Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsGreat introduction to ArcGIS 10.3 software, but... (and beware the Amazon bought version...)
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
This textbook leaves a lot to be desired as far as deep learning of the software.
Since this is an introductory text, mainly for getting used to the program's abilities and layout, I guess some things can be forgiven. I'm not sure if there's an expectation that the teacher will supplement some gaps in explanation (or even missing steps or misworded instructions) but the frustration factor is a little higher than, say, those direction-laden guides for students of Word/Excel/Access (you know the ones: 100+ pages of explanations and step-by-step instructions with assignments at the end that test your comprehension skills). This is similar to that format but not quite as dense since it doesn't always tell you WHY you're clicking this or that option.
I'm going through the book prior to the actual class and am learning a lot on my own, but those strange lapses in clear directions or illustrations that don't match your work (even though you followed each step TO THE LETTER!!) can make your heckles and/or blood pressure rise just a tad.
Word of warning to those wanting to save money: I bought my copy from Amazon (obviously) and I had the same problem as another reviewer: the cover is cheaply pasted to the bound pages and will inevitably come undone. I took a look at the school's copies in their bookstore and not only does it seem of better glue quality but their copies had covers that were shiny and glossy. The copy I got has that vaguely plastic/rubbery feel to the covers with smudges easy to see in the right light. It's a slight annoyance that I'll say is worth the $30 savings--I'll just go out and buy a bottle of acid-free glue and do some quick book mending. But for those of you who might find this unforgivable, caveat emptor.
Also: at this point in time, the Kindle version is much cheaper than the print book and looks to be formatted pretty well with clear (enough) illustrations. On a decent sized tablet or screen it should be fine to follow along with. I paid the extra bucks for the print copy so I could get the code (only available with the print version) for home/trial access to the software for 180 days. Well worth it to me.
