Product Description
Landscape architecture - the design, planning, and managementof natural and built enviroments - is a discipline grounded in spatial thinking.For progressive landscape architects, geographic information systems (GIS)technology is an increasingly important software tool for organizing digital spatialdata in an accessible and logical manner.This allows landscape architects toconsider more design options and to do so more quickly and efficiently than everbefore.This book shows that this technology is no longer the exclusive realm of geographers and scientists.Through actual examples, you'll learn how landscapearchitects, land planners, and designers now rely on GIS to create visualframeworks within which spatial data and information are gathered, interpreted,manipulated, and shared.How are landscape architects using GIS? This is the subject of this book; tencase studies discuss the reasons for using GIS as well as the methods.So buythis book and discover what GIS can do to make you and your business moreproductive, competitive, and profitable.Bonus CD -Test drive ArcView GIS, the easy-to-use software for viewing andanalyzing geographic information.Learn what GIS is and how it works in sixmultimedia presentations.See and hear how ArcView GIS software performsbasic GIS tasks.Use a trial copy of ArcView GIS software to work through atutorial using a variety of data. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Slow and Poor Service
I ordered a book on 8-31-10 and contacted the seller when it kept showing 'not shipped'. It took the seller 5 days to get back to me only to say that they don't have the order. I would strongly discourage anyone from ordering from this 'operation.' I have ordered textbooks online for 4 years and this is the worst seller I have ever had to deal with.

Buyer Beware. If you get your merchandise .... your lucky.... I wonder if Ill get the refund? Probably not.

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER!!!!

es un resumen interesante
describe los tipos de proyectos con respectoa a la utilizaciopn del SIG como herramienta para diseñar paisajes

nice examples of real projects
While somewhat biased towards ESRI software, this book still managed to capture the essence of what real LAs are doing with GIS.What it lacks in technical detail, it more than makes up for with its very nice graphics andmaps. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Good Condition!
This book arrived in great condition and exactly as described. Would buy from seller again. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

Geographic Information Systems are an essential tool for analyzing and representing quantitative spatial data. Qualitative GIS explains the recent integration of qualitative research with Geographical Information Systems.  

Making reference to representation, analysis, and theory throughout, the text shows how to frame questions, collect data, analyze results, and represent findings in a truly integrated way. An important addition to the mixed methods literature, Qualitative GIS will be the standard reference for upper-level students and researchers using qualitative methods and Geographic Information Systems.

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Straight forward
Easy to read.Excellent primer for those of us picking up Map Server.

I didn't worry about the older version it describes as I was after core concepts of the server and not specific command lines.

It's gotten me started.

Good primer for the novice
If you think you want to dabble in open source geospatial Web Services, this is a good book to learn about the fundamentals.I would have liked to see more coverage of OGC standards.

Good overview of web mapping
This book is readable, nice to look at, and does a good job of pulling a lot of information into one place. Finding information about the different GIS packages in the web is a challenge. If you don't know GIS already, like me, you're lost. This book helped me find my bearings, and in no time I was able to take shapefiles, do processing on them, and display the results in a web page dynamically.
The problem with this book is that it's fairly shallow. It will give you a couple of basic examples of how to use some pieces of software, but for anything more complicated, you have to look elsewhere. There is frustratingly little information on mapscript, but, overall, I'd say the book fulfills its role.

Great if you know nothing about free software - otherwise avoid the book...
To be short and to the point... the title basically covers the primary issue I had with the book... I felt most of the book could be summed up in about 20 pages but yet it was still a full book of how to go get a free piece of software, connect a GPS, and chart where you were going...

Note: I was most likely disappointed because I was truly looking for a much more technical discussion on how GPS databases work and how to decode GIS information.In the past when I have prucased books form the publisher they were much more in depth on technical aspects of the systems, data, and so forth.In this case it was a discussion of how to sue free software and a GPS... no truly what I had in mind.

Oh, well... other I'm sure will enjoy it... just didn't fill the bill for me...

MapServer, PostGIS, OGR etc.
Author doesn't assume you know anything. Examples are UNIX, but he explains very well. He doesn't talk down to Windows users (apparently Mapserver installs easily on Windows). Very exciting. Explains map projections well. Good reading on the airplane. If you're an open source geek and/or a GIS person and a UNIX enthusiast, you'll be very happy. ... Read more

Product Description
Geographic information systems (GIS) have become a fact of life in most large and small local governments, and the business of local government is to make decisions in the public interest. Using the varied case studies included, this comprehensive resource looks beyond the mechanics of systems and screens to show how local governments can make geographic information systems true management tools. By exploring the innovative ways to use GIS to improve local government operations, the case studies provide a framework of understanding of the unique capabilities of GIS and also allow imaginative individuals to explore new avenues for utilizing this increasingly important technology-a technology that helps integrate public values into decision making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

not worthy
If you have certain knowledge about GIS skip this book. If you are a totally beginner it may be helpful to understand how to use this tool. The quality of the book is awful as all the pages fall loose after a while.

