Mitchell Andy - The Esri Guide to GIS Analysis, Volume 2: Spatial Measurements and Statistics, second edition

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As tempting as it can be to fall in love with the newest algorithm or the latest trend in methodology, great analysis happens when we focus, first and foremost, on the problem that we are trying to solve. And that is exactly what Andy and Lauren do in The Esri Guide to GIS Analysis, Volume 2: Spatial Measurements and Statistics, second edition. In this essential guide, they bring each algorithm and method to life by focusing on the problems they solve and the ways they can be used to answer important questions. The authors share concrete, relatable examples that everyone can relate to so that you can see how each approach can be used in your own analysis.

Another critical component of doing great analysis is taking the time to truly understand how each method we use works. Understanding these methods helps us think critically about our results, evaluate them objectively, and ensure that we are doing responsible analysis. There are few books out there that take the topic of spatial statistics and break it down as effectively and effortlessly as Andy and Lauren do. This is a book written for everyone, and you will walk away with a deep understanding of how these spatial statistics work and with the confidence to use them in your own analysis.

Spatial analysis has never been as important as it is today. As GIS analysts and spatial data scientists, we will play a crucial role in making our world more equitable and sustainable. Focusing on the problems we are solving, applying the right techniques to answer the right questions, and responsibly evaluating our analyses are all critical elements of analysis that Andy and Lauren beautifully interconnect in this guide. It is absolutely required reading for everyone who wants to approach the complex problems our world faces with a spatial lens.

Lauren Bennett, PhD

Software Development Lead, Spatial Analysis and Data Science, Esri

In the foreword to the first volume of The Esri Guide to GIS Analysis, I wrote, Spatial analysis has often seemed inaccessible to many GIS userstoo mathematical to understand, too difficult to implement, and lacking in good textbooks and guides. Volume 1 seemed to me to be exactly what was needed by GIS users without a strong background in mathematics and statisticsa well-illustrated, accessibly written discussion of the main methods and how they can be used to answer important questions. I noted that Esri plans to follow and build on this with a second, more advanced book, which will cover some of the more complex methods. But I had serious doubts about that second project, since it would have to venture into more difficult territory, including the forbidding topics of statistical inference and hypothesis testing.

As an instructor, I have had abundant firsthand experience of the difficulties students often have with these concepts. But I also know how powerful GIS can be. Ideas that used to sound impossibly dry and uninteresting when presented on a blackboard with chalk come alive and are compelling when introduced through the colorful, practical medium of GIS. Arguments made in words are never as accessible as arguments presented in pictures, particularly when those pictures refer to real issues, such as public health, crime, or the environment.

Like its predecessor, this new book is a triumph. It combines the relaxed, intuitive style of Andy Mitchells writing and design with access to the wealth of applications and examples that Esri has been storing up over the 35 years of its existence. It doesnt shortchange the reader, but instead confronts sampling, spatial dependence, and statistical inference head on. But it does it in a gentle way that minimizes mathematical notation, and relies instead on an abundance of colorful graphics and interesting examples. Many of the issues are at the cutting edge and far from settled, including the troublesome topic of cluster detection, but readers will find them treated in a straightforward way with plenty of directions for further, deeper reading.

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