Ian Watson — Publications List

This is an index of original material that I've published or otherwise made publicly available — in all forms including journals, books, newspapers, travel guidebooks, web publications, and so on. I've also included links here to a few unpublished papers that are available only on this web site. All the material here is under copyright by me and sometimes by the publisher as well; you need my permission before redistributing it in any way.

Scholarly and semi-scholarly

"Starting an open access journal in Iceland." ScieCom Info 5,3 (2009).

"The uniqueness of Icelandic road signage." Pp. 138-152 in T. Porathe, ed., Applications of information design 2008: selected papers from the international conference at Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna, Sweden 25-28 June 2008 (Eskilstuna: Mälardalen University Press, 2009). With Hörður Lárusson.

Answer to the question "Why do people have written language?" / Svar við spurningu "Af hverju er skrift til?" Published on Vísindavefur Háskóla Íslands (University of Iceland Science Web, www.visindavefur.is), 15 November 2006.

Answer to the question "Who invented the alphabet?" / Svar við spurningu "Hver fann upp stafrófið?" Published on Vísindavefur Háskóla Íslands (University of Iceland Science Web, www.visindavefur.is), 8 September 2005.

"Mollie, Countess Russell." Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies 23 (2003): 65-68.

"The challenge of maintaining parity for offshore islands." Middle States Geographer 31 (1998): 132-137.

Review of How Nations Choose Product Standards and Standards Change Nations, by Samuel Krislov. Contemporary Sociology, 27 (1998): 169-170.

"The Pasco family in early New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register 150 (1996): 131-140.

"Three Mary Peases of Salem, Massachusetts." The American Genealogist 70 (1995): 205-208.

Catawba Indian Genealogy. Geneseo, N.Y.: Geneseo Foundation, 1995. State University of New York at Geneseo, Department of Anthropology, Papers in Anthropology, number 4.

Scholarly and semi-scholarly — unpublished

"The uniqueness of Icelandic road signage." With Hörður Lárusson. Paper presented at the Applications of Information Design conference, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden, 27 June 2008.

"Cognitive design: creating the sets of categories and labels that structure our shared experience." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Rutgers University, Department of Sociology, 2005.

"Perfect pitch and pitch standardization." Unpublished term paper, Rutgers University, Department of Sociology, 2000.

"The rule of the road, 1919-1986: a case study in standards change." Unpublished master's qualifying paper, Rutgers University, Department of Sociology, 1999.

"The common triggers of synesthesia are social conventions." Paper presented at the Central States Anthropological Society conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1997.

Unpublished papers from Catawba Indian Genealogy are held as the "Ian M. Watson collection" at the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. OCLC #37375909.

Unpublished papers from research in the 1980s on the genealogy of the Pasco family are held as the Ian Watson Papers (Mss 392), R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass. OCLC #47635210.

"Descendants of Hugh Pasco," unpublished manuscript, circa 1985.

Partial 1910 census transcription for Warren County, New York (excluding Glens Falls city and part of Warrensburg), unpublished compilation available as an Excel file.

Journalism, essays

Review of Living Inside the Meltdown by Alda Sigmundsdóttir. Reykjavík Grapevine, 2 July 2010, p. 38.

"Sparperur eiga langi í land: Gæðakönnun ICRT gefur sparperum slaka einkunn." (Buying advice for compact fluorescent light bulbs.) Neytendablaðið, 56,2 (June 2010), pp. 14-15.

"Á ferð og flugi." (Travel news.) Neytendablaðið, 56,1 (March 2010), p. 19.

"Gæðakönnun á Blu-ray spilurum." (Buying advice on Blu-ray players.) Neytendablaðið, 56,1 (March 2010), pp. 10-12.

Review of The Real Iceland by Páll Ásgeir Ásgeirsson and Top 10 Reykjavík and Iceland by Dr. Gunni. Reykjavík Grapevine, 4 December 2009, p. 30.

"Sparaðu í kreppunni." (Savings tips for Icelandic consumers.) Neytendablaðið, 55,3 (October 2009), p. 11.

"Neytendafrömuður nemur land." (Interview with me on consumer issues.) Neytendablaðið, 55,3 (October 2009), p. 10.

Review of The Far Traveler by Nancy Marie Brown. Reykjavík Grapevine, 25 September 2009, p. 26.

Review of Children's Reykjavík. Reykjavík Grapevine, 28 August 2009, p. 34.

Review of The travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson, translated by Karl Smári Hreinsson and Adam Nichols. Reykjavík Grapevine, 14 August 2009, p. 30.

