Earth System History

Customer Reviews:

Excellent beginner book for geology........2006-01-19

This book covers general geology and the fundamentals of earth processes and paleontology. From earthquakes to evolution, this book gives at least a superficial and fundamental view of each major topic. The images and diagrams are by far the most impressive part of this book. Full color diagrams, photos and drawings help to illustrate practically every page.

Chapter 1: historical theories in geology as well as the basics of geology from the rock cycle to geologic time.

Chapter 2: minerals, rock properties and types of rocks.

Chapter 3: basic scientific organization of life and fossils.

Chapter 4: environment and its relationship with life.

Chapter 5: sedimentary rocks, soils & environments including glaciers, lakes, deserts, rivers and the ocean.

Chapter 6: geologic time, stratigraphy basics and dating methods.

Chapter 7: evolution basics, concepts of extinction, evolutionary trends.

Chapter 8: plate tectonics - evidence, consequences and general mechanisms.

Chapter 9: orogenesis (mountain building) - processes, introduction to structural geology.

Chapter 10: introduction to geochemistry - chemical cycles, isotopes, atmospheric trends related to weathering rates, climate-related isotopes and mineralogy.

Chapter 11 - Chapter 20 each deal with a major phase in geologic time from the creation of the planet to the movement of the plates to the great ice ages and finally to the modern era.

The CD, while helpful, essentially contains the same information as the book. I personally did not find it any more or less helpful than the book itself.

As a text book, it's decent!.......2005-11-04

Earth System History, Second Edition was my textbook for Geology 1001, and to my surprise I could actually read it without falling asleep. This is not to say that it is a page turner, but the pictures are interesting and Stanley skips a lot of the cheesy textbook speak. I'm not sure I would buy this book if I wasn't required to, but if geology is your thing- it would be great.

It is wonderfull !.......2000-03-20

Everybody that is interested in historical geology and paleontology must have this book. It is clear with a lot of informations, has beautifull pictures and a fantastic CD ROM. One of the best I bought last year !

Our Changing Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Our Changing Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change (3rd Edition)
Fred T. Mackenzie
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130651729

Book Description

This book offers a general, interdisciplinary discussion of global environmental change oriented toward the non-specialist in science. The unifying theme of the book is consideration of aspects of both natural and human-induced global environmental change. The two part organization according to this distinction allows for easy reading on specific topics. This book is useful for anyone interested in learning more about Earth's systems.

Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)

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ArcGIS
Worthwhile
The perfect guide to learn ArcGIS
Not with Vista
Echo Prior

Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
Tim Ormsby , Eileen Napoleon , and Robert Burke
Manufacturer: Esri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9.0 (GIS Tutorial series)
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The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis Volume 1: Geographic Patterns & Relationships
The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis: Volume 2: Spatial Measurements and Statistics

ASIN: 158948083X

Book Description

With revised material and new exercises based on ArcGIS version 9, this updated work acquaints geographers and GIS professionals with the principles of GIS as it teaches the mechanics of using ArcGIS software. Conceptual material is followed by scripted software exercises. Necessary GIS skills are presented in a variety of areas--map symbology, data overlay, map projection, and data conversion--as the making of maps and the analysis of geographic data is conceptualized. Spatial modeling exercises using the Model Builder technology of ArcGIS version 9 are also provided. Other topics covered include organizing data, planning a GIS project, creating derived data, and presenting results.

Customer Reviews:

ArcGIS.......2007-09-28

The Book is perfect. I received activation and registration from the publisher the next business day for starting use the software. I am perfectly satisfy with the product.

Worthwhile.......2007-09-14

Very through tutorial. Successfully completing the lessons in this book would probably be worth 4 semester units if it were a college level course.

It can be a little obtuse at times therefore 4 stars not 5.

The perfect guide to learn ArcGIS.......2007-08-27

Complete, easy to use and with a lot of color illustration step by step, the best guide for a software i have ever read...

Not with Vista.......2007-08-10

This is a good book for learning ArcGIS. Just don't expect to run the provided software, ArcVIEW 9.1, on Windows Vista. Some features work fine, others crash the program.

