Appropriate for introductory level courses in Geographic Information Systems. Designed to make the complexity of this rapidly growing high-tech field accessible to beginning students, this text provides a basic, non-technical and student friendly introduction to GIS. The book clearly links theory and practice, and helps link the material to the real world by providing interviews with practicing GIS professionals. It features clear, simple explanations, an abundance of illustrations and photos, extensive chapter-end study aids, and generic laboratory assignments for use with any GIS software.