"Sparnaður og eftirlit með fjarskiptamálum." (Good and bad news for Icelandic telephone customers.) Morgunblaðið, 8 August 2009, p. 26.

Review of The windows of Brimnes by Bill Holm. Reykjavík Grapevine, 31 July 2009, p. 34.

"Evrópusambandið og póstverslun." (The European Union and mail-order shopping in Iceland.) Morgunblaðið, 12 March 2009, p. 24.

"Bandaríkin: ógn eða fyrirmynd í neytendamálum?" (On the American consumer movement as an example for Iceland.) Neytendablaðið, 54,4 (December 2008), pp. 22-23.

"Opinn aðgangur að fræðigreinum." (Open access publishing in Iceland.) Morgunblaðið, 15 October 2008, p. 25.

"E-kort: hagstæð fyrir einn en óhagstæð fyrir fjöldann?" (On Icelandic rebate cards and whether they benefit consumers overall.) Neytendablaðið, 54,3 (October 2008), pp. 22-23.

"Talhólfið reynist dýrt í utanlandsferðum." (Using an Icelandic cell phone abroad. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 13 August 2008, pp. 18-19.

"Of dýrt að endurvinna í Reykjavík." (Compares costs of of household recycling and waste disposal in Reykjavík.) Neytendasamtökin web site, 16 July 2008.

"Að velja rétta málaskólann." (Language schools abroad. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 15 July 2008, p. 17.

"Er fríhöfnin ódýrari?" (Are prices in the duty-free store at Keflavík Airport lower than in town?) Neytendablaðið, 54,2 (June 2008), pp. 4-5.

"Bílaleiga hefur færst alfarið á netið." (Advice on car rental. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 12 June 2008, p. 20.

"Leitin að réttu gistingunni." (Finding accommodations. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 8 May 2008, p. 19.

"Debetkort og reiðufé hagkvæmasta leiðin." (How to change money when traveling abroad. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 13 March 2008, p. 22.

"Að velja hús fyrir fríið." (How to rent a vacation home or apartment. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 14 February 2008, p. 20.

"Two holes in your pocket." (Double-strength tax filing headaches for Americans in Iceland.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 8 February 2008, p. 10. PDF version.

"Recent books about Iceland." (Reviews books by D. Edward Bradley, Jonathan Wilcox and Jóna Hammer.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 11 January 2008, p. 21. PDF version.

"Flogið með lágfargjaldaflugfélagi." (How to use low-fare airlines. With Margrét Gunnarsdóttir.) Morgunblaðið, 10 January 2008, p. 19.

"Viltu afrit?" (On choosing whether to keep receipts.) Neytendablaðið, 53,4 (December 2007), p. 5.

"Hin raunverulegu amerísku jól." (Christmas in America.) Morgunblaðið, 30 November 2007, Jólablað, p. 10.

"You too can be a citizen." (Explains the procedure for applying for express citizenship from Iceland's Parliament.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 2 November 2007, p. 10. PDF version.

"Ég vil borga mínar skuldir sjálfur." (Iceland's problematic system of deducting assessed taxes from employee paychecks.) Morgunblaðið, 4 October 2007, p. 30.

"Five classic books about moving to the North Atlantic." Reykjavík Grapevine, 21 September 2007, p. B15. PDF version.

"The puffin and the panda." (Feature on current Iceland-China relations.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 21 September 2007, pp. 16-18. PDF version.

"The telephone consumer's guerrilla handbook." (Review of home phone and Internet service in Iceland.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 24 August 2007, p. 16. PDF version.

"Too many numbers!" (Problems with the proliferation of PIN numbers.) Guest article on the website of the Icelandic Consumer Spokesman, 26 August 2007.

"Frelsum bækurnar fyrst." (Argues for making books and low-value consignment relief a priority in Icelandic tax cuts.) Morgunblaðið, "Lesbók," 18 August 2007, p. 2.

"Heimspeki á Spáni eða grafísk hönnun í Grikklandi?" (Study abroad advice for Icelandic students.) Morgunblaðið, "Menntun," 17 August 2007, p. 30.

"Lower phone bills — by law." (Eurotariff and Icelandic roaming rates.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 10 August 2007, p. 17. PDF version.

"Roots tourism in Hofsós." (About the Icelandic Emigration Center in Hofsós.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 27 July 2007, p. 16. PDF version.

"Who knows how the system works?" (About the process of receiving Icelandic citizenship by act of Parliament.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 29 June 2007, p. 12. PDF version.

