The above is a quote one of us (L.A.W.) received on a grant review in 1997,
and it outlines succinctly our motivation for this book. Topics in spatial statistics
are usually offered only as special-topic elective courses, if they are offered at
all. However, there is growing interest in statistical methods for the analysis of
spatially referenced data in a wide variety of fields, including the analysis of public
health data. Yet, there are few introductory, application-oriented texts on spatial
statistics. For practicing public health researchers with a general background in
applied statistics seeking to learn about spatial data analysis and how it might play
a role in their work, there are few places to turn.