The Third Edition of this bestselling textbook has been fully revised and updated to include the latest developments in the field and still retains its accessible format to appeal to a broad range of students. Now divided into five clear sections the book investigates the unique, complex and difficult problems that are posed by geographic information and together they build into a holistic understanding of the key principles of GIS. This is the most current, authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the field, that goes from fundamental principles to the big picture of:* GIS and the New World Order* security, health and well-being* digital differentiation in GIS consumption* the core organizing role of GIS in Geography* the greening of GIS* grand challenges of GIScience* science and explanation Key features:* Four-colour throughout* Associated website with free online resources* Teacher's manual available for lecturers* A complete learning resource, with accompanying instructor links, free online lab resources and personal syllabi* Includes learning objectives and review boxes throughout each chapter New in this edition:* Completely revised with a new five part structure: Foundations; Principles; Techniques; Analysis; Management and Policy* All new personality boxes of current GIS practitioners* New chapters on Distributed GIS, Map Production, Geovisualization, Modeling, and Managing GIS (Bookdata)