art history, and rowed on the heavyweight crew team. He lives and rides his bike in New York City.
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.