Pulsipher's World Regional Geography puts people into the world geographic landscape, showing students how individuals are affected by, and respond to, economic, social, and political forces at all levels of scale: global, regional, subregional, local. It offers a vivid and inclusive picture of people in a changing world not as seen from a Western perspective, but as they see themselves. The core topics of physical, economic, and political geography are examined from a contemporary perspective, based on insights from the most recent geographic theory.
This is one text book that changed my life, and truly made me a globally-aware citizen. Everyone should take a course or read a book like this one. The author blends statistics with the life stories and histories of different subregions of the world. It uses clues like languages and location of valuable resources to explain modern borders and wars. I'm a forever fan!
I used this book for a geography class a few semesters ago and decided to keep it. Part of the decision was based on the cover... the cute Thai children with their bubble gum. I have some fond memories of that geography class. The best memory was of the teacher though... she pointed to a world map and showed us the "mountains in Japan" which of course were not visible on a world map where Japan looks about an inch long.
Good, if sometimes disjointed set up. I thought it focused too much on the environmental impacts in the regions and not enough on the actual cultures. Photo essays were pointless and annoyingly referenced in the text. Very comprehensive, though, although most times to the point of being too much information.