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Now in a fully updated fifth edition, this premier text has been thoroughly revised to reflect the sweeping changes the past decade has brought to Europe. Long hailed for its creativity and intellectual depth, the book is now further enriched by the expertise of a new lead author, noted geographer Alexander B. Murphy. In this edition, he has focused on Europe's role in the wider world and incorporated new research and teaching approaches in regional geography. The topical organization_including environment, ethnicity, religion, language, demography, politics, industry, and urban and rural life_offers students a holistic understanding of the diverse European culture area. ... Read more

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Text and photographs introduce the geography, history, government, people, and economy of Jordan. ... Read more

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The new edition of the bestselling human geography text enhances its unique thematic approach with new chapters, expanded coverage and pedagogy, a stronger art program, and new integrated media and supplements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent!
Book was in even better condition than expected, seller responded promptly to initial e-mail, and received the book quickly.Very smooth purchase.

The Human Mosaic
The book was highlighted as same as the description. The book was packaged inproperly because the sender put the book in a regular package which was recieved with folded edges while the book was posting.

Decent--but Not cohesive...
My main gripe about this book is that it is organized in such a fashion that it makes it difficult to outline.The chapters don't develop in a manner that lends itself easily to straightforward interpretation of main ideas.Instead, the authors rely primarily on providing definitions of terms, and then presenting information that is of secondary consequence.

The book is informative, but not linearly coherent.

To address the issues raised by another reviewer about Islam, after some more scrupulous reading of those sections, I believe the reviewer let his anger get the best of him.For example, on the section dealing with the "Sour Grapes" reaction, he automatically combined the imposition of pork-eating taboos with the "sour grapes" reaction, which the authors clearly didn't do.They develop the idea and geographical importance of pork-eating, and gives the "sour grapes" reaction as a possible explanation to the eschewing of pork--and they offer others as well.The idea was to show that we don't know where it began, from a cultural stance.The author attaches from an early stage that eschewing pork was part of Judaism, a much older tradition than Islam or Christianity, and makes the point that the distribution of the taboo follows in line with areas that pork isn't easy to cultivate, since a nomadic lifestyle is not suitable for pork farming.

Note that this is different than saying "Islamic people made conquered peoples eschew pork because Islamic people were jealous of those who raised pork."This statement is almost nonsensical, but if you were to simplify the claim raised by the other reviewer, this is what you get.

Did later islamic kingdoms impose the non-eating of pork in the regions of Babylon and those cities near rivers?Yes they did.The author was wrong to use the language of "for revenge," as it puts a slightly moral stance on the books position, and does paint Islam in a negative light--which a good textbook shouldn't do.

And in dealing with the oft-violent histories of all three monotheist religions, the authors spent a great deal of time on the christian enslavement and mistreatment of Indians by the sword here in the Americas--showing that Christians did bad things in the name of their faith, just as Muslims did.

As far as religions go however, the treatment of buddhism and hinduism is even more sparse than it is on Islam, though I have yet to read a western-written book that covers eastern traditions in an interesting fashion.Most of them have a sudden style-shift from seeming interested in the subject matter to suddenly seeming more like an encyclopaedic regurgitation of well-known facts.

This book is guilty of this as well.Docked one star for its non-linear style, and one star for its poor treatment of eastern religions.

Excellent textbook!
I purchased this book for my university level cultural geography course and it's very up to date with excellent explanations of the many aspects of cultural geography. I highly recommend this textbook!

The Human Mosaic
Thank you for being so prompt.I am really enjoying the book and class. ... Read more

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This unique study of world regional geography covers the world’s regions by 11 experts in their respective fields who are intimately familiar with their material through research, fieldwork, and teaching.Employs the central theme of human development to present a vital, issues-oriented overview of each topic. Provides a deeper understanding of the character of the world's peoples than the more traditional descriptive approach. Revises and expands coverage of Russia and Central Eurasia. Adds a wealth of new material, including New Orleans (reflecting the serious problems of a densely settled and industrialized delta region when faced with a natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina magnitude); the European Union and its significance for developmental integration; environmental problems in desert cities; and much more.A useful reference for educators or anyone who needs to increase their knowledge of  regional geography.

Customer Reviews (9)

Bored to Tears
I'm currently taking World Geography and we're using this book. Honestly, I read half of the first chapter, and I was almost bored to tears. It comes across as extremely wordy, and it takes a chapter for them to explain a concept that could sufficiently be said in a few sentences. However, I didn't read the whole book, so perhaps it gets better as you read along.

satisfactory
the book was in really good condition. the only thing was that the cover looks like it's been water-damaged. but other than that i'm pleased with the purchase.

Perfect Shape
I received this product very quickly.It was in perfect shape and condition, so what more could I ask for?

Great Geography book
I love this book and I take world regional geography and it is a great class to learn from. It is an awesome book. I have learned a lot from this book in my World Geography class and I now know more about the United States and Canada and other countries just by reading the first two chapters in this book.