GIS
Well it is a good book for beginners like me. But it does not cover the main processes. I did not think that GIS is such a complex software to use. You can not learn how to use GIS from this book but you can have a basic idea what is GIS, what is the meanings of some terms, why it is used, where it is used, etc. As every book it has pros and cons. About pros it is easy to understand, cons it is too short and does not encompass everything.

Poorly bound
My copy fell apart the first time I opened it due to poor binding. I found the writing to be not really focused, it rambles a bit. ... Read more

Product Description
Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS is an introduction to the critical issues surrounding mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) across a wide range of disciplines for the non-specialist reader.

• Examines the key influences Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and cartography have on the study of geography and other related disciplines
• Represents the first in-depth summary of the “new cartography” that has appeared since the early 1990s
• Provides an explanation of what this new critical cartography is, why it is important, and how it is relevant to a broad, interdisciplinary set of readers
• Presents theoretical discussion supplemented with real-world case studies
• Brings together both a technical understanding of GIS and mapping as well as sensitivity to the importance of theory

Product Description

A concise, down-to-earth guide to creating maps using GIS, this book is visually engaging, clear, and compelling--exactly how an effective map should be. Featuring over 300 maps and other figures, including instructive examples of both good and poor design choices, the book covers everything from locating and processing data to making decisions about layout, map symbols, color, and type. For students, professionals, and others who want to make better maps, this is an essential, uniquely helpful resource. The author's website (http://makingmaps.owu.edu) offers excerpts from each chapter, links to related sites, and a regularly updated blog on the topic of making maps.

Customer Reviews (10)

Keep Looking
I bought this based on the reviews here at Amazon.This book presents some good ideas, most of which are intuitive, and in totality makes for a decent desk reference for the cartographer.However, as someone else has pointed out, the formatting of the information on the page is unimpressive and I would add, confounding and hard to read.

Most of the example maps in this book are black & white, and somewhat randomly placed in a sea of white space. After reading I'm still wondering what the author is trying to say with his stylistic choices. In either case it certainly weakens Krygier's point of view on 'a Visual Guide to map Design' imo.'General mapping ideas presented in a pseudo-minimalist fashion' would make for a better title. Props for including a nude though.

-> Buy one of Brewer's books, you won't be disappointed.

good product
this is a good product.it has nice color maps and very visual.lots of good ideas and techniques.

Very Helpful
Very Helpful book.
As a GIS student at the university of Washington, this book was recommended by our professor to help design our maps.
It has proved to be very useful.
More color would have been nice, but book is still worth it's price.

Very limited in scope
This is not a bad book, but the title and description bear almost no relation to its content. The audience of the book seems to be people who have occasional use for maps, but don't need a very professional product. The text is limited to thematic map design; there's very little about how different map projections work or how geographic features would be represented. There is consideration of some design elements, but the examples used were very limited in scope and somewhat artificial. Finally, there's almost no information about GIS, other than that it exists and can be expensive.

Format makes this book a disappointment
I was honestly disappointed with this book, so much so, that I returned it to the seller.Although the subject matter it contains is quite good, the layout and presentation leave a great deal to be desired, especially for a book that is focused on cartography and which costs over $40.

My 2 greatest irritations with it were the following: 1) There is virtually no color in the book, with the exception of a few color plates in the middle.2) Although the book's dimensions are roughly 9" x 7", the material contained inside appears to have been formatted for a small paperback.On average, it appears each page contains more than 50% whitespace.It feels like you are looking at a reduced slide show presentation that was converted into a grayscale printout.

My advice to prospective buyers of this book is to buy a copy of Monmonier's classic, "How to Lie with Maps", and Cynthia Brewer's excellent, "Designing Better Maps - A Guide for GIS Users" instead.The cost will be about the same - for 2 books.

To the authors of this book I say, "Nice try, but c'mon, you can do better than this.You're cartographers for Pete's sake!" ... Read more

Product Description
Spatial dimensions need to be properly captured if modeling and engineering techniques are to be successfully applied in addressing environmental problems. The links between the geographical information systems (GIS) that capture this data, simulation modeling, and engineering offer tremendous possibilities for building versatile support systems for managing the environment. GIS, Environmental Modeling and Engineering focuses on using GIS and external models to solve real environmental problems, promoting the critical thinking needed for the effective applications of these systems and their analytical outputs.

Divided into three major sections, this textbook first concentrates on defining GIS, identifying how data is structured, and explaining common functionality. The text examines GIS from a technological perspective, exploring the evolution of its scientific basis and its synergies with other technologies within a geocomputational paradigm. The next section explores modeling from a neutral scientific perspective in its role of simulating phenomena, as well as from a more specific perspective in its role within environmental science and engineering. The third and largest section looks at how GIS and simulation modeling are joined. It provides case studies and covers issues such as interoperability, data quality, model validity, space-time dynamics, and decision-support systems.