Echo Prior .......2007-07-02

An earlier comment reported, "it doesn't address theory of GIS programs in general that well, and I felt like my hand was being held a little too much in some things." I certainly agree. The book is simply a series of examples. The examples are repetitive in part. There is very little explanation. Using up 10 pages to demonstrate drag-and-drop functions is really not necessary.

The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery

Average customer rating:

A Better Reference Than A Reader
Have they read the book?
God in a cheap suit
Sure this book sucks, buuut...
First-rate scholarship

The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery
Guillermo Gonzalez , and Jay Richards
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Privileged Planet
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Unlocking The Mystery Of Life

ASIN: 0895260654

Product Description

Is Earth merely an insignificant speck in a vast and meaningless universe? On the contrary: The Privileged Planet shows that this cherished assumption of materialism is dead wrong. In this provocative book, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards present a staggering array of evidence that exposes the hollowness of this modern dogma. They demonstrate that our planet is exquisitely fit not only to support life, but also to give us the best view of the universe, as if Earth were designed both for life and for scientific discovery. Readers are taken on a scientific odyssey from a history of tectonic plates, to the wonders of water and solar eclipses, to our location in the Milky Way, to the laws that govern the universe, and to the beginning of cosmic time. The Privileged Planet contains astounding findings that should lead any individual to reevaluate and even to reconsider our very purpose on what so many have dismissed as nothing more than an accident of cosmic evolution.

Customer Reviews:

A Better Reference Than A Reader.......2007-08-14

I really appreciated the work & thought that went into this book. I was already a proponent of intelligent design & actually got boored by the extensive examples of cosmological features that suggest design. Someone new to the subject & open-minded might find it far more interesting. The issue itself has eternal consequences & is therefore inherently interesting.
I was impressed that these fellows are capable philosophers of science & did well in their presentation of their argument as well as responding to criticisms. My main challenge for the intelligent design camp is to focus it's excellent critical examination skills upon the assumptions that undergird mainstream dating methods for the earth & cosmos. This is a weak link for them, which has been pricked by authos such as Kenneth R. Miller in Finding Darwin's God.

Have they read the book?.......2007-08-12

I do find it interesting to note, from the one star reviews, just how many of these "reviewers" take on the concepts of the book rather than engaging in personal insults and name calling. Seems like this book, and others, strikes a nerve that the secular humanist has a hard time dealing with?

Overall, this is a fabulous book. Written at an appropriate level of technical detail for general readers but chock full of the references to the hard science underlying the ideas. Like the distance from the earth to the moon, the diameter of the earth and the diameter of the moon. This interesting "coincidence" that these few facts present allow us to enjoy a total solar eclipse. The eclipse, in large part, allows us to understand what the sun is all about. We can then generalize to other stars in the universe. My what an interesting group of coincidences. These facts sounds like "Christian Science" to me?

Just as Michael Behe and Michael Denton and scores of others are rightfully bringing up questions about "just so" stories in biology relative to how we got here Guillermo Gonzalez and Mr Richards are bringing up many questions relative to just exactly where our earth happens to find itself in the universe.

God in a cheap suit.......2007-08-01

This is not a book about science, this is a book about a myth, written by people who do not understand science.

Worthwhile to look through to see what an "intelligent design" believer will claim.

Sure this book sucks, buuut..........2007-07-30

Sure this book sucks, but it's great for scientists and philosophers to use as a teaching guide for what is not science. There are so many fallacies, straw men and just plain false "facts" that it makes someone who is a scientist sick to his stomach. This kind of propagandistic filth is what holds back science and our youths from advancing. Thanks Gonzalez!

