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References
These materials are the primary and secondary references in our
graduate-level introductory GIS course. Each is either the best in its
class or, despite imperfections, offers something unique for the reader. Wherever possible, we
cite the least expensive version of each book (paperback).
Books are organized into categories, arranged alphabetically (except
"miscellaneous" appears at the end). Within categories they
appear alphabetically by author.
We are always looking to improve these resources and welcome your
recommendation or comments. Send e-mail to our reference
department.

Computer programming
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Programming Pearls,
Second Edition |
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by Jon Bentley |
A collection of articles originally published
in the Communications of the ACM. Easy to read, easy to
understand, insightful, and very practical for anybody who programs in any
language. |
Bentley, Jon.
Programming Pearls, Second Edition.
1999, Addison-Wesley, MA. ISBN 0-201-65788-0 (paper).
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GSLib: Geostatistical
Software Libarary and User's Guide |
Cover unavailable |
by C.V. Deutsch and A. G. Journel |
A set of very clean, efficient Fortran source
code for performing geostatistical analysis (the book includes a diskette). The book is a well-written
user's manual. You need to know something about the practice of
Kriging in order to use this, but if you want to do Kriging at all, the
material is invaluable. Compiling and running these programs isn't
really any harder or more time-consuming than using executable programs,
because all the work of kriging lies in preparing the datasets and the
control parameters. |
Deutsch, C. V., and A. G. Journel,
GSLib: Geostatistical Software
Library and User's Guide. 1992, Oxford University Press,
Oxford. ISBN 0-19-507392-4. (Includes software source code on
diskette.) |
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The Art of Computer
Programming, Volume 3 |
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by Donald Knuth |
Authoritative and rigorous. |
Knuth, Donald.
The Art of Computer Programming,
Volume 3: Sorting and Searching. Second Edition, 1998, Addison-Wesley, MA. ISBN
0-201-89685-0.
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Writing Solid Code |
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by Steve Maguire |
Simple techniques developed at Microsoft to write
reliable, bug-free code can be used by anyone. |
Maguire, Steve.
Writing Solid Code.
1993, Microsoft Press,
Seattle, WA. ISBN 1-55615-551-4 (paper).
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Computational Geometry:
An Introduction |
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by Franco Preparata and Michael
Shamos |
This book shows, through discussion of many
examples, how to design, understand, and analyze the algorithms used in
graphics and GIS. |
Preparata, Franco. P. and Michael. I.
Shamos.
Computational Geometry : An Introduction.
1985, Springer-Verlag, NY. ISBN 0-387-96131-3.
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The Design and Analysis of Spatial Data Structures. |
Out of print
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by Hanan Samet |
Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the
techniques used by GISes to store, manage, and analyze data. |
Samet, Hanan.
The Design and Analysis of Spatial Data Structures.
1990, Addison-Wesley, MA. ISBN 0-201-50255-0.
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Data analysis and statistics
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Spatial Statistics |
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by Brian D. Ripley |
Clear and understandable. |
Ripley, Brian D.
Spatial Statistics.
1981, John Wiley &
Sons, NY. ISBN 0-471-08367-4.
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Exploratory Data Analysis |
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by John W. Tukey |
Everyone who uses, presents, or attempts to
understand quantitative data needs to know these pencil-and-paper
techniques. Copious worked examples, brilliant ideas, yet with as
non-mathematical an approach as one could ever hope for such a subject. |
Tukey, John. W. Exploratory Data Analysis.
1977,
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-07616-0. (Techniques for pencil-and-paper
analysis of data.)
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Map symbolization
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Cartography: Thematic Map
Design |
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by Borden Dent |
Principles of map
design. Elementary but extremely broad coverage. Poorly
edited, though, with many typographic errors that keep the reader
thinking. |
Dent, Borden.
Cartography: Thematic Map Design. Fifth Edition, 1998, WCB/McGraw-Hill.
ISBN 0-072-31932-1.