"Stjórnartíð Runólfs á Bifröst." Morgunblaðið, 17 June 2007, p. 52.

"Hnetusmjör ekki sama og hnetusmjör." (Article on peanut butter for the magazine of Iceland's consumer association.) Neytendablaðið, 53,2 (June 2007), p. 12.

"Share your ancestors." (A report on the state of Icelandic genealogy.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 18 May 2007, pp. 14-15. PDF version.

"To reduce retail prices, make Internet shopping easier." Guest article on the web site of the Icelandic Consumer Spokesman, 6 May 2007.

"Honesty doesn't pay." (True tales of the Icelandic tax system.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 8 March 2007, p. 10. PDF version.

"Recent books about Iceland." (Reviews five English-language books partly or wholly on Icelandic themes.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 9 February 2007, p. 22. PDF version.

"Múrar bókaþjóðarinnar." (Article on the market for foreign books in Iceland.) Morgunblaðið (Lesbók), 28 October 2006. Also see

Update on the market for foreign books in Iceland — 6 January 2007.

"Beware: polar bear may bite." (Travel article on Svalbard and Jan Mayen.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 6 October 2006, p. 44. PDF version.

"If you can't make it to Gdańsk." (Review of Polish supermarket and Polish community in Iceland.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 5 December 2005, p. 42. PDF version.

"We know your identity number, and that's not a bad thing." (The Icelandic personal identification system works well because it is open.) Reykjavík Grapevine, 7 October 2005, pp. 18-19. PDF version.

"Nýtt kerfi - úrelt skilti" [New routes, old signs]. (Article about the public information design of the Reykjavík bus system.) Morgunblaðið (Reykjavík), 6 September 2005, pp. 22-23. See also follow-up articles: Ásgeir Eiríksson, "Áhugaverðar nýjungar á döfinni hjá Strætó," Morgunblaðið, 7 September 2005, p. 27 and "Að skilja strætókerfið," editorial, Morgunblaðið, 9 September 2005, p. 26.

"Cheaper calls abroad." Reykjavík Grapevine, 6 May 2005, p. 26. PDF version.

"Hoxha's Pyramid." Letter to the editor, New York Times Book Review, 19 May 1996, p. 4.

"Albania slowly joining the info highway." IREX news in brief 7,2 (March-April 1996): 1, 14-15.

"E-mail and the Internet in southeastern Europe." IREX news in brief 5,5 (Sept.-Oct. 1994): 3-6.

"Mongolia goes high-tech." Freedom Review, November-December 1992, pp. 39-40.

"Equilibrium and exhaustion: can America survive when we run out of area codes?" Exposé, 1988-89, pp. 4-9. Reprinted in Reading and writing essays: the imaginative tasks, by Pat C. Hoy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992.

Travel guidebooks

Rick Steves' Germany 2011. Forthcoming. Updater of Rhine, Mosel, Trier, Köln, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nürnberg, Rothenburg, Black Forest, Berchtesgaden and Bavaria/Tirol sections.

Rick Steves' Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol 2011. Forthcoming. Updater of Melk, Mauthausen, Hallstatt, and Innsbruck/Tirol sections.

Rick Steves' Germany 2010. Berkeley: Avalon, 2009. Updater of Rhine, Mosel, Trier, Köln, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nürnberg, Rothenburg, Munich, and Bavaria/Tirol sections.

Rick Steves' Germany 2009. Berkeley: Avalon, 2008. Updater of Rhine, Mosel, Trier, Köln, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nürnberg, Rothenburg, and southwestern Germany sections.

Rick Steves' Germany & Austria 2008. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2008. Cover photograph (of Trier, Germany).

Rick Steves' Germany & Austria 2007. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2006. Updater of Rhine, Mosel, Trier, Rothenburg, and southwestern Germany sections.

Rick Steves' Scandinavia 2006. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2006. Updater of Sweden, Finland and Estonia sections.

Rick Steves' Scandinavia 2005. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2005. Updater of Stockholm, Finland and Estonia sections.

Rick Steves' Eastern Europe 2005. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2005. Updater of Danube Bend section.

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2005. Emeryville, California: Avalon, 2005. Author of "Mobile phones" section (pp. 274-278).

Rick Steves' Scandinavia 2000. Santa Fe: John Muir, 2000. Updater of Finland and Estonia sections.

Rick Steves' Russia & the Baltics 1998. Santa Fe: John Muir, 1998. 151 pp. Author (with Rick Steves).

