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"The aim of this book is to introduce students to a wide range of important and exciting work in human geography. The primary audience is students in colleges and universities. We decided to write this book because many of the standard texts are too big, and increasingly too expensive to provide the accessible and affordable base most of us need for our human geography courses. The overly large and expensive books available now have grown into, to use Henry James's description of many nineteenth-century novels, "loose and baggy monsters." There is room for a more interesting and subtle book than the standard texts. This briefer and more accessible alternative is written in a more familiar style that can be augmented by other resources. We can use as metaphor the attempts on the big Himalayan peaks. In the 1970s, the attempts were increasingly organized as large teams with many climbers and elaborate systems of camps and base camps. Then, in the late 1970s, a number of climbers dispensed with the large teams and sought to climb alone or with one other climber. Less burdened by organizational weight, they were much more successful in reaching the summits in quick direct assaults. This book adapts a similar ethic of "light and fast" that affords more flexibility to instructors than a traditional textbook. Not an exact metaphor, to be sure, but close enough to give you a sense of the book's character and mission"--
List of contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 What is Human Geography?
- Chapter 2 The Home Planet
- Chapter 3 People and the Environment
- Chapter 4 People and Resources
- Chapter 5 Population Dynamics
- Chapter 6 The Geography of Population
- Chapter 7 Population and Food
- Chapter 8 Uneven Development
- Chapter 9 Economic Geographies
- Chapter 10 A Global Economy
- Chapter 11 The Geography of Religion
- Chapter 12 The Geography of Language
- Chapter 13 The Global Geography of Culture
- Chapter 14 World Orders
- Chapter 15 The Nation State
- Chapter 16 The Urban Transformation
- Chapter 17 The Networks of Cities
- Chapter 18 The Internal Structure of the City
- Glossary
- Credits
- Index
About the author
John Rennie Short is Professor of Public Policy at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is an
expert on urban issues, environmental concerns, globalization, political geography, and the history of
cartograph. He has studied cities around the world, lectured around the world to a variety of audiences,
and authored over 30 books.
Summary
Authored by seasoned experts in the field, Human Geography: A Short Introduction provides a concise yet comprehensive and engaging exploration of contemporary Human Geography.
The text is enriched with recent examples and case studies, effectively bridging the gap between theory and its real-world relevance to human geography. It allows students to explore the intricate interactions between people, culture, economics, politics, and urban environments.
Suitable for majors and non-majors, Human Geography: A Short Introduction is enhanced by vibrant visuals facilitating understanding and engagement. Comprehensive resources are available for both students and professors, maximizing value and versatility.
