You need to think of it in terms of relative pressures.
The Manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP) measures off of an absolute scale.
Vacuum is generated as the pressure in the cylinder is less than the atmospheric pressure, so air moves from the higher pressure to the lower pressure area. The pressure in the cylinder is less than the atmospheric pressure as the volume increases (the piston drops in the cylinder) while it is sealed off (valves closed) then the intake valve opens. The higher outside pressure pushes air into the cylinder. The easier it is for air to move into the cylinder, the more air can be burned by combustion, and the more horsepower you can make. How do you make it easier to get more air into a cylinder? Port the heads, port the intake etc. Less restriction means more airflow into the cylinder. When you use forced induction, you are actually increasing the pressure pushing air into the cylinder. It is shown/read as boost, as everyone's reference for pressure is atmospheric pressure. The mix of oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor etc exhibits about 15psi pressure on you and your surroundings (at sea level). Absolute zero pressure is the lack of any material/pressure.
It can get confusing, but if you pick up a basic science/physics book you can understand the concept easily enough to adapt to the automotive side.
Hope that helps out, if not, post your questions...