Review of GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics

Abstract

The objective of GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics, according to editors Dawn J. Wright and Christian Harder, was to assemble some “relevant and interesting stories about the state of the planet in 2019,” (ix) about the integration of GIS into science, and about a few of the scientists using these tools to help solve a number of real-world problems. The result is a beautiful multi-authored book with many maps, images, spatial data, and background stories that is presented to both a general audience and to scientists who may be starting to incorporate GIS in their scientific research. This review will focus primarily on how the book draws attention to a number of interesting and worthwhile projects, and, by lifting them out of the fray, provides hope for the future of GIS in scientific research. It will also identify some minor issues with the book’s editing, layout, and writing. GIS for Science, like many multi-authored books, is a bit uneven in quality from chapter to chapter.