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How to Lie With Maps |
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by Mark Monmonier |
Carries on with the idea of Darryl Huff's
immortal "How to Lie With Statistics": knowing how to distort
information with maps is the basis of critically evaluating them.
Although it does
not quite achieve the same lighthearted spirit, it is still worth reading. |
Monmonier, Mark.
How to Lie With Maps.
Second Edition, 1996, University of Chicago Press, IL. ISBN 0-226-53421-9
(paper).
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The Visual Display of
Quantitative Information |
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by Edward Tufte |
A classic, beautifully illustrated, frequently
misunderstood: so you have to read it for yourself. If you make
charts, graphics, or maps, rereading it every couple of years will reap
continued rewards. |
Tufte, Edward R.
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.
1983, Graphics Press, CT. ISBN 0-961-39210-X.
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Envisioning Information |
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by Edward Tufte |
A follow up to "The Visual
Display..." More illustrations, some more ideas. |
Tufte, Edward R.
Envisioning Information.
1990, Graphics Press, CT. ISBN 0-961-39211-8.
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Projections and datums
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Map Projections--A
Working Manual |
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by John P. Snyder |
This book is essential for anyone choosing map
projections in the U.S. It contains enough detail to code your own
projection-unprojection-reprojection software, if you really want to, but
it also provides relatively non-mathematical descriptions and
illustrations of a large variety of projections used in the U.S. and the
world |
Snyder, John P. Map Projections--A Working Manual.
(U. S.
Geological Survey Professional Paper 1395.) 1987, U. S. Government
Printing Office, Washington DC. ISBN 0-16-003360-8 (paper).
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Relational databases
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An Introduction to
Database Systems |
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by C. J. Date |
Everybody thinks they understand relational
databases. Few actually do. This is the book that makes a
difference. |
Date, C. J. An Introduction to Database
Systems.
Seventh Edition, 1999, Addison-Wesley, MA. ISBN 0-201-38590-2.
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Spatial analysis (raster model)
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Exploring Spatial
Analysis in GIS |
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by Yue-Hong Chou |
The idea behind this book is good: explain and
illustrate a wide variety of analytical techniques (both vector and
raster). It's still unique in what it covers (a lot) and the level
at which it is covered (elementary, usually), so it's a pity that the
writing is mediocre and the formatting, horrible. |
Chou, Yue-Hong. Exploring Spatial Analysis in Geographic Information Systems.
1997, OnWord Press, Santa Fe, NM. ISBN 1-56690-119-7
(paper).
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Environmental Modeling
With GIS |
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by M. Goodchild et al, eds. |
A collection of articles from the first
environmental modeling GIS conference, Boulder, CO, 1991. Some are
classics, others are now outdated. Worth a look, but the price is
high. |
Goodchild et al., eds. Environmental Modeling With GIS. 1993,
Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN 0-19-508007-6.
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Spatial analysis (vector model)
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Geographic Information
Systems: A Management Perspective |
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by Stan Aronoff |
This is still one of the best introductory GIS
books, despite its age (early '90s). The software discussions may be
outdated and the hardware illustrations amusing, but the balance of the
text is just right: enough detail and depth to convey a decent
understanding of the technology and its uses is coupled with
straightforward advice about GIS design and management. |
Aronoff, Stan.
Geographic Information Systems : A Management Perspective. 1993, WDL Publications, Ottawa, Canada. ISBN 0-921804-91-1.
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Getting to Know ArcView
GIS |
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by ESRI Press |
An illustrated, step-by-step account of using
most of the vector analysis features of ArcView 3.x. It illustrates
many kinds of GIS analysis, which in most cases are well and correctly
done. |
Editors of ESRI Press.
Getting to Know ArcView GIS.
Third Edition, 1999, ESRI, Redlands,
CA. ISBN 1-879102-46-3 (paper with CD).
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Miscellaneous
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The Professor
and the Madman |
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by Simon Winchester |
Why is this book about the
construction of the Oxford English Dictionary relevant to GIS?
Because it beautifully illustrates the power of data indexing (in a
nineteenth century application!). |
Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the
Madman. 1999, Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-060-99486-X.
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