This is a great book because it uses the same datasets over and over to show all the power of the software. I've only gone through chapters 9-11 thus far, and it is proving itself fantastic.

I like this book. I thought it was well written. It focuses a lot on introductory and ubiquitous GIS tasks. If you have been using ESRI for a few years you’ll quickly get past the introductory stuff. The more advanced GIS tasks are a little shorted. You’ll probably need another book for specific topics but this book will get you through with a good overview and project based tutorials.

Two disclosures before beginning this review. I was given this book and asked to provide an honest review. I did not read this book cover to cover. I am a daily user of ArcGIS Pro and chose a few chapters to run through the recipes.I liked the explanations at the front of the book that went into detail about the book's structure and the data. I found the instructions easy to follow. I did get hung up on downloading the data from GitHub (GitHub and I don’t always get along so I’m not faulting the book), the download worked fine from Google Drive. The structure of the files is well laid out and easy to follow. The recipes I picked were well-written. I liked the size of each recipe and felt it made the book manageable for people who might only have small windows of time. As a GIS professional, I plan to keep some of the queries and other files to use in my future work since sometimes figuring out syntax is the hardest part of writing them and they are provided in the data and could be easily changed. A part of me wishes the recipes did not require you to have successfully done the step prior but I think that might have made them too cumbersome in a data download if done differently.Overall I think this book is a great resource for new GIS users and GIS professionals alike. None of us can be experts in all facets of GIS and we can always use a handy resource to guide us when we try something new.

Wikipedia tells me that there are over 1 million users of ESRI software across more than 350k organisations. As part of their various spatial software offerings, their desktop GIS software is the most well-known and used by the largest spectrum of their customers. They have sold desktop GIS software since at least the early 1980s, ArcMap 10.x is now in mature support & in full retirement in 2026 (just a few years away), with their latest desktop GIS version being ArcGIS Pro 3.x, the subject of this book.If you use or are planning to use ESRI’s desktop GIS software, you are or soon will be using ArcGIS Pro – and this book can be part of day-to-day use, both as a learning tool and a ‘ready reference.’The author, Tripp Corbin, has been in the GIS / spatial technical field for over 25 years – and a prominent member of the spatial community in my and many other’s experiences I am certain, the proverbial ‘industry leader.’ I have read many, many of his books, blog posts (remember those?), technical posts and other means of technical communication with our community, and fully appreciate his technical capabilities and his ability to explain ‘things’!Based on my reading so far of this book – and there are over 500 pages of spatial background, technical explanations, ‘real world’ worked examples and screenshots/diagrams – this will be an excellent book for:(i) those new to the ESRI GIS desktop world and starting with Pro (and welcome, you will have fun and get to do some excellent things, as #alldataisspatial …)(ii) those necessarily transitioning from ArcGIS 10.x  ArcGIS Pro, with the former being retired and hence no longer maintained, and the differences are marked including the ribbon interface (ArcGIS Pro is a markedly superior product to ArcGIS 10.x, and v3.x continues that distinct improvement, and so users in this category will not regret having to transition)(iii) those such as myself who have been using Pro for a number of years (and feel quite uncomfortable to be frank when having to use 10.x again!), but need to ‘brush up’ on and fill their knowledge holes from on-the-job use.However you approach this book, you will be pleased with your purchase. The chapters are well laid out, leading you into your exploration and learning, the writing is far from dry, the description of options and different possible approaches is excellent and so much more – including what the author calls the ‘recipe data files’, aka the worked examples.The first chapter on how to install the software and get it configured – if you don’t have the luxury of an IT department to do that for you! – are readily comprehensible, even with as complex a piece of software as this. You are then shown how to navigate a map, add your and others data, how to use a project template if desired, etc. This is very well supported by screenshots and the like - and indeed throughout the book as mentioned, a rich asset for your learning process with ArcGIS Pro 3.x.Then you can explore the various aspects of the software and what it is capable of in the following chapters, the headings provided above.It may sound ‘fluffy’ but as you work through this book you will start to understand (if you do not already) what a truly magnificent & hugely useful (the hyperbole is warranted) set of tools you have though it in your proverbial applied data analysis and presentation toolbox - spatial data analysis & value added, cartography & other results and more is. It is a tool for you as that subject matter expert (whether it is business, crime analysis, healthcare, the environment, biology, hydrology, natural resources or so much more) to leverage & apply your skills and acquire new ones as needed/anticipated.Enjoy the book, work through a few things every day (as said it is 500+ pages, you shouldn’t try to consume it in one gulp), use what you are learning in YOUR work, ‘mess around a little’, explore, build on that - and by the time you are at the end of the book you really will fully appreciate how much your skillset has grown!#GIS #spatial #mapping #ArcGIS #ArcGISPro #ESRI #bookreview #review #books #amreading #currentlyreading #nowreading #nonfictionbooks #continuingeducation #alldataisspatial #selflearning #mapmonday #gischat #techbook #techbooks #technology #h #reading #programming #bookshop #techwriting #desktopgis #selflearning #education #learning #selfimprovement #selfdevelopment #onlinelearning #selfeducation #student #motivation #careergrowth #technicalbook #continuouslearning #learningjourney #education #technicalskills #PacktPublishing

This book was actually really helpful! I wasn't expecting to learn much being a GIS professional for about 10 years, but if you're moving to ArcGIS Pro, this book will be really handy! My favorite thing is that it doesn't take long to learn a lesson and move on. I find myself learning a lot from the "tips" part of the recipes. They provide just enough extra knowledge and information without being too lengthy. This book has become a handy little companion as I continue to navigate ArcGIS Pro. This is definitely one of those books or points of reference you would want nearby if you're working or aspiring to work in ArcGIS Pro.