First-rate scholarship.......2007-05-15

On many occasions, I have loaned the DVD summary version of the book, "The Privileged Planet" to my college students to challenge their thinking in the field of Intelligent Design. The results have almost always been favorable. What is especially engaging about both the book and the DVD, is the "non-preaching" format: the research is purely scientific and presented in a manner that a wide range of readership should both understand and appreciate. My only "critical" comment would be this: the authors systematically build a scientific foundation of contingency. Since Jay Richards has a strong background in philosophy, I would have enjoyed an approach to the subject based upon Aristotle and his development of the argument of contingency. But this is a moot point. If you have high school students, read the book together with them and discuss.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

A Great Introduction to Earth
Best Earth Systems Science text so far
Gaia explained by scientists
This is the best textbook for earth system science
Good overview of how our earth works

The Earth System, Second Edition
Lee R. Kump , James F. Kasting , and Robert G. Crane
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Earth System History
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ASIN: 0131420593

Book Description

The first book of its kind that addresses the issues of global change from a perspective of Earth as a system, The Earth System offers a solid emphasis on lessons from Earth history that may guide decision-making in the future. This book teaches global change and how it affects our environment. Modern topics covered by this comprehensive book are the atmosphere and global warming, the circulation of the oceans, plate tectonics, ecosystems, the origin of Earth and life, the rise of oxygen and ozone depletion, biodiversity, and climate stability. Because of its incredibly detailed appendices, tables, and suggestions for further reading, this will make an excellent reference work for geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, and geographers.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Introduction to Earth .......2007-05-23

I read this book outside of a class context. I am not well-versed in chemistry or geology (both are very important in earth science), but I was able to understand a majority of The Earth System. The book is lucidly written and provides a fine analysis of the dynamics of both small and large-scale planetary change.

I bought and read The Earth System with the goal of understanding the science behind global warming: little did I know what a tall order that was! Global climate is enormously complex and contains far more variables than the layman would imagine. Scientists do not and probably will not understand global warming in the same way that they understand less complex phenomena.

The climate system is Chaotic. The best we can do is understand the causal relations that exist within it, plug observed data into computers, and hope that the predictions based on computer modeling will be accurate.

Current modeling technology will predict today's climate by running simulations on what we know of conditions on Earth 150 years ago. The agreement between a variety of simulations that predict future climate based on current conditions is the basis of the scientific consensus that global warming will occur.

Best Earth Systems Science text so far.......2006-09-29

I'm a prof at a small liberal arts college, and I love using this text in my upper level course on global change. It works well with non-science majors, as well as with the more advanced science students. It does a superb job with climate change science, which is one of the major focii in my course. It doesn't hesitate to use real physics, math, and chemistry, yet at the same time is accessible to the non-science folks. Lee Kump is one of the premiere geoscientists in the field, and he has lent his broad understanding to this excellent text. It might also be fun to simply read the book if you are not a student.

Gaia explained by scientists.......2006-09-26

Kump has worked with James Lovelock of 'Gaia' fame on modelling Daisyworld. I'll let the reviewer discover what that means in this title.(But also see REVENGE OF GAIA, 2006, for Lovelock's predictions for our heating planet).
This is the best book for geoscientists and geographers in training who have an interest in climate past, present, and future. An excellent college level scientific supplement to popular works on climate change and earth systems science.

This is the best textbook for earth system science.......2002-12-07

Earth System Science is a new field, one that evolves much more quickly than textbooks can be revised. This one is as current as you can expect, and it approaches the field of science in a much better way than any other textbook I have seen. In particular, most earth system texts approach the field by morphing from a traditional discipline. Usually, it's a geology textbook revised to include atmospheric, oceanic, and climatic studies. But earth system science requires an interdisciplinary approach from the start, a problem based approach. Our global environmental problems need this approach, and this book covers them in a reasonably detailed and accurate manner.

Good overview of how our earth works.......2001-12-30

I used this book for an introductory environmental studies course. The book is full of information I had never before discovered. The chapters clearly describe how smaller cycles and feedback mechanisms relate the health of the earth as a whole.

Book Description

This book is designed to serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of maps. It explains how to use maps to obtain information about a wide variety of topics. Throughout the book, maps are viewed in a broad framework. Thus, the discussion includes mental maps, aerial photographs, remotely sensed images, computer-assisted cartography, and geographical information systems, in addition to traditional printed maps. The writing style is neither formalistic nor casual, with an emphasis on clarity of explanation. The discussions assume that the reader has no specific prior knowledge of the topic, so that even novice map users can understand and use the information and techniques presented.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent course textbook.......2003-03-24

I received a copy of this book from the publisher when I was teaching a university course on cartography. The textbook for the semester had already been selected, so I used this book originally as a second resource while preparing lectures. By the end of the semester, I found myself using this book as the primary source for topics and explanations and suggested it be used in future semesters.

