Geography: A Very Short Introduction

ISBN-13: 9780199211289 / Angielski / Miękka / 2008 / 200 str.

John A Matthews

Opis

This Very Short Introduction answers four basic questions: what is Geography, how do geographers work, why is Geography important, and where is the discipline of Geography heading? Geography has always been important, though it has had only a short history as an academic discipline and is much misunderstood. Modern Geography has come a long way from its historical roots in exploring foreign lands, in mapping the world and in describing the physical and human features of the Earth's surface. There are two parts to the discipline: Physical Geography, which covers natural environments and landscapes; and Human Geography, which investigates people and the cultural landscape. Physical and human geographers commonly do not agree with each other. But there are also common elements and Geography as a whole has an important role as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities. Using wide-ranging examples, the book paints a broad picture of the current state of Geography, its subject matter, concepts and methods, how it developed, and its strengths and weaknesses. The book's conclusion is no less than a manifesto for Geography's future.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Recenzje

The authors make an honest effort to represent the wide and diverse range of proffesional geographers' interests.

O autorze

John A. Matthews is Professor of Physical Geography in the School of the Environment and Society at the University of Wales, Swansea. His main interests include the biogeography and geomorphology of glacier-foreland landscapes and the reconstruction of Holocene glacier and climatic variations. He has led 36 expeditions to southern Norway for which he has received the Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society. He has published six books and numerous research articles, edits an international journal (`The Holocene') and was a member of the UK Geography Benchmarking Committee, which sets standards for university degrees in Geography. David T. Herbert is Emeritus Professor of Geography at Swansea University' he is also a Honorary Fellow of the university. His main interests are in urban and social geography and with social problems in cities. His research publications include studies of urban change, urban neighbourhoods, residential mobility and housing markets, crime and deviance, educational attainment in urban schools and aspects of city planning. More recently he has developed research interests in heritage tourism and has a particular interest in literary places. David Herbert has served on most of the main committees for British Geography, such as the ESRC. RGS/IBG and the Research Assessment Panel.