This volume provides seniors and postgraduate students with a structured, coherent text that goes beyond introductory subject matter by enabling readers to think critically about the data acquisition process and the results they get from the technology. ... Read more

Product Description

Spatial Databases is the first unified, in-depth treatment of special techniques for dealing with spatial data, particularly in the field of geographic information systems (GIS). This book surveys various techniques, such as spatial data models, algorithms, and indexing methods, developed to address specific features of spatial data that are not adequately handled by mainstream DBMS technology.

The book also reviews commercial solutions to geographic data handling: ArcInfo, ArcView, and Smallworld GISs; and two extensions to the relational model, PostgreSQL and Oracle Spatial.The authors examine these underlying GIS technologies, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and consider specific uses for which each product is best suited.

* Examines the strengths of various query languages and approaches to query processing.
* Explains the use of computational geometry in spatial databases GISs, providing necessary background and an in-depth look at key algorithms.
* Covers spatial access methods, including the R-tree and several space-driven structures, and is filled with dozens of helpful illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My second-favorite title for advanced GIS concepts
This textbook is an excellent resource for people specifically interested in the theoretical nuts and bolts of spatial databases. The book covers a lot of ground in just over 400 pages. It would be an excellent text for an advanced GIS programming course for either geography students or computer science students. For the geography student, the text provides an excellent coverage of database concepts while drawing on familiar topics. For the computer science student, the book extends basic knowledge of DBMS for spatial applications.

The book is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter is completed with an excellent bibliographical review of relevant publications. This review, alone, is worth the price of the book.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Spatial Database: Covers basic concepts of SQL, DBMS and spatial data.

Chapter 2: Representation of Spatial Objects: This chapter should be familiar to anyone with a GIS background but would fill in the gaps for computer science students. The section on formats and standards is a bit dated but provides a nice theoretical background - especially for the Census TIGER data.

Chapter 3: Logical Models and Query Languages: Opposite of Chapter 2, this chapter will challenge the Geography student while further grounding the Computer Science student in GIS data types.

Chapter 4: The Constraint Data Model: Here the authors choose to introduce some unique material in the form of the constraint data model. The model is designed specifically to encode spatial data in a basic relational model. The chapter even breaks down the model into relational algebra statements. For most teaching purposes, this chapter can be skipped.

Chapter 5: Computational Geometry: An odd gem in a text on spatial databases. This chapter provides a basic introduction to computation geometry techniques and their application to spatial data. One of the most significant aspects of a spatial databases is that it encodes geometric representations of geographic phenomena. Basic computational geometry is a necessary extension for a database to truly support spatial data. Pseudo-code is given but I would recommend the classic Computational Geometry in C (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) for detailed implementations. This chapter will be challenging for Geography students but simple for Computer Science students.

Chapter 6: Spatial Access Methods: The biggest challenge for spatial databases is spatial indexing - adding a true sense of "where" to SELECT...WHERE! The chapter focuses mostly on classical index structures - B-tree, R-Tree, etc. This would be a good chapter for a "short week" as it is either a research focus or matter of "it just works". Students who desire to research spatial indexing will find the chapter lacking. Others will find it overwhelming.

Chapter 7: Query Processing: Like Chapter 6, this chapter delves into details that only a student truly interested in researching spatial indexes or developing new databases would be concerned with. The chapter presents how the spatial index is utilized for joins and relates.

Chapter 8: Commercial Systems: Any book that attempts to survey existing software is always out of date. This chapter might be of historical interest but is hardly worth covering. The section of PostgreSQL is interesting but better material exists on the web.

Overall, the book is well written and clearly presents the material. The coverage is focused on applications to spatial databases. My favorite advanced GIS textbook is GIS: A Computing Perspective, Second Edition.

A book for deep technical understanding Spatial Databases
Last summer, when I was asked to present an "Advanced GIS" course for some of grad students in Geomatics, I was fortunate enough to find this book on my first round of serach. It is a great book with deep technical explanation of the subject and its applications. It is more a type of textbook than a book can be used by general public. However, public users may still find some chapters informative. I recommend this book as a grad textbook for those who need technical undetrstanding of spatial databases in GIS.

A textbook geared to advanced GIS analysts
Very nicely written book. It is quite technical, with a very detailed and mathematically-oriented exposition. More suitable for a classroom teaching or for a GIS software developer/expert analyst than for the average user. Contains great chapters on representation of spatial objects and concepts, and computational geometry algorithms.

A must have for a GIS software developer or a GIS analyst trying to gain a deeper understanding of GIS database organization and optimal query algorithms. Too deep for beginners and occasional GIS users.