This book explains concepts such as projections and coordinate systems in ways that are easy to understand, particularly for new students. The explanations are thorough without bogging down in details. The figures are large, many take up a full page. They are helpful, relevant, and excellently reproduced. The chapters on terrain representation, contours, and topographic features are exceptionally good (there are almost 40 examples of terrain representation) The remote sensing and GIS chapters are brief and introductory, but those are topics best left for other books.

I was a little skeptical when I first saw this book, since it appeared to be a somewhat thin, and we were using Robinson's book, which is basically a standard. But, I would recommend this to any map student, teacher, or user. It packs a lot of information in its pages. I still use it as a reference (...).

Great Help.......2001-03-22

If I were stuck on a deserted Island like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, and I could only have one book, it would be this one. It would help me to get off the island and determine my global positioning! Lots of help.

A Cartographer's View of the World.......2000-10-02

When you've been working in a field for 30 years it's really difficult to drag yourself backwards and review data you already know, so when I signed up for a GPS (Global Positioning Sattelite) software course I looked at "Map Use & Analysis" by John Campbell as something I could just skip over, but since it was required reading I finally got it out. I was really pleased with the depth of material and the extremely clear explanations of all those mystifying cartography words. Anyone who has no idea about mapping or is a begining student will be able to use this book. The format is excellent with terms higligted and the index and dictionary are well coordinated. I feel that this book is such an excellent reference that I am buying a copy for myself. The only negative thing I have to say is that the illustrations, which are plentiful seem to wander several pages ahead of text, but they are carefully numbered and correspond exactly to the descriptions. Well done! Les L. Johnson

The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution (with InfoTrac and Samson's Earth Systems CD-ROM)

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The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution (with InfoTrac and Samson's Earth Systems CD-ROM)
James S. Monroe , and Reed Wicander
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology (7th Edition)
Laboratory Manual for Physical Geology by James Zumberge
Lab Manual for Physical Geology
Earth Lab: Exploring the Earth Sciences
Elements of Ecology (6th Edition) (Ecology Place Series)

ASIN: 0534375502

Book Description

THE CHANGING EARTH is the first text specifically written for the combined physical and historical geology course. The content is based on the best-selling texts PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH and HISTORICAL GEOLOGY: EVOLUTION OF EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME both written by James Monroe and Reed Wicander. Many of the same features pervade in this edition including a strong emphasis on student relevance and comprehension. The authors lively writing style and abundant use of analogies draw students' into the material, while a completely integrated pedagogical structure enhances comprehension of important concepts. Throughout, the text emphasizes the connections between the content and students' own lives, allowing them to learn more easily and develop a greater appreciation for physical geology.

GIS Data Conversion: Strategies, Techniques, and Management

Average customer rating:

Very good introductory and reference text.

GIS Data Conversion: Strategies, Techniques, and Management
Pat Hohl
Manufacturer: OnWord Press (Acquired Titles)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Modeling Our World: The ESRI Guide to Geodatabase Design

ASIN: 1566901758

Book Description

This book provides an all-important overview of the issues involved in GIS data conversion projects, positioning data as the foundation of any GIS. Among the issues readers will explore are: understanding and locating data; allocating personnel, budgets and time; documenting the process; becoming familiar with the target system; selecting conversion and input methods; understanding the ramifications of transfer standards; and safeguarding data quality. Not overly technical, the book does a good job of explaining some of the more abstract concepts related to data conversion that can be difficult to convey and comprehend, such as data source types, synthesis and formats.

