Getting to Know ArcGIS for Desktop

I just completed a graduate course in GIS and remote sensing, and we used this book as the basic guide to using GIS. Prior to this, I had always relied on other people to "make maps" for me. Now I am not only making my own maps, but also using GIS to perform many different types of analysis for my job. This book was key to that - the course I took didn't really cover much GIS in the class materials - that was focused mostly on remote sensing and researching what others have done with GIS. I've sat through probably a half-dozen GIS "workshops" over the years and never really learned anything. Taking your time with this book, and no one standing over your shoulder and telling you which buttons to click, is really the best way to learn. I liked this book so much I ordered 10 more for my staff, and 9 of them have now completed it, too, and are working on their projects to earn the certificate from me that they have mastered basic ArcGIS use. I've now got a backlog of 15 other employees who want to be in on the next round of training! Very highly recommended!

It's a good read that breaks down the use of ArcGIS 10.1 pretty well. The reason it's not 5 star is because once a new version of the software comes out, there are changes not reflected in the book, ultimately deeming your investment relatively useless in the long run. But the software itself is pretty awesome, there's a whole world of data out there and ArcGIS, namely Jack Dangermond, had the foresight and ability to hone the tools needed to relay the comprehension of our environment and encouraged a generation to discover, record, and analyze.

Instructions in this textbook are step-by-step and are usually short, and this makes the process to complete each lesson very easy. Lots of pictures--all in color--show you what each finished map or command should look like on the computer screen. Each chapter begins with conceptual information, then instructs you how to do something particular in the program.The layout of the instructions is great. What you actually have to do on the program is bolded and green. Information about the action you just performed comes after in smaller, black text. Each step is numbered. Because you have to keep looking from the book to the computer screen, this design for instructions is genius. You can easily spot where each step is and keep your place, and you don't have to sift through a ton of text to find the next step.If you don't have much experience with computers, you can still learn GIS with this book. Each window, tab, button, toolbar, or tool is clearly described either by its exact place on the screen or by its appearance. Most of the time, there is even a picture of whatever it is in the book, right next to the step, in color. The book may even be excessive or repetitive in this respect, showing or describing to you each time what you need, but never bothered me--quite the opposite, it really helped.This repetitiveness is also true for the steps it takes to complete certain processes. You will be instructed how to complete a process for the first time in one lesson, then in following lessons you may be asked to complete that process again for a different map. Many times after you learn the process for the first time and are asked to repeat this process, there are instructions in case you can't remember how to do it. When this isn't true, the book clearly tells you exactly what process they want you to do, so it is easy to go back and find the instructions.The only thing I dislike about the book and program is that it is so easy to complete the actions without really taking note of what you're doing that you can very easily forget how to do what you just learned by the next lesson. You are taught to do so much in a very short amount of time, and there is no built-in review or "on-you-own"-style practice. I think a review or a practice at the end of each lesson would be helpful in retention by making you think critically and reinforcing the steps and processes in your mind.At my school this course is required as a core class of the geography program. GIS is a very important system for geographers to know nowadays, (as well as professionals in many other fields). That being said, I had no interest towards this class or program and found it boring. But I cannot criticize the textbook because it makes the class simple and as painless as possible. The book is of course dull, but only because it is an instruction course for a computer program. It couldn't possibly be interesting. It could totally be difficult and inefficient--but it isn't.

Very thorough and great for beginners of ArcGIS. Very hands on, so expect to USE the software, not just read a book about it with this book. Highly recommend as a book for your reference library even if you're past the beginning stages of using the software. It covers more than just the basics, and delves into more intermediate and a touch of more advanced topics.

I use this book as a text book for many beginner level GIS classes I teach. It includes great examples and exercises which provide students with real world uses of GIS and how it can be done using Esri's ArcGIS for Desktop applications. The hands on exercises are invaluable to students learning how to use ArcGIS for Desktop. Actually using the application to perform various GIS related tasks drives key points home and build the students confidence with the software.

Great book

This was the main text book for my intro to, and advanced, GIS college courses. It is mainly an instructional guide to the lessons. We used it in conjunction with another text that covered the concepts and definitions in depth.

Needed this for my class, great quality.

Acheté pour une remise à niveau rapide. Je connaissais déjà ArcGIS mais ne l'avais pas utilisé depuis des années.Ce livre est très complet et abordable (l'anglais utilisé reste facile d'accès). Il s'adresse aussi bien à des débutants complets qu'à des personnes ayant déjà une petite connaissance.Les exercices sont détaillées étapes par étapes avec de nombreuses images, et traitent de la majorité des situations rencontrées dans le traitement de l'information géographique. Pour les cas plus particuliers, il faudra se tourner vers une autre publication.En conclusion bien que le prix soit élevé, je trouve que l'on en a pour son argent, d'autant plus que vous disposez d'une version d'essai ArcGis avec ce livre

A great guide to get started with ArcGIS. I'm also taking a class and this complements it well. Although, I couldn't find some material that was online...

Il libro espone tutte le principali funzioni del programma iniziando dai rudimenti, ma non approfondisce alcun aspetto operativo che vada oltre il primo approccio, è un ottimo libro quindi per chi inizia ad approcciarsi al software esri, ma da sconsigliare a chi già pratico. Lodevole la licenza di valutazione per 180 gg

Great book. Instructions for using the software are very detailed and informative. I would definetly recommend getting this book. I highly recommend it especially if you're new to ArcGIS

Needed it for a class