Book excerpt: Beginning Google Maps Mashups with Mapplets, KML, and GeoRSS is a beginner’s guide to creating web mashups using Google mapping technology. Serves as a single–source primer to displaying data on Google Maps Covers both Mapplets and the Google Maps API Provides everything you need to start participating in the geographic Web What you’ll learn “Mash up” GeoWeb services onto a Google map Package your mashup as a mapplet and publish it to maps.google.com Enhance your map with driving directions, local search, map advertising, and more Discover common Google–mapping mistakes to avoid Find out how and when to geocode existing data into mappable coordinates Deliver your own data as GeoXML Who this book is for This book is for web designers and developers who have not worked with Google Maps or geographic data before. A working knowledge of HTML is required, and some programming experience is beneficial.