The ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis Volume 1: Geographic Patterns & Relationships

This book helps you make the transition from making maps to doing GIS analysis.


Great place to begin   March 19, 2006
GIS user (Henderson, NV USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Some ESRI books are only extended marketing brochures. This is not. If you need a book that will help you understand GIS analysis, this is a great place. Mastering the techniques described in this book will cover 75% of the demands in the market. The book is referenced and so if you need more you can seek out the sources used to write the book.

This book is for GIS analysts, not for folks interested in building databases. This is an essential reference for GIS analysts. that is heavily booked marked and sits on the self near my desk so I can refer to it. It is useful for people starting out and experienced GIS users.

It is weak on network analysis and remote sensing. So look elsewhere for that.




A Great Starting Point   August 30, 2002
David Edwards (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

You have to take this book for what it is. An extremely basic, starting point for any would-be GIS Analyst. The book contains wonderful examples of how one may use GIS to analyze "real world problems" using both raster and vector models. This book in essence shows people how GIS can be used to analyze problems, without specifically showing them how to analyze problems. I would recommend this book for people who are new to GIS analysis and IT managers who's departments use GIS. While this book will not demonstrate how GIS problems are solved, it illustrates what kinds of problems can be solved using a GIS, any GIS. This book, although it is published by a software company, is not a software manual by any stretch of the imagination (and it was not intended to be one). The examples can be replicated on any commercially available GIS package.

Note: Do not buy this book if you are an advanced GIS user, you probably already know most of what is contained in the book.


analyzing spatial patterns concepts   May 22, 2006
Gary Sprandel (Frankfort, Kentucky)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This book presents concepts of analyzing spatial patterns include mapping where things are, mapping the most and least, mapping density, finding what's inside, finding what's nearby, and mapping change. Some of the best sections were tables comparing methods, for example: comparing standard classification schemes, contrasting mapping density versus building a density surface, methods to determine if features are inside another and straight-line distance versus network versus surface distance methods of comparing distance. There was no discussion of systematically analyzing variability in geospatial data, which would be important in understanding statistical differences. The section on mapping change surprisingly stayed away from discussions of level of trend.

Although good on concepts, this does not mention the specific tool in ArcGis or the various extensions. I would have appreciated some cross-reference to specific ArcGIS tutorial or help on methods to do these.