Contemporary Human Geography is a beautifully crafted, modular springboard into essential human and cultural geography concepts, designed for the contemporary geography student. This brief, innovative text explores current human geography in the bold visual style that distinguishes Dorling Kindersley (DK) publications. Topics within each chapter are organized into modular, self-contained, two-page spreads. Together with the graphics, Rubenstein's efficient writing engages students, presenting information clearly without sacrificing the high-quality geography content essential to students and instructors.

Thinking Geographically offers students and faculty alike an elegant, concise, and thorough overview of contemporary theoretical concerns in geography. Easily accessible to those unfamiliar with social theory, this volume "pushes the envelope" of understanding by sketching the contours of post-structuralist spatial thought, including such critical emerging topics as geographies of text, the body, money, and globalisation. Brief biographies of influential theorists demonstrate how ideas are embodied and personified. This volume is highly useful for courses in human geography, the history and status of the discipline, and will stand as a milestone in the discipline's conceptual understanding over the next decade or more." Barney Warf, Florida State University The last decade has seen Geography transformed by an astonishing range of cultural and philosophical concepts and approaches. Thinking Geographically is designed for students as an accessible and enjoyable introduction to this new landscape of geographical ideas. The book takes the reader through the history of geographic thought up to a survey of the present. Contemporary theory is then used to explore real world issues drawn from across the discipline of social, cultural, political and economic geography. Entertainingly written and packed with examples and with profiles of key theorists, the book is an ideal introduction for any student who wants to discover the potential of thinking geographically.

Development Geography is an informative and vibrant introductory level text, with a wealth of contrasting case-studies and illustrations. Written to stimulate critical thought and discussion about development, it does not assume any clear-cut distinction between 'developed' and 'developing' parts of the world. Case-studies highlight the problems and possible solutions at local, national and international scales. These include: * food production in Senegal * Disney in China * Hurricane Mitch in Honduras * corruption in Bulgaria * further studies from Russia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Development Geography is the fifth book to be published in the popular modular text series Routledge Contemporary Human Geography.

Over the past twenty years, geography as an academic discipline has become more and more reflective, asking the key questions 'What are we doing?' 'Why are we doing it?'. These questions have, so far, been more enthusiastically taken up by human geography rather than physical geography. Contemporary Meanings in Physical Geography aims to redress the balance. Written and edited by a distinguished group of physical geographers, Contemporary Meanings in Physical Geography comprises of a collection of international writer's thoughts which reveal personal motivations, and look at tensions in the worlds of meaning in which physical geography is involved. How are the meanings of the physical environment derived? Is the future of physical geography one where the only, or at least the dominant, meanings are framed in the contexts of environmental issues. Covering a diverse and lively selection of topics, the contributors of this book offer guides to the contemporary debates in the philosophy of physical geography, and introduce the reader to its wider cultural significance. This book is an essential companion to anyone studying, or with an interest in, physical geography.

This introduction to the development of new theoretical approaches to human geography sets out to explain the key features of these new approaches, and to trace their antecedents and implications. The authors also highlight points of comparison and contrast, inter-connection and dissimilarity. An introductory chapter describes and accounts for the theoretical diversity present within twentieth-century human geography, and particular attention is paid to the transition from environmental and regional approaches to the “spatial science” of the 1960s. This chapter then sets the stage for the later chapters, which deal systematically with different post-1960s approaches: Marxism, humanism, realism, structuration and postmodernism. Each of these chapters deals with the chronological development of the appropriate literature, describes the key claims and arguments, and then presents a worked example to illustrate the benefits and pitfalls of an approach in practice. A concluding chapter re-integrates the diverse themes and reflects briefly on possible future theoretical developments in human geography in the 1990s. The principal chapters of the book are framed by both a preface and an epilogue, which address questions about ‘relativism’ in approaching human geography, while also stressing the need for continued commitment and critical sensitivity in geographical enquiry. The book is written in an easily accessible style with generous expositions of key claims and arguments, and thorough cross-referencing between chapters.

This text introduces both 'traditional' and contemporary approaches and perspectives in urban geography. This substantially revised edition of Urban Geography now features updates on recent urban policy initiatives and urban changes, including the influence of CCTV on the city and the impacts of Millennium projects. New sections contain: * an evaluation of the impact of place promotion * a discussion of new cultural geography and the city * a new chapter on sustainable urban development * boxed case studies * further reading suggestions * extensive illustrations.