The unexplored history of GPS, a military technology turned daily necessity that impacts all aspects of our lives. Gone are the days when we pulled off to the side of the road, twisted a map this way and that, and squinted in exasperation before saying, “We're lost.” Now, a network of satellites that circles the earth points us in the right direction. The Global Positioning System is embedded not only in our phones but in our cultural history and our future. GPS, intangible but ubiquitous, has instigated a radical shift in our relationship to our own intuition and place in the world, making us critically dependent on technol ogy we forget is even there. Little Blue Dot uncovers GPS's origins as a product of the Cold War, from the Space Race to the bombing campaigns in Vietnam, following along as its military and civilian uses expanded and shifted to become part of the fabric of modern life. With pulsating detail and witty expertise, investigative reporter Katherine Dunn takes us on a fascinating journey from the origins of the technology to its modern-day iteration, considering its role in international politics and conflict-and its rising vulnerabilities to manipulation. Initially a cog in the wheel of globalization, GPS has now taken on a new life and may even serve as a parable for the proliferation of AI and newer technologies on the horizon. Sharp and evocative, Little Blue Dot considers the future of GPS, its impact on our understanding of space and time, and the role of technology in our lives. “It's the invisible network that runs our world. The story of the Global Positioning System is the story of modern life itself. In Little Blue Dot , Katherine Dunn tells the explosive, untold history of the twentieth century's most important technology. A gripping narrative of spies, scientists, and the secret history of how we came to map the world. You'll never look at that little blue dot the same way again.” ― Bradley Hope, co-author of BILLION DOLLAR WHALE and BLOOD AND OIL “The story of how you came to have, in your pocket, a way of knowing where you are, wherever you are, is an epic of human ingenuity. With pace, verve, and an eye for an illuminating anecdote, Katherine Dunn is the perfect guide to the greatest revolution in navigation since the age of sail.” ― Tom Whipple, Science Writer and Special Correspondent at The Times Katherine Dunn is a business reporter and editor based in London. She has worked at Fortune magazine, S&P Global, The Wall Street Journal / Dow Jones and the Reuters Institute at Oxford University, where she contributed to the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, an international network to help improve climate journalism worldwide. This is her first book.