The seventh edition continues to bring readers geographic perspectives on a fast-changing world through the regional view. Restructured chapters provide a macro review of important physical, cultural, and political characteristics, drawing upon up-to-date significant world events and crises.
The cartographically superior maps have been updated for the seventh edition to offer an accurate and vast picture of the world—multi-layer, interactive, GIA maps have been added to WileyPLUS Learning Space. The text is accessible, but does not always provide adequate context or explanation of terms, for example, the human development index and European Union.
The regional framework is consistent. There is also a consistent application of core and periphery concepts, suggesting a critical view. With regards to physical geography, the author introduces the Koppen classification early as a way to describe ecosystems and climate in regions, which is useful; this however was not always applied for example, North America.
The text has many significant interface issues, inconsistent size of fonts and images, which may distract the reader. For example, Figure 4. In some cases, the text within maps is too small to read even when you zoom in for example, Figures 1. This is largely due however to the nature of the project, which relies on open source information.
Some text or phrases are not consistently bolded for example when discussing Figures. I found many misspelled words and lack of spaces in between words, particularly in the first chapter. There are also some instances where the sentence is incomplete or incorrect see Section 1. The book clearly needs a copy editor to proofread and make suggestions about consistency. Basically, the author could use assistance. There is also a need for more images, in some cases - fewer maps provide table of data instead particularly where the maps do not provide much detail , and Boxes which could highlight a case study or example for a region for example, El Nino and Disasters in Latin America; Migration Challenges.
The regional approach follows the typical organization and topics of a world regional text. There are fewer maps, tables, and pictures than you typically see since the author is reliant on open sources and Creative Commons licenses.
The topics The topics covered in the text are comprehensive, but some chapters are light on economic activities and focus more on globalization. The text addresses different specialties in geography, such as biogeography, population geography, and economic geography, in the different regions and uses each region to address certain aspects of human geography throughout the text rather than examining and illustrating them in the introductory chapter.
This is helpful to not get bogged down in the beginning and introduction, but can be a drawback. For example, the population pyramids are not explained or introduced until you get to South Asia, so the first pyramid you see is in chapter 8.
Some regions are that are separated out in other texts are combined, such as the Caribbean, Central America, and South America into Latin America, as well as East and Southeast Asia, so this inherently means it goes into less detail about some of these combined regions and individual countries in the regions.
I like some texts that include tables or statistics to compare countries within the region, and I think this easily be added to the text or the instructor would supplement. The physical geography section is usually the first section, but other topics do not follow the same format. This is a matter of personal preference, but it does take more time to find a particular topic.
There are different headings and topics for each chapter, which can be good to avoid repetition and the need to cover every topic in every region, but a little more difficult for modularity.
The text makes it easy to assign shorter readings for topics not covered in class or to supplement lecture. Organized by region with about subheadings, typical of other world regional texts. This is personal preference, but it does make it easier to cover all content, rather than what seems like skipping whole chapters or regions to students.
I would like a list of each section at the beginning of the chapter, not just in the table of contents. Currently the text is only available in a pdf, with few imbedded functions other than the chapter bookmarks. The pdf is quite large, 81 mb, so can be difficult to download, open, or save on some hardware.
Some images are too small to be readable or properly analyzed because of lack of detail. I found no issues with culturally insensitive content and addresses ethnic groups and diversity in each region.
I really enjoyed reading the text myself, and I used it in my summer class. I found it easy to assign just a section or two to reinforce lecture or address a topic I could not cover in class. It is more of a resource and reference for the class, and there are no supplemental materials that correspond to it. Likely useful for an instructor that already pulls material from multiple sources and is looking for a complementary and supplementary text.
The textbook has an outline for the chapters and sections. Each section has the respective page numbers labeled in the table of contents. The first chapter goes over geographic basics and terminology that is utilized throughout the semester. Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less. The remaining nine chapters explain the physical and cultural aspects for each realm through introducing new terminology.
A couple of important geo-political topics are missing from the book. There are others but these are the current topics that should be within the book. Overall, it does contain the necessary information and terminology utilized within a typical World Regional Geography class.
The content is mostly accurate and contains the correct information for specific terms. The climates are accurate in each chapter giving a brief description as to why each realm contains these specific zones. The historical events and cultural phenomena for each realm are explained in detail. The book can be a little bias over some topics. For globalization, the book only mentions Western cultural influences; nothing is present over Eastern cultural influences, with the growth of China.
The chapter over Latin America contains liberation theology, this is not geography term and can give the perception this is the authors personal beliefs. The topic over Israel and Palestine focuses more on the Palestinians than the Israelis, not giving both perspectives equally.