Rick Steves' Baltics and Russia 1997. Santa Fe: John Muir, 1997. 151 pp. Author (with Rick Steves).

Rick Steves' Baltics and Russia 1996. Santa Fe: John Muir, 1996. 140 pp. Author (with Rick Steves).

Rick Steves' best of the Baltics and Russia. Santa Fe: John Muir, 1995. 140 pp. Author (with Rick Steves).

Rick Steves' the Baltics and Russia through the back door. 2nd ed. Edmonds, Washington: Europe Through the Back Door, 1994. 128 pp. Author.

The Baltics and Russia through the back door. Edmonds, Washington: Europe Through the Back Door, 1993. 80 pp. Author.

Frommer's Eastern Europe on $30 a Day. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan, 1994. Author of Albania (pp. 24-46) and Slovenia (pp. 561-582) sections. Updater of Hungary section (pp. 276-422).

Let's Go: Europe 1992. New York: St. Martin's, 1991. 882 pp. Editor.

Let's Go: Europe 1991. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Author of "Albania" (pp. 50-53) and "Faroe Islands" (p. 147) and updater of "Scotland" (pp. 380-393).

Let's Go: Britain & Ireland 1991. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Updater of "Scotland" (pp. 394-486).

Let's Go: Europe 1990. New York: St. Martin's, 1989. Updater of "Iceland" (pp. 462-473), "Denmark" (pp. 121-136) and "Sweden" (pp. 754-769).

Talks, presentations, etc.

"Ættfræðigagnagrunnar á Íslandi." (Genealogical databases in Iceland.) Ráðstefna um íslenska þjóðfélagsfræði, Háskólanum á Bifröst, 8. maí 2010.

"James M. Watson, D.O., M.D., 1891-1956." James M. Watson Memorial Lecture, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians conference, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23 April 2010.

"Ísland í rafrænu upplýsingasamfélagi." (Iceland in the digital information society.) Ráðstefna Upplýsingar (annual conference of the Icelandic librarians' association), Þjóðarbókhlaðan, 26 March 2010.

"Open access to scholarly publications." Ráðstefna um stafrænt frelsi 2009, Háskólanum í Reykjavík, 1 December 2009.

Panel chair — "Numbering buildings and bodies." Identinet conference, St. Antony's College, Oxford, 27 September 2009.

"Saga íslenskra persónuauðkennisnúmera." (The history of Icelandic national identification numbering.) Ráðstefna um íslenska þjóðfélagsfræði, Háskólanum á Akureyri, 9. maí 2009.

"Explaining change in social conventions: the case of the rule of the road." Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, N.M., 8 December 2008.

"The American consumer experience." Guest lecture in Gísli Tryggvason's course on consumer law, Reykjavík University, 5 November 2008.

"The uniqueness of Icelandic road signage." With Hörður Lárusson. Applications of Information Design conference, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden, 27 June 2008.

"Mikilvægi opins aðgangs fyrir fræðimenn." (The importance of open access for scholars.) National and University Library of Iceland conference on open access, 13 May 2008.

"Contrast sets." University of Iceland linguistics discussion group, 12 October 2007.

"Háskólasamfélag tekur við af námuvinnslu." (Talk on the role of industry, tourism, and education in the economy of Longyearbyen, Svalbard.) Vísindaport Háskólaseturs Vestfjarða, Ísafjörður, 28 September 2007.

"A brief introduction to synesthesia." Scholar's evening of Res Extensa, the Icelandic cognitive science association, 5 July 2007.

Guest lecturer on board Holland America's Prinsendam, cruise to Norway, Svalbard, and Iceland, July 2006.

Selected translations

Gunnsteinn Ólafsson, The Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon (Reykjavík: Veröld, 2007). ISBN 978-9979789345.

Selected theses advised

Kristín Edda Gylfadóttir, "Letur í barnabókum: steinskrift eða þverendaletur?" B.A. thesis at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Department of Architecture and Design, January 2010.

Alexander Eyjólfsson, "Hvað er 'mem' og hver er staða þess meðal vísindanna?" B.A. thesis at Bifröst University, Department of Social Sciences, 2009.

Anton Kaldal Ágústsson, "Breyting á íslensku er krafa nútímans: Saga og greining á bókstöfunum Þ,þ og Ð,ð." B.A. thesis at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Department of Architecture and Design, January 2009.

Hörður Lárusson, "A critical analysis of the Icelandic road signage system." B.A. thesis at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Department of Architecture and Design, February 2006.