Many years of researches are collected into 1 place
I have been in GIS and graphics research and development for more than 10 years. GIS is a area that is mixed with technical and management issues greatly; therefore, there is very few truly technical books that is focus on computing issues in GIS.
I am really excited to see this book because it compiles tons of research materials into 1 place. My 2 boxes full of research papers can go into basement while I am having this book as the constant reference. The book got a very coherent presentation of the large scale data management issues with GIS. Thier description is very accessible. They have tried their best to minimize the amount of mathematics that could be involved.
If you are a beginner, this is a definite starting point to learn about various techniques and issues about spatial data management and computing. I wish I have this book at the start of my career. Much of my headaches to run through all of those research papers can be eliminated.
If you want to implement a spatial data management system, this book alone is not enough. You may need to add few other graphics books and database books to acquire enough background to do so.
Well, you can only ask for so much coverage for a single book. ... Read more

Product Description

Spatial Databases is the first unified, in-depth treatment of special techniques for dealing with spatial data, particularly in the field of geographic information systems (GIS). This book surveys various techniques, such as spatial data models, algorithms, and indexing methods, developed to address specific features of spatial data that are not adequately handled by mainstream DBMS technology.

The book also reviews commercial solutions to geographic data handling: ArcInfo, ArcView, and Smallworld GISs; and two extensions to the relational model, PostgreSQL and Oracle Spatial.The authors examine these underlying GIS technologies, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and consider specific uses for which each product is best suited.

* Examines the strengths of various query languages and approaches to query processing.
* Explains the use of computational geometry in spatial databases GISs, providing necessary background and an in-depth look at key algorithms.
* Covers spatial access methods, including the R-tree and several space-driven structures, and is filled with dozens of helpful illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My second-favorite title for advanced GIS concepts
This textbook is an excellent resource for people specifically interested in the theoretical nuts and bolts of spatial databases. The book covers a lot of ground in just over 400 pages. It would be an excellent text for an advanced GIS programming course for either geography students or computer science students. For the geography student, the text provides an excellent coverage of database concepts while drawing on familiar topics. For the computer science student, the book extends basic knowledge of DBMS for spatial applications.

The book is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter is completed with an excellent bibliographical review of relevant publications. This review, alone, is worth the price of the book.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Spatial Database: Covers basic concepts of SQL, DBMS and spatial data.

Chapter 2: Representation of Spatial Objects: This chapter should be familiar to anyone with a GIS background but would fill in the gaps for computer science students. The section on formats and standards is a bit dated but provides a nice theoretical background - especially for the Census TIGER data.

Chapter 3: Logical Models and Query Languages: Opposite of Chapter 2, this chapter will challenge the Geography student while further grounding the Computer Science student in GIS data types.

Chapter 4: The Constraint Data Model: Here the authors choose to introduce some unique material in the form of the constraint data model. The model is designed specifically to encode spatial data in a basic relational model. The chapter even breaks down the model into relational algebra statements. For most teaching purposes, this chapter can be skipped.

Chapter 5: Computational Geometry: An odd gem in a text on spatial databases. This chapter provides a basic introduction to computation geometry techniques and their application to spatial data. One of the most significant aspects of a spatial databases is that it encodes geometric representations of geographic phenomena. Basic computational geometry is a necessary extension for a database to truly support spatial data. Pseudo-code is given but I would recommend the classic Computational Geometry in C (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) for detailed implementations. This chapter will be challenging for Geography students but simple for Computer Science students.

Chapter 6: Spatial Access Methods: The biggest challenge for spatial databases is spatial indexing - adding a true sense of "where" to SELECT...WHERE! The chapter focuses mostly on classical index structures - B-tree, R-Tree, etc. This would be a good chapter for a "short week" as it is either a research focus or matter of "it just works". Students who desire to research spatial indexing will find the chapter lacking. Others will find it overwhelming.

Chapter 7: Query Processing: Like Chapter 6, this chapter delves into details that only a student truly interested in researching spatial indexes or developing new databases would be concerned with. The chapter presents how the spatial index is utilized for joins and relates.

Chapter 8: Commercial Systems: Any book that attempts to survey existing software is always out of date. This chapter might be of historical interest but is hardly worth covering. The section of PostgreSQL is interesting but better material exists on the web.

Overall, the book is well written and clearly presents the material. The coverage is focused on applications to spatial databases. My favorite advanced GIS textbook is GIS: A Computing Perspective, Second Edition.

A book for deep technical understanding Spatial Databases
Last summer, when I was asked to present an "Advanced GIS" course for some of grad students in Geomatics, I was fortunate enough to find this book on my first round of serach. It is a great book with deep technical explanation of the subject and its applications. It is more a type of textbook than a book can be used by general public. However, public users may still find some chapters informative. I recommend this book as a grad textbook for those who need technical undetrstanding of spatial databases in GIS.

