Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop introduces the reader to the three GIS products that comprise ArcGIS--ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo. This workbook enables readers to gain a complete understanding of ArcView, provides a firm foundation for learning ArcEditor and ArcInfo, and includes information needed for completing GIS projects.

Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop--following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Getting to Know ArcView GIS--employs an effective teaching approach. The structure of the book is designed so that each exercise builds on the one that precedes it. Richly detailed illustrations and step-by-step exercises teach basic GIS tasks--from mapmaking and spatial analysis to database creation. Concepts coupled with background knowledge allow everyone to learn and understand the material presented in this book. Included with the book is a fully functioning 180-day trial version of ArcView 8 software on CD-ROM as well as a CD containing data for working through the book's exercises.

The broad scope of the presentations, in addition to the hands-on material, makes the book useful as both a classroom text and a self-study workbook. No prior knowledge of GIS software is needed, although this book is particularly useful for those switching from an earlier version of ArcView.

The authors--Tim Ormsby, Eileen Napoleon, Robert Burke, Carolyn Groessl, and Laura Feaster--combined their experience and knowledge for Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. A glossy, full-color, softcover edition, Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop is presented by ESRI, the world's leading provider of GIS software. It is available at better bookstores or online at www.esri.com/esripress or may be ordered by calling 1-800-447-9778.