Geographic Information Systems and Science [Paperback]

Paul A. Longley (Author), Michael F. Goodchild (Author), David J. Maguire (Author), David W. Rhind (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047087001X | ISBN-13: 978-0470870013 | Publication Date: March 22, 2005 | Edition: 2

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the nicest features is the book’s accessibility … this is a must-have reference guide for all newcomers to the field, be they students or professionals.” (GISProfessional, July / August 2005)

From the Back Cover

Geographic Information Systems and Science has become the pre-eminent textbook in its field, for students and practitioners alike. Its unique approach communicates the richness and diversity of GIS in a lucid and accessible format. This fully revised and updated second edition reinforces the view of GIS as a gateway to science and problem solving, sets out the scientific principles that govern its use, and describes the impact of people on its development, design, and success. The second edition of Geographic Information Systems and Science includes:

• A new five-part structure: Foundations; Principles; Techniques; Analysis; and Management and Policy
• New chapters on Distributed GIS, Map Production, Geovisualization, Modeling, and Managing GIS
• All-new personality boxes of current GIS practitioners
• New real-world applications of GIS
• New or expanded coverage of important current topics:
  • Location-based services
  • Distributed computing
  • Virtual and augmented realities
  • Homeland security
  • Business GIS and geodemographics
  • The emergence of geoportals
  • Grand challenges of GIScience

• A new suite of instructor and student resources hosted on the companion Website www.wiley.com/go/longley, including on-line GIS lab exercises and an instructor manual.
• Links to further reading in the abridged edition of Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and Applications, edited by Longley, Goodchild, Maguire, and Rhind.

The second edition of Geographic Information Systems and Science is essential reading for undergraduates taking courses in GIS within departments of Geography, Environmental Science, Business (and Public) Administration, Computer Science, Urban Studies, Planning, Information Science, Civil Engineering, and Archaeology. It is also provides a key resource for foundation GIS courses on taught MSc and other higher-degree programs. Where courses are highly modular, this book will support not only the technology and environmental elements but will give a business, managerial and societal context – and show how these tie together, no one element being of value if seen as ‘an island’. Professional users of GIS from governmental organizations and industries across the private sector will find this book an invaluable resource with a wealth of relevant applications.

Comments on the first edition:

"Once in a generation a textbook appears which redefines its field and becomes the standard for years to come. This is such a book." Bob Barr, GI News, May 2001

"anyone who uses any form of formal GIS education in the future will have this book listed as the core text for many years to come." Civil Engineering Surveyor, November 2001

"Geographic Information Systems and Science is a landmark in the evolution of GIS. It is a book that captures and redefines the richness and diversity of GIS, in an accessible form". Geometre Landmeter, March 2002

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (March 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047087001X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470870013
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geography > Information Systems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GIS complete under one cover; computer-literates will likely find it tedious, March 9, 2007

By 

F. Gibbons (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geographic Information Systems and Science (Paperback)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melds GIS theory with practice, December 12, 2006

By 

Sabres Fan (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geographic Information Systems and Science (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Geographic Information System and Science - Longley, May 16, 2007

By 

Glynis Ford (Jamaica) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geographic Information Systems and Science (Paperback)

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.