A textbook geared to advanced GIS analysts
Very nicely written book. It is quite technical, with a very detailed and mathematically-oriented exposition. More suitable for a classroom teaching or for a GIS software developer/expert analyst than for the average user. Contains great chapters on representation of spatial objects and concepts, and computational geometry algorithms.

A must have for a GIS software developer or a GIS analyst trying to gain a deeper understanding of GIS database organization and optimal query algorithms. Too deep for beginners and occasional GIS users.

Many years of researches are collected into 1 place
I have been in GIS and graphics research and development for more than 10 years. GIS is a area that is mixed with technical and management issues greatly; therefore, there is very few truly technical books that is focus on computing issues in GIS.
I am really excited to see this book because it compiles tons of research materials into 1 place. My 2 boxes full of research papers can go into basement while I am having this book as the constant reference. The book got a very coherent presentation of the large scale data management issues with GIS. Thier description is very accessible. They have tried their best to minimize the amount of mathematics that could be involved.
If you are a beginner, this is a definite starting point to learn about various techniques and issues about spatial data management and computing. I wish I have this book at the start of my career. Much of my headaches to run through all of those research papers can be eliminated.
If you want to implement a spatial data management system, this book alone is not enough. You may need to add few other graphics books and database books to acquire enough background to do so.
Well, you can only ask for so much coverage for a single book. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide to creating a dynamic GIS data model helps database managers design a schema that has comprehensive and descriptive query definitions, a user-friendly cartographic display, and increased performance standards. The five steps for taking a data model through its conceptual, logical, and physical phases, including modeling the user’s view, defining objects and relationships, selecting geographic representations, matching geodatabase elements, and organizing the geodatabase structure are studied in detail. A look at nine decision points that deal with concerns common to all data modeling exercises, such as validating feature geometries, modeling linear networks, managing raster data, and labeling map features help database managers fine-tune their GIS data models. Several design models for a variety of applications are considered including addresses and locations, census units and boundaries, stream and river networks, and topography and the base map. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book for geodatabasee design concepts
I used this book for developing GIS data layers.The book explains geodatabase relationships and concept very well.It also provides a lot of case studies and examples on how to create parcel, street, census, etc. geodatabase schemas.I highly recommend this book for someone who has a basic understanding of RDBMS and geodatabase design.

Green Bay, WI

Designing Geodatabases: Case Studies in GIS Data Modeling
I needed a copy fast for class and paid $18 for overnight shipping. The order did not arrive till a week later. In the mean time, I ordered another copy and got it before the overnight shipping. The extra cost offast shipping is worthless.

A must for GIS model design & appraisal
All chapters are clearly developed, explained, organized and illustrated.

It is worth reading either as a first try into GIS database design or as an authoritative source for on-going model design appraisal.

It only lacks a chapter devoted to network modeling such as those employed by electric, water or gas utilities.The water hydro model does address 'networks' but it is of a very different sort and is not apt for utility modeling.

Buen libro, buena compra
la forma de desarrollo de cada tema esta muy bien explicado, mas alla de como armar una base de datos el libro proporciona un conocimineto claro para entender de los elementos en una base de datos y su relaciones. Da un esquema amplio que puede ser replicado para otros topicos donde sea necesario implementar sistemas parecidos.

Design ideas and scenarios
This book provides a good introduction of steps and principles in designing geodatabases and the importance of information products and identifying thematic layers.The book presents 7 complex models: streams and river networks, census units and boundaries, addresses and locations, parcels and cadastre, surveying federal lands, using raster data, cartography and the base map.For each model they present the features, feature data sets, relationships, and topology rules. Readers working in these 7 areas will probably gain most from the book.

I would have also liked simpler examples and more design principles on grouping features into feature data sets. One of the strengths of this book is in stressing the value of topology rules, and feature data sets are needed for topology rules.With a database background, I would have liked fuller exploration of database relationships and normality contrasted with GIS relationship classes, relates, and joins, since data is often "flattened" when put into GIS.Readers of this should probably start with Modeling Our World: The Esri Guide to Geodatabase design byMichael Zeiler.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Friendly book
I am in social science and this book works great for me. I recommend this book!

Very swift; and what arrived was exactly what i bought online
my order arrived promptly in good shape. the price was quite reasonable and i also benefited from free shipping

a very good introduction
This book is a workbook that guides the user through the functionality of Arcgis.The examples are clear.The only thing that I suggest is that in order to use this workbook for a course, there should be some time devoted by the instructor to lecturing about other aspects of GIS.

Great Resource!
I'm working on a teaching moduel for an independent study in GIS and I purchased this book to help me understand how GIS can be used in the Health field. IT'S OUTSTANDING! For any GIS instructor out there, you should check out this book, because the chapter assignments are brilliant from a teaching stand point. They force the user to really explore how GIS is used in the world today and look beyond the simple tutorial commands to introduce you to the software. The assignments make you explore the internet for data and learn how GIS is being used elsewhere. By far the best GIS book I've used sofar.

