Geography: A Very Short Introduction

John A. Matthews · David T. Herbert

maí 2008 · OUP Oxford

Um þessa rafbók

Modern Geography has come a long way from its historical roots in exploring foreign lands, and simply mapping and naming the regions of the world. Spanning both physical and human Geography, the discipline today is unique as a subject which can bridge the divide between the sciences and the humanities, and between the environment and our society. Using wide-ranging examples from global warming and oil, to urbanization and ethnicity, this Very Short Introduction paints a broad picture of the current state of Geography, its subject matter, concepts and methods, and its strengths and controversies. The book’s conclusion is no less than a manifesto for Geography’s future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Um höfundinn

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.