 2008-09-15 - Regions Review
The book came quickly and was in the condition described. I would definitely buy from this seller again.
 2008-09-09 - Essential for geography majors and general readers alike
Used this in a regional geography course in college with a visiting professor from Moscow State University who highly respected the authors, de Blij and Muller. Being a physical geography/GIS person, I wasn't sure what to expect, but soon came to love the 'regional' approach to geography. For those who don't know, 'Regional Geography' is a subdiscipline of geography that emphasizes holistic description and analysis to understand the human and environmental pieces that make up a place. The material is very relevant to current events, such as the Georgia/Russia conflict. You'll learn about the South Caspian oil fields, the Baku pipeline, and the cultural 'minorities' of Russia and the former Soviet Union that make up this fascinating region. You'll learn about past Russian political involvement in the region and the effect of Russian colonists. It's all in there! And the same goes for the entire rest of the globe -- this is the magic of Regional Geography. de Blij's approach is to attempt to define "Realms" of the world (kind of "Super-Regions" which are somehow cohesive) and organizes the book around these theorized Realms. Whether or not you agree with the definitions of realms, the technique does help with memorization, as Regional Geography has a LOT of places, dates, and names to be memorized. I believe this book has great potential to turn people onto the highly underrated discipline of regional geography and sprout more academic and armchair geographers!
2008-02-13 - Good product, came quite late though
The book is what I expected but it did take a while to arrive at my home.
2007-07-09 - The Best Textbook I Own
This text is my favorite textbook that I have ever owned, in any subject, from four colleges and universities. It is a tall book--it doesn't fit on any shelf. However, the size allows for many more graphs, maps, tables, and pictures. The paper and colors make for a visually appealing text, and the text does an excellent job of highlighting key terms and concepts.
Professor de Blij is a recognized expert on Geography education in the U.S. and his textbook demonstrates his mastery on every page. He covers physical geography, climate, history, politics, anthropology, economics, and every other relevant subject in the region. The entire package is correlated well, without getting mired in details or glossing over important subjects.
There are many features in this text that you will not find anywhere else. My favorites are the drill-downs on the world's great cities, providing interesting information and a map of Mexico City, Saigon, and many others. Another feature is the "Regional Issue" textbox that presents both sides of a current issue for a region, such as "Who Needs Democracy?" for South America. A final feature I like is his "Field Notes" section that is a paragraph or so of his travelogue and a picture as he continues to research our changing world.
This text was a valuable resource in my Geography class, is still a great reference tool as I continue my international studies, and is a fun book to flip through during "down time".
|
