DeMers M.N. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems

Wiley, 2009. — 461 p.The book brings an already essential text up to date, capturing the significant developments in the field and responding to the needs of a diverse set of readers, from geographers to students in a host of other fields.
If you are a non-geographer or new to GIS, get a quick introduction to the 'lay of the land' of GIS through the new 'Spatial Learner's Permit' section. Then join in the excitement of discovery with GIS databases as you absorb the such concepts and skills as digital geographic data and maps, GIS data models, spatial analysis, measurement and classification, cartographic modeling, and GIS design.
Responding to both the needs and technical skills of today's students, this Fourth Edition:
Makes concepts accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds
Offers more practical and relevant coverage of GIS design and implementation
Reflects the latest changes in GIS applications
Examines in greater depth the underlying computer science behind GIS
Uncovers the most recent developments on GIS research
Expands coverage of the increasingly robust literature on cartographic visualization
Includes Web-based labs and links to current and updated dataset resources
Taking an open-ended, hands-on approach that gets you to ask your own questions about the underlying concepts, the Fourth Edition helps you not only master the basics but acquire the active problem-solving skills that are a key component of success in the GIS industry.