Excellent practical learning
This tutorial is written in clear and concise language.It introduces basic GIS operations in a logical stepwise progression which is ultimately a comprehensive basic course.The tutorial is very hands-on and interactive and it makes very good use of screenshots and other illustrations.It is a very effective learning tool in the field of public health GIS. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

The place to start
There is not much choice. If you want to use free GIS software and you are starting out, you'll pretty much need to buy this book to get an overview of the possibilities.
Not that it's perfect, the book is necessarily a little outdated now, since the versions of such software such as Quantum GIS are no longer version 0.9 but 1.02 for the stable version and 1.3 for the development version.
But heck it's not the bells and whistles that count, it's the overall picture so you know where to look.
This covers a lot of different FOSS GIS applications, like GRASS UDIG, QGIS,OpenJumpand others, but it gives most attention to GGis and Grass, which is not surprising, given the author is the person who started QGis and it works with Grass.
I would have saved a month of time had I started with this book rather than pester people on forums.

How to create and utilize an open source GIS toolkit
From Google Maps to iPhones and geographic systems at all levels, DESKTOP GIS shows how to create and utilize an open source GIS toolkit using strategies for choosing platforms, blending with other tools, and more. Chapters cover a range of GIS options, from using GDAL and OGR and analysis tools to PostGIS and other systems. Any collection strong in GIS systems in general and open source tools in particular needs
this.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Recommended! Desktop GIS: Mapping the Planet with Open Source Tools
Desktop GIS: Mapping the Planet with Open Source Tools is a book I have already recommended to several people and organisations around the world who are starting out with GIS.

For anyone looking to explore or map data, from hobbyists to serious biologists, ecologists, etc, this book is the ideal introduction to GIS. It presents the underlying concepts of GIS in a chatty, easy to understand style, and introduces a range of freely available software tools which will enable virtually anyone to map or analyse their data, from beginners looking to plot data on a simple desktop map, to those who wish to carry out sophisticated spatial analyses, this book presents a range of solutions covering them all.

An Excellent Primer on Open Source GIS
The book "Desktop GIS: Mapping the Planet with Open Source Tools" is an excellent resource for students andinstructors in the field of GIS-- or the interested amateur cartographer. Most courses in spatial analysis and map-making are taught using expensive, proprietary software packages that are only available at universities or large consulting firms. Open source GIS software, while widely available, is not well known or used outside of a relatively small circle of power users. Getting up to speed on open source GIS applications used to require a tremendous time investment reading documentation, and asking questions on mailing lists or IRC. This time investment was a series limiting factor for many potential users of open source GIS software.

"Desktop GIS" fills this long-standing gap in the form of example-based and task-oriented documentation. The format of this book should appeal to a wide audience, as it can be used as a flip-through reference or can be read cover to cover for a more comprehensive overview. Already I have leant this book to colleagues seeking more information on QGIS, GRASS, and R integration. This book, and others like it will certainly empower interested users to answer spatial analysis questions and make beautiful maps- without being tied to expensive annual license costs. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Designed for use by GIS professionals and libraries catering to them
This comprehensive methodology builds a business case for existing or planned GIS projects, is designed for use by GIS professionals and libraries catering to them, and explores all the key concepts and calculations for overseeing a GIS project. GIS project managers and business and computer libraries will find this a winner.

Valuable Information
authors of this book present in a clear and concise manner the economic benefits that can be derived through the implementation of a geographic information system or GIS.The step-by-step methodology detailed in the book to quantify the return on investment is clearly explained and the supporting Web site: http://gis.esri.com/roi/ provides valuable supplemental information. ... Read more

Product Description
Interest among public health practitioners and academics is growing rapidly in the opportunities afforded by GIS, particularly in Europe and the US.Written by a varied group of authors,the primary focus of this book is on real practice in the use of GIS in public health. GIS in Public Health Practice covers disease mapping and spatial analysis, then moves on to GIS applications in communicable disease control and environmental health protection, and applications in health care planning and policy. It also explores issues surrounding the use of GIS in public health, particularly data availability, data protection and e-governance. This book is for practitioners, with its detail of the methods used in the different applications and its identification of opportunities and potential limitations. Researchers and graduate students studying public health and epidemiology should also find it useful. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent introduction
Easy to read.Comprehensive.Easily one of the best IT books that I own.I am in Australia, but the US emphasis did not detract from my learning experience.

Good overview of web mapping
This book is a great introduction to web mapping for someone new to the subject, either a new developer or a manager. If you already have some GIS skills, this is still a good book, except it is becoming dated. The author is committed to open source tools, and that is the focus of the book.

