Changing the Face of the Earth: Culture, Environment, History. Second Edition

ISBN-13: 9780631199243 / Angielski / Miękka / 1996 / 484 str.

I. G. Simmons

Opis

This is a history of the impact of humankind on the natural environment from earliest times to the present. The first edition has been widely adopted in universities, acclaimed both for its wide scholarship and its author's readable style. The new edition is fully revised throughout and takes account of comments and suggestions received from all over the world. It has been restructured into a form appropriate for new methods of university teaching, the diagrams have been clarified, and references and sections of further reading provided at the end of each chapter.

• Revised edition of a widely-used textbook.
  
• More concise, more chapters, better adapted to course use.
  
• Revised further reading.
  
• Clearly-written, well-illustrated, popular with students.

Recenzje

"If one were to seek a single text for an integrated course in environmental studies, this could be that book." M. R. Brett–Crowther, International Journal of Environmental Studies

"Changing the Face of the Earth traces the history of human impact, starting at the very beginning ... Covering important historical influences, from Darwin and Huntingdon to Semple, Glacken and Vidal de la Blanche, this second edition has been adapted to suit the latest teaching methods, and includes new chapters and up–to–date references." The Geographical Journal

Reviews of the first edition:

"This is a veritable tour de force: it covers an astonishing range of material, is superbly referenced, and is a worthy successor to the original Man′s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. It traces the human impact through time in a way that has never previously been achieved." Andrew Goudie, Professor of Geography, University of Oxford

"This is scholarship of a high order. The book should become the classic text for geographers and interested members of the public, who want to know more about the tortuous relationship between human tenure, economy and the natural world." Timothy O′Riordan, Times Higher Education Supplement

"There is no shortage of books that cry out about the problem of our age, but they vary considerably in their approach. Easily top of the pile is Ian Simmons′s Changing the Face of the Earth." New Scientist

"The reviewer has no criticism of this excellent and stimulating book which ought to be of use as a source book for teaching, a textbook or simply an inspiring read, for those not only in Geography but in a range of related disciplines." Geography

"This is a fascinating, very readable and superb book, which should be required reading for all students who have the slightest interest in the environment and biogeography. Professor Simmons is to be congratulated on his efforts." Applied Geography

Spis treści

Preface to the First Edition.

Preface to the Second Edition.

Acknowledgements.

Units and References.

1. General Introduction.

2. Organizing Concepts.

3. Hunter–Gatherers.

4. The Development of Agriculture.

5. Advanced Solar Agriculture.

6. Industrialism: Energy after the Nineteenth Century.

7. Industrialisation: the Impact on Related Systems.

8. New Energies, New Thinking?.

9. Meditations.

Index.

O autorze

I. G. Simmons is Professor of Geography at the University of Durham. His recent books include Environmental History: A Concise Introduction (Blackwell, 1994) and Interpreting Nature: The Cultural Construction of Environment (1993).

Blurb

This is a history of the impact of humankind on the natural environment from earliest times to the present. The first edition has been widely adopted in universities, acclaimed both for its wide scholarship and its author′s readable style. The new edition is fully revised throughout and takes account of comments and suggestions received from all over the world. It has been restructured into a form appropriate for new methods of university teaching, the diagrams have been clarified, and references and sections of further reading provided at the end of each chapter.

To the underlying argument that access to energy is a crucial influence on the use and exploitation of nature, the author has now added a revealing perspective drawn from a critical understanding of the evolution of world systems. In a new and thoughtful conclusion he considers the variable rate of environmental change, the problems of prediction, and the complex issues surrounding the formulation and implementation of national and international policy