ESRI Press has a new book out, a tutorial for ArcView 9 by friends-of-the-IAJ Wilpen Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland at Carnegie Mellon University. What's of special interest to journalists is the example projects, one "creating a voting district map for a local election" and another "comparing county financial information in a map."  These, and more, would be perfect fits in a journo's tool box.  Don't be put off by the list price of $70; Amazon has it marked down to $45.

New GIS Tutorial Book Provides Self-Study Instruction for ArcView
21, 2005 -- Redlands, California—All geographic information system (GIS) users, from classroom instructors to field surveyors, can now turn to a common resource to enhance their work.

A new workbook from ESRI Press shows how GIS meets the needs of a wide range of professions and technological abilities. GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9 offers exercises and instructions that users can adapt to specific training needs, whether it is teaching GIS in a classroom or using the book for individual study. The book takes readers through the process of using a variety of GIS functionality, from creating maps and collecting data to using geoprocessing tools and models for advanced analysis.

GIS Tutorial includes scripted exercises that use detailed step-by-step instructions and graphics to illustrate specific ArcGIS tools and GIS workflows. Exercise assignments give precise instructions and pose real-world problem scenarios including creating a voting district map for a local election, comparing county financial information in a map, geocoding household hazardous wastes, and analyzing populations in California cities at risk for earthquakes. A fully functioning 180-day trial version of ArcView 9 software on CD-ROM and a CD of data for working through the tutorials are included with the book.

GIS experts Wilpen L. Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland prepared the book with comprehensive instruction in mind. Gorr is a professor of public policy and information systems management at the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kurland holds a joint faculty appointment at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management and School of Architecture, where she teaches GIS, CAD, 3D visualization, and computer-aided facilities management.

GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9 (ISBN 1-58948-127-5, 374 pages, $69.95) is available in bookstores and online retailers worldwide or can be purchased at Amazon Online Store or by calling 1-800-447-9778. Outside the United States, contact your local ESRI distributor. Books published by ESRI Press are distributed to the trade by Independent Publishers Group (tel.: 1-800-888-4741, Web: www.ipgbook.com).

For pricing information or to order a copy of "GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9," visit Amazon Book Store.
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