PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
July 2020
411
BOOK
REVIEW
Introduction to Human Geography Using
ArcGIS Online
J. Chris Carter
Esri Press: Redlands, CA. 2019. Ix and 429 pp., diagrams,
maps, photos, images, index. Softcover and Electronic. ISBN
9781589485198 (electronic). ISBN 9781589485181 (pbk.: alk.
paper).
Reviewed by
Stacey L. Kerr, Instructor, St. Jude
School, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS Online
serves
as an introductory textbook for undergraduate university stu-
dents and high school A.P. Human Geography students. The
book is organized conceptually around key areas of human ge-
ography and uses real-world data and examples to engage stu-
dents with the subject. While the content and progression of this
textbook are similar to other introductory texts in the study of
human geography, this text separates itself by its inclusion of
dozens of dynamic ArcGIS Online mapping exercises.
In chapter 1, the book begins with the introduction of broad
ideas related to all subdisciplines of geography (e.g. space, re-
gion, place). However,
Introduction to Human Geography Us-
ing ArcGIS Online
immediately differentiates itself from other
books on the market by also covering content one might find in
an introductory GIS or Remote Sensing class. This includes sub-
sections on various aspects of data collection, map generation,
and statistical measures. While these topics take a back seat in
the remainder of the book, they are used to support and engage
readers in the ArcGIS Online mapping exercises and examples
provided by the author.
Each chapter, excluding the first, focuses on one overarching
area of study in human geography: population, migration, race
and ethnicity, urban geography, food and agriculture, manu-
facturing, services, development, cultural geography, political
geography, and human-environment interaction. Topics are ex-
plored in a deductive manner and highlight the most important
ideas for students looking to complete the AP Human Geogra-
phy examination or hoping to lay foundational groundwork for
study in university-level geography. Approximately 4-7 map-
ping exercises are interspersed throughout each chapter to sup-
port and demonstrate key concepts at work.
The writing of this textbook is clear, concise, and pedagogical.
Potentially contentious topics such as race and ethnicity are ad-
dressed with thoughtfulness and appropriate depth for an intro-
ductory course. Frequent subtitling and imagery incorporation
also add to the book’s readability. One weakness of the text is
that some of the photos and maps are not quite crisp in resolu-
tion and visual quality. The images do however focus on power-
ful ideas and are thus still effective. Overall, the accessibility of
the text and its wide use of real-world examples to demonstrate
abstract concepts make the textbook engaging and relatable.
Another strength of this textbook is the inclusion of dozens of
ArcGIS Online mapping exercises. The mapping exercises are
rich, use dynamic and reputable data, and help expose readers
to basic uses and practices of digital mapping. Mapping exer-
cises can be accessed using a link found in the book and down-
loaded by chapter or in a bulk zip file. Available files contain
the necessary data for the exercises as well as PDFs of lab-style
instructions written in an easy-to-understand format. One can
easily see the value of using up-to-date data with students in-
stead of reviewing outdated figures, as well as providing stu-
dents with a hands-on approach to topics that sometimes feel
abstract to a young geographer. Instructors should be aware,
however, that some exercises will require review and perhaps
modification before assigning. This is because instructions for
all exercises found in a single chapter appear in one large PDF.
Opening a 70-page PDF of instructions (as is the case for the
Chapter 1 exercises) could prove daunting to both high school
and undergraduate students.
In sum,
Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS On-
line
achieves its objective of introducing foundational topics in
human geography to undergraduate and high school students
with the help of active mapping exercises using ArcGIS Online.
There are countless introductory texts on human geography, but
this book fills a void in the literature by bridging the often-found
gap between geospatial technologies education and human ge-
ography education. Effective instructor use of this text should
allow students to see and understand the connection between
various geography disciplines, instead of viewing them as dis-
crete entities. This book could be valuable to both the instructor
of human geography courses, in addition to GIS and Remote
Sensing instructors looking for engaging lab exercises.
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 86, No. 7, July 2020, pp. 411.
0099-1112/20/411
© 2020 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.86.7.411
