This edition of Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop is no longer available. Click here to order Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Second Edition, Updated for ArcGIS 9.3.

The second edition revises existing material and adds new exercises based on ArcGIS Desktop version 9.2. As with the previous edition that sold over 75,000 copies, and Getting to Know ArcView which sold over 150,000 copies, the second edition for ArcGIS acquaints readers with the principles of GIS as it teaches them the mechanics of using ArcGIS Desktop software.

Each chapter in Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Second Edition contains conceptual material followed by scripted software exercises. Readers acquire skills in a variety of areas—map symbology, data overlay, map projection, and data conversion, to name a few—as they make maps and analyze geographic data. The book culminates with a set of spatial modeling exercises using the ModelBuilder technology of ArcGIS version 9. ModelBuilder is a graphical environment for representing, automating, and solving spatial analysis problems.

Its broad scope, simple style, and practical orientation make Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Second Edition an ideal classroom text and an excellent resource for those learning GIS on their own. A trial version of ArcGIS Desktop version 9 and sample geographic data is included with the book. No prior knowledge of GIS or GIS software is needed.

Please Note:
Trial Software: Included with the book is a fully functioning 180-day trial version of ArcView 9.2 software on DVD, as well as a CD of data for working through the book's exercises. Once installed and registered, the single-use software cannot be reinstalled, and the time limit cannot be extended.
Operating System(OS): The single-use ArcGIS Demo Edition software on the CD in this edition requires the Microsoft® Windows® XP or Windows 2000 operating system.
Hardware requirements: A minimum 1GHz processing speed; 512 MB RAM; 1.5 GB free hard disk space, including 50 MB on the operating system drive; an additional 285 MB hard disk space is required for the exercise data.

Tim Ormsby is the co-author of the best-selling books Getting to Know ArcView GIS, Extending ArcView GIS, and Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.

Eileen J. Napoleon went to work as a geographer after receiving her master’s degree in geography, first for the U.S. Forest Service and later for ESRI, where she has worked in GIS education for several years. Napoleon remains passionate about geography and education and enjoys teaching GIS and geographic concepts to those who are new to the subject.

Robert Burke is a senior instructor and technical writer at ESRI and teaches GIS and programming courses at the University of Redlands. He is the author of Getting to Know ArcObjects and co-author of the best-selling book Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.

Laura S. Bowden is a geographer and education specialist with ESRI Educational Products. She co-authored Community Geography: GIS in Action and Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.

Carolyn Groessl is a former technical writer for ESRI Press.

ISBN: 9781589480834    2004   588 pages   $64.95