Information on the topic is very short when compared to other books. There are other instances of bias but these topics stuck out. The book has up-to-date information including recent occurrences within the world, especially over the Ukraine, Arab Spring, and the Refugee Crisis. The book is set-up so future impactful global events can be added.
Every chapter except for the first contains information over current events and problems within each realm. In the future, information over the current crisis in Iran could be added at a later date. Another example would be potential changes with the diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea. The book is very well written for an introductory course. Easy to follow and has a nice flow. The terminology is explained thoroughly using specific examples.
The book is laid out in an easy to follow fashion. Besides the introduction chapter, each chapter has a specific order. Every chapter starts on the physical landscape, going over physical features and climate. Historical information is presented for every realm, this allows the reader to connect how historical events were shaped by the geographic landscapes. All of the sections within each chapter allows an instructor to assign specific pages to cover important topics from the table of contents.
The glossary contains all the terms described throughout the book. As stated before there should be an index to aid students in looking up specific information. The book follows the order of most World Regional Geography textbooks. It starts with an introduction to what geography entails, explaining basic human and physical geographic terms. Overall, the order is effective.
East and Southeast Asia should be separate chapters because of their economic and cultural differences. Though it is understandable the author is trying to condense the information.
Having the book in a PDF format to download is helpful for students; especially if they have slow or minimal internet access. However, there should be an index to reference specific topics and terms. Some map legends are hard to read. The legends in figures 6. If the student has eyesight problems this can be problematic.
The book does not contain any grammar errors after reading it several times. Overall it is very well written. There are no instances I situated in which the author used insensitive or offensive terms for various cultural groups within our globalized world. Attention was given to the Mayans and Aztecs within Latin America, though there should have been information over the Incas.
The author effectively explained the beliefs of the three Western religions and extremists within each religious group while utilizing sensitive language. This is an effective textbook and recommend for any World Regional Geography course. Though it is somewhat bias, it is important students are exposed to all perspectives.
Having students read these perspectives shows other viewpoints, allowing for greater discussions on various topics. The text covers the regions and realms well and includes basic coverage for lower division courses.
This text has a glossary that is helpful, but there is no index. Some important issues for Some important issues for specific regions are missing, such as traditional agricultural methods, and explaining issues with tropical soils and deforestation, in the chapter on South America. The information appears to be accurate. However, since it is a few years old populations have changed by several million.
Tables for statistics that change would make updates easy to implement. It would also be helpful to have dates for statistics e. The text is well-written, easy to read, and does a great job of defining terms as it goes. Chapters cover similar basics per region physical geography and settlement, for example and then vary slightly, with some having a section on natural hazards, and others on biogeography, or religious conflict, for example.
Though the textbook lacks an index, it does have a detailed table of contents that should make it easy to assign specific sections to students. Easy to navigate to sections via the table of contents. For some reason I had a difficult time using the search or find function in my PDF viewer and web browser for this textbook. If this problem is duplicated for others, this is a major downside for the instructor and students.
I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive. That said, I do think the textbook could do more to look at indigenous practices prior to and since colonization in different regions. Overall, this is a good textbook for covering many basics of regional geography, with room to supplement.
The text is only available in pdf format or online, and in both cases, the text stays on a particular page, rather than adjusting based on size. The addition of ePub and other formats would be helpful compare with another World Regional Geography textbook, where there are multiple formats. The introduction offers an exploration of the role The introduction offers an exploration of the role and importance of the spatial perspective as well as a guide to the different themes that will be explored in the text.
In the text, Finlayson goes beyond the traditional approach in world geography and not only includes descriptions of geographic features of regions such as climate, physical features, culture, economics, etc. The learning objectives presented at the beginning of each chapter offer the instructor and reader a way to navigate the text. Thought the chapters are shorter than a traditional regional geography textbook, they provide depth in context of the themes discussed and offer a way for instructors to utilize supplemental material to make the course more present and relatable to the students.
The figures that are provided in each chapter are up-to-date and relevant to students, making it easier to relate to the text. The author also includes current trends in the discipline of geography, such as in chapter five with her discussion of income inequality in South America and the current research on urban development.
The text is also a living text, in that it is updated. Finally, the text does provide an in-depth glossary of terms bolded throughout the text, but there is no index provided from the book. The book is written up-to-date and provides an instructor opportunity to add supplemental material to help include more current themes and case studies in their course.
