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The copy UCSB's Map & Imagery Lab has is tattered around the
edges, which tells you something; the following is from
an MIL staff member who works with persons using gis software:
        Most of what I know about the Understanding GIS book is word of
mouth from account holders who have used it. The beginning of the book
discusses GIS conceptually, which is good for the novice and can be
skipped by the initiated. I think that persons unfamiliar with GIS will
find the book very useful from an overall conceptual and an
introductory software standpoint. Persons I see having possible
problems with the book would be those with little or no computer
experience or possibly little or no physical science knowledge.
Mary Larsgaard