This guide enables students of human geography to take a critical look at the set of practices, hardware and software that are together described as GIS.<br><ul><br><li>A guide to GIS for students of human geography. <br><li>Outlines the distinct approaches to inquiry employed in GIS and illustrates their relevance for human geographers. <br><li>Traces the history of GIS and human geography from 1970 to the present. <br><li>Illustrates the challenges of data collection, classification in the context of multiple stakeholders and epistemological approaches. <br><li>Tracks the use of GIS in applied contexts through the stages of problem definition, data acquisition and classification, choice of software, spatial analysis and graphic output. <br><li>Includes an inventory of tools and information related to GIS, including web-based resources. <br><li>Supported by a website, www.blackwellpublishing.com/schuurman.</li></ul>