Review
"This book makes the key ideas and materials of GIS accessible to professionals in public health. It takes the reader from first principles to conclusions through well-developed chains of reasoning...There is no book that currently covers this subject in this way. Its references are current and virtually complete. It will be a very valuable source for professionals in this area and it will be useful from the beginner's level to the advanced. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the material it covers as well as with the quality of the discussions. I expect that it will be warmly received."--Gerard Rushton, Department of Geography, University of Iowa
"No other book provides such a thorough introduction to GIS technologies, data, and methods of analysis, while focusing explicitly on issues and applications salient to public health practitioners, medical geographers, and epidemiologists. Cromley and McLafferty expertly balance the applied and the academic, the conceptual and the technical. Their writing is clear, concise, and practical. This book deserves to be widely read by both experienced and potential users of GIS in public health, as well as social and behavioral scientists who encounter geospatial data in their work. It will serve as an excellent text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses."--Stephen A. Matthews, Population Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University
"While texts exist on GIS and medical geography, there is a strong need for a work that deals explicitly with GIS for public health applications. Now that need has been filled. This book not only outlines basic concepts of GIS use, but also explains in a very lucid manner a range of spatial analytical techniques that can be applied to the goal of improving human health. This book will serve as a useful text in upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level courses. It is also a valuable reference for anyone who plans to apply GIS tools and techniques to public health."--Carol Hanchette, PhD, Medical Geographer and Senior GIS Analyst, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
About the Author
Ellen K. Cromley, PhD, is Professor of Geography at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, and is affiliated with the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut. Her research is primarily concerned with geographical patterns of health and disease, health facility location, and GIS design to support public health surveillance and intervention programs. She has published in geography, epidemiology, public health, and health services journals.
Sara L. McLafferty, PhD, is Professor of Geography at the University of Illinois at Urbana/n-/Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Her research explores the use of spatial analysis methods and GIS for health and social issues in cities, as well as gender and racial disparities in geographical access to services and employment opportunities. She has published in geography, epidemiology, and urban studies journals and serves on the editorial boards of Economic Geography and Health and Place.
