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Is GIS Really for Dummies?

Timothy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:00:54 +0000

A new book has just recently been published called GIS For Dummies by Dr. Michael N. DeMers. Dr. DeMers is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the New Mexico State University. This book helps introduce the Geospatial industry to those who may not be familiar with Geographic Information Systems. If you are not sure what GIS is, then I would suggest that you check it out! It seems to cover a little bit of everything.

For those of you have been in the GIS industry for a while, I question the actual need for this book. I understand that a lot of people think they are GIS professional, but are far from it. They would definitely benefit. I find it interesting that the authors describe its readers with this statement:

Whether you’re in charge of creating GIS applications for your business or you simply love maps, you’ll find GIS For Dummies is packed with information.

Do application developers really compare to map lovers? There is a big gap there. I do not think that one book can really cover adequately this entire spectrum. As a GIS professional, I would think that if there is a particular topic we want to learn then we will find a more specific GIS book.

Although I have yet to read this book, I would be very curious to see what this books holds. As stated on the back of the book, the following can be found within the pages:

How to get paper maps into your computer

How to create animated GIS output

Different ways to measure distance

How to organize your spatial data

What raster and vector mean to a cartographer

How to choose a GIS software vendor

How GIS can help you determine appropriate land use

Dozens of applications for GIS queries and analyses

All I can say is that you should form your own opinion. As an individual, you will find your own personal benefits that others will not. You will only get out of this book what you expect. Expect nothing, get nothing.

GIS For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Other Books by Dr. Michael DeMeres

Fundamentals of Geographical Information Systems

GIS Modeling in Raster

Basics of Geographical Information Systems

GIS System Architecture Design

Timothy — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:09:02 +0000

Anyone who spends a bit of time in the GIS industry will find the importance having a solid system foundation. If you or your company is new to GIS, then it would be wise to adequately plan the system infrastructure before investing in a system. But how do you know what to plan for? It can easily be overwhelming and costly if not well educated in this topic.

For help with this topic, Dave Peters with ESRI has put out a new book called Building a GIS: System Architecture Design Strategies for Managers. This book has laid the following areas to help present the facts before any decision is made.

Part I: Understanding the technology

Chapter 1 System design process

Chapter 2 Software technology

Chapter 3 Network communications

Chapter 4 GIS product architecture

Chapter 5 Enterprise security

Chapter 6 GIS data administration

Part II: Understanding the fundamentals

Chapter 7 Performance fundamentals

Chapter 8 Software performance

Chapter 9 Platform performance

Part III: Putting it all together

Chapter 10 Capacity planning

Chapter 11 Completing the system design

Chapter 12 System implementation

Related Information:

Podcast with Dave Peters

Press Release: Directions Media

System Architecture & Design Zen…

http://gisdk.blogspot.com/2008/07/building-gis.html

http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?articleid=562364

Other GIS Book Reviews

Learning GIS with the Kindle

Timothy — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:17:01 +0000

Amazon.com had made it a little easier to access GIS books. The Kindle is a device that allows you to access your books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs at a click of a button. You can carry this 10.3 ounce device anywhere. It works great outside as well as indoors. The screen has been designed to reduce eye strain. The cool thing is that the topics available are endless. The GIS list for the kindle provides some great topics.

One thing I like about the Kindle is the ability to do a search on a certain topic and it will return all downloaded books found with the topic. There is also a dictionary for when you need to look up a certain word from withon the text. This can be a big help when reading GIS topics. Now you can carry the content of all those massive GIS books in one small device.

Here are some of the GIS topics available for the Kindle:

Click here for more info on the Kindle.

Cartography Intro Guide Book

Timothy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:00:30 +0000

An excellent reference book for basic cartography techniques is the Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users book by Cynthia Brewer. Although this book does not go into extensive detail, it does cover the essential components of map making and cartography. The book is an easy read book with graphic illustrations.

Areas that are covered within this book are design, type, colors, symbols, and additional elements. In the area of design, the topic covers determining your audience, establishing your purpose, and setting your layout. Within the type category, Brewer helps the reader understand the purpose of different type settings. In the section on color, she uses the ColorBrewer techniques and also shows how to use the right colors for the map’s intent.

I believe that this book should be on every cartographer’s shelf. Check it out today!