The first few chapters cover the following:
-Vectors
-Projections
-Rasters

All things that would be useful for someone new and can be skipped by someone with a GIS background.

The rest of the book covers the following general concepts:
-The Open Geospatial Consortium and their web service specifications
-Geospatial databases

The author then gets into specifics on the following:
-Geoserver
-Mapbuilder (no longer an active project)
-Openlayers

He gives some information on Google Maps, Mapserver, and other products, but no real detail.

A very good bock
I was not familiar with GIS system and I got this book to figure out how things work. The book turned out to be a great help for me. Since everything was very new to me I ended up spending a lot of time to learn about the PostGres database, it PostGIS extention and Geoserver. So do not take it as a complete walk through tutorial but it certainly great help when you get stock somewhere. Bear in mind that I am quiet computer savvy and familiar with linux, java and such. Overall, I recommend this book if you are a web developer that wants to deal with spatial data and his needs are beyond things that can be done simply on google Map, yahoo map and such.

Learn To Use GIS In Your Web Apps
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is one of the most important development technologies to be applied in the past few years.By using GIS concepts you can learn to apply geographic code to any and all applications easier and better than ever before.With 'GIS for Web Developers: Adding 'Where' to Your Web Applications' you can learn the ins and outs of how and why you will want to add a GIS presence to your application.With plenty of maps, code samples, and a look at the different GIS viewers and editors out there in the world today, this is a good book for any developer that wants to learn more about GISs and their relationship to GPSs.

Good introduction to the technology.

**** RECOMMENDED

A Real "Map Guy" Shows You How to Get There
We have a hard time as software engineers mastering our own concepts. Once we are asked to work in a non-trivial domain like geospatially-enabled environments, it is easy to get lost (pun intended). This book acts as a map to the world of maps. It shows you where you are; in this case, building web-based applications that need to visualize spatially-oriented data. It shows you where you can go without taking too many trips down unnecessary rabbit holes. In short, Scott walks masterly on the very fine line of theory and practice making it both useful and instructive.

In addition to the informational content, the book is one of the more beautiful computer books I've seen recently. The decision to go with color plates for the images is key. In order to fully appreciate the power of visual contexts like this, you have to see the richness of the data.

I worked on one of the first "whole Earth" environments 14 years ago and would have gone bananas for a book like this. The field has changed pretty dramatically since then with the emergence of both the Web and rich and complicated standards like those we are seeing from the OGC. This book lays enough foundation of the theory and catches you up to the new and sexy tools available to us now.

We are not genetically-programmed to stare at words and tables. We are visual creatures and gain real insights when we can see relationships literally laid out in front of us.

Do your customers and users a favor and add some "where" to your applications. Do yourself a favor and pick up this guide to help you along the way. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

Book fine, delivery slow.
The book was in the shape described.I feel that the book arrived extremely slow and was not shipped in a satisfactory container.When I order books in the future, I will make sure to avoid this seller. The book its self is good, lots of information.

informative
had to get this book for a class, basically lived out of this book the entire semester for that class.some interesting stuff for sure

Good beginning
This book is also now out of date - things change quickly in GIS - but is a great way to begin learning.

Best service
Really, I have impressed with your dispatching services which are good.GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9

very good for a self paced tutorial
This book is very good for a self paced tutorial on learning the basics of GIS.I used it as a refresher after taking a GIS course in college, but I'm sure that even with no experience with GIS, this would be a useful learning tool. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Useful
I'm not very good at making maps and its because I don't know all the little tricks to making nice maps.This book helps show how to make nice readable maps.I have the other one as well but this one seems a bit more useful.

A must have reference book for GIS users
I accidently purchased "Designed Maps" thinking I was getting Cynthia Brewers other book "Designing Better Maps", but I stumbled across something great.Brewer does a superb job of illustrating sound and well thought out map design to any level of GIS user.I originally purchased the book when I was taking a cartography course and it was a lifesaver.Anytime I was puzzled as to how I could best present the information at hand, I was able to flip to a similar map in "Designed Maps" in order to get a solid feel for how I could approach the problem.

Brewer allows even the most casual GIS user the ability to understand the concepts presented in her examples, breaking down how each of the individual segments can be modified to highlight different cartographic aspects. "Designed Maps" also does a wonderful job of explaining how the map is intended to be used and what the user is supposed to see.I particularly enjoyed the compare and contrast segments which depicted the ways that the same information could be displayed in different manners to highlight individual components.
"Designed Maps" is a must have a for a GIS library.Although the book is published by ESRI Press (it features several tips specific to ArcMap), I found it useful for understanding the specifics of cartographic representation on pretty much any platform.

A powerful sourcebook any GIS collection needs.
College-level libraries strong in either cartography or GIS mapping design will appreciated DESIGNED MAPS: SOURCEBOOK FOR GIS USERS, which offers easy basic guidelines for creating the cartographic effects using ESRI ArcGis Desktop software. These designs show how a dataset may be portrayed by a map, offering demonstration maps with details needed to achieve effective designs. The result is a powerful sourcebook any GIS collection needs.

