Matthews J.A., Herbert D.T. Geography: A Very Short Introduction

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. — 200 p. — ISBN: 978-0-19-921128-9.The aim of Geography: A Very Short Introduction is to provide a succinct and lively, yet authoritative, account of the nature of geography as a field of study. For most people, the term ‘geography’ has an instant, if over-simplified, meaning. Different countries in the world, rivers, mountains, and capital cities, and their location on maps, are often among the first things that come to mind. If a contestant in a popular quiz show chooses the category of geography for his or her questions, these are often the questions posed. Geography is of course far more complex than this inventory of factual material. Its subject matter is extremely varied, its concepts are many and well developed and its methodologies are rigorous. It is a broad church with a range of interests and involvements that is often surprising. Modern geography has come a long way from simple descriptions of places and landforms, and it is this modern face that we need to portray.List of illustrations.
Geography: the world is our stage.
The physical dimension: our natural environments.
The human dimension: people in their places.
Geography as a whole: the common ground.
How geographers work.
Geography’s present and future.Further reading.