Customer Reviews:

Very good introductory and reference text........1999-06-13

This book is a very well written general introduction to data conversion in GIS. The separate chapters are written by contributors with expertise in the particular aspect of data conversion. It is readable, even by people with little technical knowledge or computer experience. I gave it to a friend of mine and he commented on this readability. There are some technical errors contained within various chapters, but nothing that would affect the actual data conversion process. I have recommended this text for our GIS course. The text does not promote the virtues of any particular vendor's GIS software and adheres to teaching basic principles of GIS data conversion. There are particularly well-written chapters on project management and quality control. The book price is well within the budget of most students. Some lab exercises would be a fine addition to this product.

Geographic Information Systems and Science

Average customer rating:

Geographic Information System and Science - Longley
GIS complete under one cover; computer-literates will likely find it tedious
Melds GIS theory with practice

Geographic Information Systems and Science
Paul A. Longley , Michael F. Goodchild , David J. Maguire , and David W. Rhind
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
Mastering ArcGIS with Video Clips CD-ROM
GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9.0 (GIS Tutorial series)
The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis: Volume 2: Spatial Measurements and Statistics
The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis Volume 1: Geographic Patterns & Relationships

ASIN: 047087001X

Book Description

The first edition of Geographic Information Systems and Science has taken the GIS textbook market by storm, selling over 22,000 copies since publication. It is the most current, authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the field, that goes from fundamental principles to the big picture.

GISS 2e builds on the success of the first edition:

Completely revised with a new five part structure: Foundations; Principles; Techniques; Analysis; Management and Policy
All new personality boxes of current GIS practitioners
New chapters on Distributed GIS, Map Production, Geovisualization, Modeling, and Managing GIS
Specific coverage of current hot topics:
- GIS and the New World Order
- Security, health and well-Being
- Digital differentiation in GIS consumption
- The core organizing role of GIS in geography
- The greening of GIS
- Grand challenges of GIS science
- Science and explanation

A new suite of instructor resources including a companion website with an on-line lab resource and personal student sullabus and a cehensive Instructor’s Manual that maps the textbook to various disciplines and levels of courses.

Customer Reviews:

Geographic Information System and Science - Longley.......2007-05-16

A good book for persons wishing to study the basic principles of GIS. Easy to understand although some of the examples may be a little abstract for persons with limited theoretical geographic or practical reference background. Experienced GIS persons may find it strong on explanations but a little short on practical applications.

GIS complete under one cover; computer-literates will likely find it tedious.......2007-03-10

I bought this book to provide the intellectual background to "Getting to know ArcGIS", for a class I'm taking. It's fine for that, I guess, with one caveat: I found it very slow reading, for a number of reasons.

At the outset, a lot of time is spent justifying why the 'S' in "GIS" stands for 'Science', not just 'Systems'. They talk a lot about how GIS helps in generating fundamental theories of science, but doesn't really offer examples. It just came off like a bunch of academics who just don't get enough respect. But there's nothing wrong with technology, and I don't know why the authors would want to justify what is clearly technology as science. (Technology is the application of science, in my book).

Another problem, for me at least, is that it is written at such a basic level. It takes a whole page or more, talking about how data can be ordinal, nominal, categorical, etc. I just felt like the book could have been a third of the size it is, without losing much. I recognise that not all readers will find this the problem I did.

I can see why it's highly regarded: apparently, it is really the first book to gather everything you need to know about GIS under one cover, and that's no mean feat. If you have an engineering/physical science background (bachelor's level), and have ever written your own computer program, you'll likely find it tediously slow and overly explicit. (If you already know the difference between 'raster' and 'vector' graphics you'll likely feel this book is too slow.)

It's still worth reading for the history it gives about the field, and the profiles of current GIS users.

Melds GIS theory with practice.......2006-12-13

Longley's book is a well-written comprensive introduction to GIS applications, principles, techniques, analysis, and management and policy. I have the 2nd edition. Longley and coauthors clearly describe the main principles of GIS, such as representation, spatial autocorrelation, georeferencing, and uncertainty along with basic modeling, visualization, and queries. I am a nonscientist who used this book in tandem with Price's Mastering ArcGIS. Longley's use of illustrations, tables, and biographical sketches of GIS users are apt and useful. Technical boxes demonstrate mathematical formulas that the GIS is utilizing. The "further reading" section at the end of each chapter is subject-targeted and up to date. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about learning GIS.

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