I found Dr. Rich's book to be full of useful information, organized and explained so that I could understand it.It flows from an overview of data and data management, into database design and implementation. It then focuses on environmental data gathering and maintenance. Finally, it discusses some complex and impressive uses of the data, such as graphs, 3-D displays, statistics, and GIS systems. There are plenty of screen-shots and diagrams, which help to explain Dr. Rich's ideas. Also included are practical examples, witty quotes and useful definitions.I think this book could be particularly useful for two main groups of people. For database developers, it teaches of the special considerations that must be taken when designing and implementing a database to track environmental data and has lots of great information about site remediation and the special requirements for working with this type of data. Equally important is the information for geologists and environmental engineers who understand the data but lack an understanding of how to manage it.As a graduate student in computer science, with an interest in database systems, I found this book to cover a set of technical and complex issues, without drowning me in useless, over-detailed explanations. I have greater appreciation for the special niche that this book covers in detail.