Gaining an understanding of the recreation and parks profession is crucial to success in the field and to effective leadership within the field. Recreation and Parks: The Profession is a one-of-a-kind resource that delineates the components that make this complex field a profession. Written by well-known recreation authority Betty van der Smissen, this book: defines the marks of the recreation and parks profession and identifies the steps involved in becoming a professional in the field; profiles 62 professional organizations within the profession; outlines a comparative history of 15 categories of the recreation and parks field in the United States and Canada; and presents a classic-to-contemporary bibliography of resources that showcases an inclusive body of knowledge on the profession. Part I describes recreation and parks as a profession and provides students with steps to lay a solid foundation to become a professional. Part II grounds readers with a comparative historical overview of the recreation and parks field from the 1500s to the present day. The author divides the field into 15 categories and offers suggestions on how to use the time line. Part III profiles 62 professional organizations. Each profile includes the organization's mission, goals, structure, history, publications, services, and professional credentialing information. In addition, it lists the organization's Web sites, contact information, and other vital information that students use in completing course work, in applying for internships, and in researching various aspects of the profession. Part IV contains a bibliography of selected resources on recreation and parks, from classic to the present. Recreation and Parks: The Profession is a unique resource for students, professors, and professionals in recreation and parks. The text brings together the important aspects of the field as a profession.

The Geography of Tourism and Recreation presents the first comprehensive introduction to tourism, leisure and recreation and the relationships between them. This accessible text includes a wealth of international case studies spanning Europe, North America, Australasia and China. Each chapter highlights the methods used by geographers to analyse recreation and tourism. It also introduces new perspectives from gender studies and postmodernism and examines key issues including * the demand and supply of recreation and tourism * the role of public policy, planning and management * the impact of tourism and recreation on urban, rural, mountain and coastal environments * tourism and recreation in wilderness areas and other peripheral regions. The use of student text features makes it ideal for course use.