Customer Reviews

GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9.0 (GIS Tutorial series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I use this book (as a teacher) in a GIS class at a community college. It has that rare mix of step-by-step directions and challenging, thought provoking exercises. Each chapter starts with a tutorial that is well explained and thought out. Interspersed are "Your Turn" exercise that allow students to flex their muscles a bit. The directions are easy to follow, with color screen shots and explanations.

At the end of each chapter is a set of 2 exercises. Students are given an assignment, provided with a few hints, and then need to use what they learned in the tutorial to complete the exercise. This allows students to do some thinking on their own, which many other ArcGIS software books neglect. In my years of experience as a teacher and from using this book in class, I can say that the exercises are what make this book stand out.

The authors provide great support for teachers using this book. There is an instructor's CD with assignment answers and grading sheets. Included are 2 Case Studies that I assign as homework. They even provide slides for use in lectures! The authors have also been quick to respond to any questions, comments, or suggestions from me and my students.

I would recommend this book to any instructor using ArcGIS. Unless you hate Pittsburgh (some of the exercises use Pittsburgh data) I think you will like this book.

If you're looking for a step-by-step-hold-your-hand-guide to ArcView then this is your book. However ...and this is a big However... you'd better learn each lesson thoroughly as you go along, because there is no index. Let me repeat... no index. Oh, sure there's pages and pages of ESRI software license agreement, but no index. That being said, it is a fine reference and a good place to learn the basics.

For a workbook for ArcView 9, Wilpen Gorr and Kristen Kurland's GIS Tutorial is the perfect item of choice. It pairs a 180-day trial version of ArcView 9 on CD-ROM and data with exercises which require learners to perfom basic GIS tasks without step-by-step instruction - requiring both thought and a real ability to understand ArcView rather than routine memorization. Students learn how to use ArcView 9 to create maps, collect, collate and analyze data, and more. Many a teacher will make this a course text.

If you want to learn GIS, this is the book for you. It teaches you how to use ArcGis and ArcMap very effectively. I have bought and used this book to learn GIS and by the end (about 3 months) I was very comfortable doing my own GIS analysis, without needing the book in front of me. The examples and tutorials in the book which guide you through the material, are easy to follow but challenge you to learn the material, which is the goal. The assignments at the end of each chapter reinforce what was taught in each chapter very well. They are very applicable and after completing all the assignments I consider myself very capable at using this complex program. I have tried to learn many programs from books and found that, although GIS is probably the most powerful and complex program i've tried to learn, this book teaches you better than any other. It makes it very easy to learn GIS and apply its powers. The CD provided is adequate to learn the program as well. The book also can serve as a reference when doing other GIS work, as key commands and concepts are well organized throughout the book and are easily referenced. I wish all other programs had a book which was this easy to use!

Any collection involved in GIS systems and computer mapping must have Wilpen L. Gorr & Kristen S. Kurland's GIS TUTORIAL: WORKBOOK FOR ARCVIEW 9 (1589481275 $69.95) at hand: it's an outstanding tutorial with a cd which provides essential insights to the GIS industry standard ArcView program, surveying all aspects of how the program operates and navigates. The workbook approach lends particularly well to either classroom assignments or individual paced studies, promising a lasting reference which covers all the basics of how ArcView operates - including the traps and tricks.

We used Mastering ArcGIS in a GIS practicum course-dual level, and did 2 chapters a week including all exercises. I had had several GIS theory courses with a bit of GIS practice,and found it frustrating, although I got through it. I then decided to use the GIS Tutorial book to pick up some stuff I might not know, and to prevent me from forgetting it all over the summer. It would have been much better to use this book first--I have learned a lot I didn't know--then progress to the Mastering ArcGIS book. I admit I'm older than the average college student-we didn't even have calculators when I was a student the first time, so I didn't grow up with computers, but had one once they came out. If any professors are reading, use this book first for your GIS lab.

This is a great publication for beginning GIS users. It goes through each ArcView function in a step by step process with visual aids for each step so you know you are on the right track. The tutorial CD is very helpful too.

Im into my sixth class in GIS and this tutorial covers a lot of what I got bits and pieces of. Its a great book that walks you through everything. I'm up to chapter 6. Some vague things and some mis-prints

I originally purchased this book for a college class that I am taking. It is easy to follow and self-explanatory. It is so easy to use that you almost don't need a professor to teach you. This book is wonderful. Almost anyone could pick it up, install the software that comes with it and be using GIS in moments- with ease. This book will wt your appetite for what GIS is capable of doing. There seem to be no limits, just one's imagination.

Although enclosed CDs were used previously (cannot be used twice) the information contained was useful. Book arrived in good condition and well packaged.