Michael F. Goodchild National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis University of California, Santa Barbara
"This is not a software manual, and it rightly avoids tying to any particular brand or version of GIS. So although its origins are in ESRI, it should be valuable to users working with other brands of GIS, and will be useful to professionals who are concerned about interoperability across different brands, because of its focus on the basic principles of simple spatial analysis rather than on any one software product. ESRI has done the field a great service by sponsoring and publishing this book".


Book Description
Spatial analysis is where the GIS rubber hits the road, where all the hard work of digitizing, building a database, checking for errors, and dealing with the details of projections and coordinate systems finally pays off in results and better decisions. But spatial analysis has often seemed inaccessible to many users--too mathematical to understand, too difficult to implement, and lacking in good textbooks and guides. Here at last is the ideal book, written by Andy Mitchell and based on ESRI's vast experience with applications of spatial analysis to a host of real problems. The book covers every area of GIS application, so readers will find examples that relate directly to their own concerns, whether they be in hydrology, transportation, or regional planning. The organization is intuitive, with sections on all of the major forms of simple spatial analysis. This book will appeal to GIS users in all areas of GIS application. It will be invaluable reading for people encountering GIS for the first time, and wanting to see where its real power lies. It will make an excellent textbook for courses in GIS in high schools, community colleges, and undergraduate programs, and as a supplement for practical work. Although, the best way to learn what GIS Analysis can do for your projects is to use it. So buy this book and begin getting results and making better decisions. For more information on what GIS Analysis can do for you please read the Excerpt section of this page.


Book Info
Provides the background you need to move into the world of geographic analysis. Discusses the basic tasks that give you the ability to handle a wide range of analysis applications. Provides you with the building blocks you need to tackle more complex problems. Softcover.


From the Publisher
In the next decade, the use of GIS analysis will grow. A new type of user will emerge--the spatial scientist. A significant number of GIS users will emerge as advanced modelers. Our goal is to help you expand your analytical GIS skills and sophistication. To do that, ESRI plans to add another book to this series covering more advanced analysis concepts and methods.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Backed by the collective knowledge and experience of the world's leading Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company, this book presents the concepts and methods that will allow users to unleash the full analytic power of their GIS. Volume I of this two-part guide shows how to map and analyze patterns and relationships. It present the most common methods for finding where things are located, what is at a particular point and what is nearby, and how far apart they are. GIS users will learn how to find the most and the least of any quantity-such as chemicals in the soil or traffic on a highway-and how to monitor things that change, such as erosion or toxic spills. The pros and cons of each method of analysis are presented, as well as how to choose between different methods and how to effectively communicate the results. Topics also include how to map categories and quantities, how to classify data, and how to summarize data by geography.

SYNOPSIS