Power of Where (eBook)

The Power of Wherepresents the visionary concepts of Jack Dangermond, cofounder of Esri, the worlds leading mapping software company. With a foreword by bestselling author and writer for The Atlantic, James Fallows, its filled with the latest web maps, illustrations, and real-life stories from a vibrant global community of geographic information systems (GIS) users. If youve never heard of GIS, this is the book for you, and if you think you know what GIS is, youll discover much more.From the Ring of Fire to the Fertile Crescent,The Power of Wheretakes us on a visual and narrative journey into the world of modern GIS and reveals its growing potential to address humanitys big challenges. The technology is already ubiquitous, from running city governments and performing civic science to conserving open spaces and managing logisticsvirtually every human endeavor.Central to the book is the geographic approacha way of solving problems that uses spatial location to perceive and understand patternsfrom wildlife migration and rising seas to urban planning and food production. Drawing from 60 years of research and experience, the author writes from a fervent conviction that through this approach, we can confront climate change, hunger, water scarcity, inequity, and issues large and small in our everyday lives.The book describes the methods of the geographic approachvisualization, communication, analysis, collaboration, accounting, and designand shows how vast amounts of integrated data are propelling spatial applications into the mainstream. A companion website brings interactive maps and stories to life and serves as a starting point for students and educatorsand anyone considering joining the GIS user community.The Power of Wherereveals how technologies such as web services, mobile devices, artificial intelligence, extended reality, and 3D visualization intersect with GIS and outlines the new opportunities they are creating. Its maps and stories arise from a passion for the power of place and from the mutually reinforcing revolutions in Earth observation, analysis, and collaboration that GIS and the human spirit make possible.Explore live examples from the book and learn more about interactive mapping and the tools of modern GIS at powerofwhere.com.