Great source of ideas
As an experienced GIS user with no formal education in geography/cartography, I found this book to be right down my alley. It's highly visual, but this is no coffee table book - the text actually explains the choices presented to mapmakers, and you get a sense for what works in which situations.

Each of the six sections addresses a particular broad category of map (reference, thematic, special-purpose, etc.), and each has one map that the author has reproduced in four different styles to emphasize different features or optimize for printing. Several other example maps then follow, each with a paragraph to explain some of the techniques used in its production. The book ends with a section that shows how to recreate the effects in the book using ArcMap, which exposed me to features I didn't know existed and lots of new ideas on how to use the familiar dialogs.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a basic feel for how to use GIS software to make maps but doesn't necessarily feel the need to delve into cartographic theory.

Designing maps
Enjoyable collection of maps created to inform.I found the text very useful for my purposes, and an interesting way to compare various map presentation styles.This fits well with her previous book on color use on maps. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A good GIS resource for any field
At first glance one might mistake this book as a textbook for a class on the various uses of GIS in a homeland security context; however its usefulness extends outside of homeland security operations.This book is designed in such a manner that someone with little or no knowledge of GIS could start from the basics (learning the ArcGIS interface and the various types of data) and continue to build upon those skills until they had sufficient knowledge to utilize GIS for homeland security operations.What allows this book to stand out from textbooks is the step-by-step scenario-based instructions that allow users to accumulate GIS skills at their own pace without the need for an instructor-led class.

Perhaps the strongest point of this book in a tutorial sense is the way the exercises integrate the acquisition of data from a variety of sources.The book of course comes with the standard data disk needed to complete exercises, but some of the exercises require that the user explore data acquisition over the internet through sites that offer data pertinent to homeland security.While the data acquisition techniques utilized will likely offer little to the experienced GIS user, it can certainly allow beginning and intermediate users to gain an understanding of the multitude of data sources that are available.This aspect of the book alone extends its usefulness to a variety of subfields that utilize GIS (rather than just homeland security).This book may be of particular interests to organizations whose users regularly interact with state and federal agencies to obtain data either directly or through web-mapping applications.

GIS Tutorial for Homeland Security is divided into 7 chapters.The first 2 chapters provide an introduction to the uses of GIS in a homeland security context and demonstrate how such data can be visualized. The remaining 5 chapters guide the user through scenarios specific to steps within homeland security (Prepare, Prevent, Protect, Respond, and Recover).Each of the chapters features a robust exercise that allows the user to experience exactly how GIS can be implemented to assist in the tasks associated with each step.Throughout the book users gain hands-on knowledge of how to utilize various tools within GIS and experience in how their results can be presented in various formats.The exercises do not focus solely on ArcMap, but also extend to the other programs in the ArcGIS suite.The scenarios featured in the book range from preparing for the possibility of a chemical or explosive attack to restoring critical services following an earthquake.

Although this book is useful in a variety of settings (including as an addition to any GIS users reference library), it is well designed for use in an academic setting.The introduction offers a comprehensive set of notes for instructors on how the book can be implemented in a variety of educational settings (including varying semester lengths).Included on the books data CD is a set of 7 PowerPoint presentations that summarize the concepts conveyed in each chapter.The presentations also provide introductory information for the scenarios.The book's authors propose two situations in which the book can be utilized as a textbook.In the first situation the authors suggest the book as an "application resource for a course in GIS applications in homeland security".In the second situation the authors suggest the book as a "professional development tool for homeland security administrators, first responders, and GIS professionals".

It is important to understand that GIS Tutorial for Homeland Security reserves most of its potential for those users who are just sitting down to use ArcGIS for the first time and need a primer that can get them up and running with the program.Of particular interest to the new user is the 180-day evaluation copy of ArcView 9.3 that comes packaged with the book.Some of the scenarios presented would be helpful to even the more experienced users as they demonstrate how GIS can be integrated into homeland security measures rather than leaving it up to the user to bridge the gap.The chapters are divided into sections that allow the user to digest the information and allow them to learn the material without having to make it their sole focus.If you have an interest in homeland security this book will show you the potential of GIS.Even those outside of homeland security can take advantage of this books simplistic format to expand upon their current knowledge and pick up a few new skills.

An especially highly recommended classroom text
Any college-level library strong in GIS education in general and security practices in particular will find Susan Lindell Radke and Eddie Hanebuth's GIS Tutorial for Homeland Security a weighty, solid hands-on instructional applying GIS technology to planning and operations goals established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Step-by-step instructions for applying problem-solving capabilities of the ArcGIS software are accompanied by exercises for students, making this an especially highly recommended classroom text. ... Read more