Customer Reviews

Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, 2nd Edition Update with Integrated Lab Exercises

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is unquestionably one of the finest GIS textbooks available today. It covers not only the basic input, data management, and reporting concepts, but includes sufficient depth of spatial analysis issues that anyone not able to take additional geographic analysis courses will come away with enough practical knowledge to truly unleash the power of geographic information systems.

I am a GIS novice, and am about 1/3 of the way through the book. There is definitely a lot of useful and current information in this book, so I find it worth reading. However, I feel editorial work on it is needed in several ways. There are numerous examples of sloppy use of English (both in choice of words and in paragraph structure), discussions that are overly abstract, and explanations that are lengthy yet unclear. This was not universal, but occurred annoyingly often. On subjects I knew something about already, I was able to see how the book's accounts were accurate, but only after puzzling over the author's choice of phraseology. I will definitely have to look elsewhere for an understanding of map projections, database structures, raster models, and other topics.

Too much time is spent early in the book belaboring an abstract conceptual framework, where some concrete examples would serve much better. It was also disconcerting that certain terms are used without being defined (or only defined very abstractly), forcing the reader to guess meaning from the context. Yet other relatively simple terms are defined at length. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are sometimes too open-ended, not focussed on the chapter material.

It is difficult to write for neophytes about a subject one knows intimately -- as I'm sure the author does. Important terms and assumptions are embedded in the one's thinking, so one does not realize that some crucial points are unfamiliar to the student, and one tends to skip certain steps. This book has good coverage of GIS issues, but it would benefit from a more severe editor and from more feedback from the undergraduate audience on which areas need clarification.

I was privileged to take a class from Dr. Demers, himself, using this textbook. I found it to be a great textbook, and I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor in the book, a welcome addition to what I found to be a somewhat difficult and challenging topic. He has a good understanding of the topic, and a sensitivity to the needs of students that is unparalleled. I recommend it to anyone willing to put the effort into learning a new way of looking at geography and the world.

This book needs help, it is verbose. The book could be cut by a third, and would not lose any meaning. Most of the important topics are covered, but the discussions are often difficult to wade through, it takes forever to get to the main point.

There are better introductory texts out there. The ones by C.P. Lo and A.K Yeung, or by P. Bolstad are both more concise, to the point, easier to read, and just as complete in their coverage of topics.

This is book is the most comprehensive introductory textbook on GIS on the market. I highly recommend this book for any newcomer to the field or any GIS professional. It has 200 pages on spatial analysis, a rarity in intro books on the subject.

I totally agree with the two negative review above. This book is unnecessarily obtuse. You should look elsewhere if you are a total beginner. The information does not need to be presented in such a dry, academic manner.

For years it has been impossible to find a balanced text for introductory courses in GIS or to recommend a readable summary to a professional who wishes an introductory overview of this important technology. This is by far the best effort so far and, in my mind, is superior to the other new book by Keith Clarke. The DeMers book is being used in our introductory GIS course at The Ohio State University. The selection decision was made by the inter- disciplinary group of faculty teaching the course.