GIS for Homeland Security

We are using this book for one of my classes and I really like it!!! It's really given me a clear understanding of GIS, homeland security and the various applications and relations between the two. I can say that I'm pleasantly surprised because I wasn't anticipating liking this class.

Is a good review book for review of the GIS system and it's application. Easy quick read.

I was not overly impressed by any feature of this book. It's relatively short (74 pages with a lot of reference pages, etc). It plugs ESRI's work and products more than some other ESRI publications I've read, which makes the reader feel as if he/she isn't getting an objective critique of the application of innovative GIS in homeland security. At $18 though, I'd say you get what you pay for. It's a collection of case studies for GIS in the realm of homeland security, with a brief introduction to the different facets of homeland security that can benefit from standard GIS. None of the GIS techniques presented were new to me (though I'm relatively experienced in the field of GIS), and their application within the case studies weren't necessarily innovative or unexpected.If you're familiar with and/or work in the field of emergency management (including homeland security), and are not really familiar with GIS, this is an appropriate quick primer with some specific examples of how basic GIS can been utilized. It does not address more advanced GIS techniques, is not a tutorial or workbook for performing any actual GIS analysis, and doesn't go beyond any basic emergency management/homeland security concepts.