Esri has just made available recently, for free, two ArcGIS books. 

The first is “The ArcGIS Book: 10 Big Ideas About Applying The Science of Where” by Christian Harder Clint Brown, and the other is the “Instructional Guide for the ArcGIS Imagery Book” by GIS educators Lyn Malone and Kathryn Kearney.

The “ArcGIS Book” has been updated and the release is the second edition. It is divided into 10 sections that look at how web GIS, specifically ArcGIS Online, can be used to explore data and answer questions about the world. Each chapter is accompanied by a lesson plan from the Learn ArcGIS catalog.

On the other hand, the “Instructional Guide” has been release as a companion book to the free online “The ArcGIS Imagery Book: New View, New Vision” [which is also available free]. The “Instructional Guide”:

• uses real-world examples to teach users about “ArcGIS concepts, the value of imagery, and ways to apply ArcGIS tools to obtain information from imagery.”
• Offers hands-on activities through the use of videos, activities, sample questions, data, and lessons; and
• Introduces the reader to the topics of remote sensing, imagery analysis, 3D and 4D imagery, and big data management.

Both books are available online as PDF files/interactive web sites and can be downloaded. Esri’s advice is to take advantage of these two free books/resources if you are interested in familiarizing yourself with Esri’s ArcGIS Online through the use of hands-on lessons.