This handbookpossesses two virtues that are becomingincreasingly dif?cult to ?nd together. The ?rst one is providing a novel and original scheme to analyze the rural areas of the planet in the context of Earth sciences. The handbook is so original in its plan that it actually de?nes what modern rural science is. The scheme followed, albeit new, is rooted in a venerable geographical tradition and presents a sensible balance between the academic and the applied viewpoints. This novel way of stu- ing rural areas represents by itself a valuable contribution to this complex ?eld. The second virtue...