Using globalization as a major theme of the text makes it quite easy for an instructor to keep the text current with their own content with the text as a springboard. The chapters often use case studies of different places within a region, which can seem like an over generalization or a region, but it must be remembered that this text should act as a guide and more detailed examples and case studies should be brought into the classroom to interact with the students.
A beneficial element in using this textbook is the requirement to from each based on the students and the time when the class is being taught. The book is also being updated and I have seen the edition, which shows that the author has written a text that facilitates updates, which only enhance the book.
The book is well-written, and the prose are quite clear. The language used in the book makes the text approachable by the instructor and their students. The author provides an important introduction to the text to be upfront and clear about her approach in her writing, which is important to the clarity of the entire book. The use of figures, images, and maps helps to clarify many of her points and therefore appeals to the visual learner.
The textbook presents an interesting view to the study of world regional geography at the undergraduate level, one which is not often take, that of a thematic approach.
In traditional undergraduate textbooks on world regional geography, each chapter represents a world region, often not all of them. Then within each chapter physical features and generalized cultural aspects of a country are discussed. To structure her text, she does rely on the traditional approach of regions as chapters, but I believe it helps provide consistency not only in the text itself, but for how we have taught geography in the past. This approach along with her framework of subdivisions between physical and human geography makes the text easier for students to read and follow along.
The structure and flow of the text along with its regional organizational schema makes it a great text to model to any world regional geography course. The greatest advantage of the new organization is that students will be able to easily compare one region with another to understand similarities and differences.
Cooperation and conflict, resource abundance and scarcity, poverty and prosperity, floods and droughts--all play roles in transforming the Earth's surface. This insightful text presents world regional geography as a way to comprehend the world's connections and continuous interplay between features of place, populations, resources, cultures, and political systems.
Retaining its balanced cultural and physical geographic perspectives on the world's eight regions, the sixth edition includes new illustrations, examples, and cross-references to show students how human activities and natural processes reshape places and landscapes. The result? Students develop their own deeper understanding of how the world works--and what can happen when natural events or human decisions make things go wrong.
The workbook contains activities intended for use with the blank basemaps, along with assessment questions for each realm. Whether you use a traditional printed text or all digital CourseMate alternative, it's never been easier to better understand the eight world regions, including the historical, cultural, economic, political, and physical aspects that create regional unity, give them personality, and make them newsworthy.
Understanding World Regional Geography Binder Ready Version is designed to teach students to think geographically so they can continue to think and apply geographic concepts long after the course is over.
This First Edition draws from best practices in geography education and research in student learning to help students deepen their understanding of the world. Features found in every chapter help students learn to read cultural and physical landscapes, ask geographic questions, apply geographic concepts, and make connections.
Understanding World Regional Geography Binder Ready Version integrates 25 threshold concepts, teaches readers how geographers apply the concepts, and then asks students to apply these key geographic concepts themselves.
Understanding World Regional Geography helps students begin to grasp the complexities of the world and gives them the content and thinking skills necessary to grow in their understanding of the world during the course and over their lifetimes. This text is an unbound, binder-ready version. For courses in world regional geography. Conceptual Exploration of World Regions and the Myriad Issues Critical to Geography Today World Regions in Global Context presents a strong global sensibility and an emphasis on current events, with examples of interdependent development, spatial and social inequality, and questions of spatial justice.
The authors maintain that regions are the outcomes of the twin forces of globalization and regionalization. Therefore, each regional chapter stresses the global systems of connection that drive unique regional processes, making regions different. By studying regions, students not only learn the critical elements of different places, but also come to understand the fundamental processes that drive change. The Sixth Edition is a briefer, more visual text that still maintains its conceptual rigor by addressing today's critical geographic themes, incorporating deeper focus on sustainability issues, new human stories from the regions, cutting-edge data visualizations and infographics, including a completely modernized cartography program, and much more.
Also Available with MasteringGeographyTM This title is also available with MasteringGeography-an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Interactive, self-paced tutorials provide individualized coaching to help students stay on track. With a wide range of activities available, students can actively learn, understand, and retain even the most difficult concepts.
Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information. Students explore the field's defining concepts by focusing on the stories of real people, global trends and interregional linkages, and contemporary topics that transcend regional borders the war on terrorism, global political order, interregional trade, the global economy, popular culture, the environment, and the Internet.
Along with a thorough updating, this edition introduces several new features that will help students explore geography across regions, while enhancing the book's standing as the most highly visual textbook for the world regional course. In addition, W. What's in the LaunchPad. Skip to content. World Regional Geography. World Regional Geography Book Review:. Contemporary World Regional Geography.
Essentials of World Regional Geography. Salter hobbs Essentials of World Regional Geography.
0コメント