OK
Book has alot of text for a geography book that is supposed to contain lots of pictures. ... Read more

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"Now in its fourth edition, this leading textbook has been extensively revised to reflect the sweeping changes the past decade have brought to Europe and to incorporate new research in the field. Hailed for its creativity and intellectual depth, the book for the first time combines lead author Terry Jordan-Bychkov's decades of first-hand experience in Western and Central Europe and Bella Bychkova Jordan's expertise on European Russia to provide a comprehensive view of the region as a whole.The authors employ a humanistic geographical approach that is ideally suited to facilitate understanding of this ancient, complex culture. Their topical organization--including environment, religion, language, geogenetics, demography, geopolitics, industry, and urban and rural life--offers students a holistic understanding of the diverse European culture area. The final chapter offers a fitting capstone with its unique regional classification that pulls together all the strands of the narrative. Inclusive, intellectual, rich in ideas, lively, controversial, humanistic, and above all interesting, The European Culture Area is the text of choice for courses on the geography of Europe." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great introductory text!
Dr. Jordan writes an excellent introduction to European geography.It is easy to read and understand and chapters are accompanied by lots of self-taken pictures (black and white).It begins with the question of what is Europe and who is European, a very relevant question as the European Union expands.Dr. Jordan lists a dozen empirical characteristics of Europe such as Christian and democratic that isn't universal but serves well as a fundamental description of Europe to a novice.

The best section is on the historical and cultural splits between Northern and Southern Europe, and Western and Eastern Europe.Dr. Jordan details the reasons for the splits; for example, the northerly extent of the Roman Empire and the westerly extent of Islam.

The weakest section is on the European Union which is arguably the most important issue in Europe today and essential for geographers.More detail is needed on what it does and how it works.

I highly recommend it for any geographer, political scientist, or historian interested in Europe but without a lot of background with the region. ... Read more

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Stands of relict vegetation, soil horizons, and sedimentary deposits along with archaeological evidence suggest that during certain time spans within the past twenty millennia, Jordan was endowed with moister and more vegetated landscapes than the ones we see today. In this detailed volume, Carlos E. Cordova synthesizes diverse information on multiple topics to provide a comprehensive view of the changes in the Jordanian landscape and the many ways it has been affected by human habitation and the forces of nature. Cordova focuses on geoarchaeological and cultural ecological aspects of research, presenting data from physical, chemical, and biological sources. He examines the changing influence of climate, vegetation, and hunting opportunities on cultural exploitation tactics, as well as the effects of the growing population and agriculture on the environment. Cordova argues that an interdisciplinary approach to studying the area is crucial to achieving a true understanding of Jordan’s changing landscape. Chapter topics include approaches to the study of ancient Jordanian landscapes in the Near Eastern context; the physical scene; endowed landscapes of the woodlands; the encroaching drylands; the current and future state of the paleoecological and geoarchaeological record; patterns of millennial landscape change; and the process of interpreting millennial landscape change. The text is abundantly illustrated with photos, line illustrations, tables, and maps, providing a valuable assessment of archaeological developments over the prehistory and history of what today is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This volume will be especially welcomed by scholars interested in the archaeology, history, and geography of Jordan, the Levant, and the Near East and by field-school students working on archaeological projects in Jordan. ... Read more

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This is the epic, and beautifully-told story of a great voyage of exploration. HMS Rattlesnake, an aging British warship, was commissioned in 1846 to survey Australia's treacherous Great Barrier Reef and to produce the first detailed chart of the New Guinea coast. At stake was the pre-eminence of British sea power - and the ambitions of those on board. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Heavenly Views
The authors have ceated an alphabetical survey of the prominent archeological, cultural, and religious sites throughout Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.The authors are also meticulous to differentiate between Hebrew, Roman, Herodian, Muslim, Crusader, and Ottoman architectural influence.The exterior photos are most often elevated, if not aerial views which provide a rich perspective--a God's eye view to be sure.The quality rivals National Geographic.Interior sketches and photos of churches and mosques complement chapters on Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, etc.The text is informative and primarily historical in nature (as compared to a travel/tourist guide which might focus more on lodging, restaurants, transportation, shopping, business hours, admission fees, street maps, etc.)The text also summarizes current scholarly views based on the archeological record.But extensive color photos, each one carefully located and described, dominate the book. ... Read more

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The arid lands, or Badia, of north-east Jordan have been the subject of many forces of change throughout the course of the twentieth century, particularly since the end of the First World War. National boundaries drawn in the 1920s separated Jordan's Badia from similar areas in Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. This meant that the people living within these new boundaries became Jordanian and had to develop a set of relationships with the new Jordanian government in Amman which now provides basic services to the population, including education, health care, electricity and water. Then in the 1930s the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) built a pipeline through northern Jordan, creating the pumping station settlements of Ruwayshid and Safawi. Today, although some Badia pastoralists retain their traditional lifestyle of full mobility with their sheep and goats, most are only partially mobile for parts of the year or have adopted a fully settled way of life in a cluster of new villages. Vehicles have replaced camels for most forms of transport except desert police patrols, but a growing number of sheep and goats overgraze the natural vegetation and are dependent on imported grain-based concentrates for survival during much of the year. Irrigated farming has been introduced, and a network of paved roads has been built.

These many changes to the population, the resource base and the management of the Badia's natural resources are the subject of the Jordan Badia Research and Development Programme. This volume presents the main research findings from the first phase of the Programme, which establish a baseline for the natural and human resources of the area. The programme, long-term, is also

deeply concerned with questions of economic and social productivity. The aim of the research is to provide decision makers, in both the national government and local households, with the information they require for sustainable management of Badia resources by government agencies and local people on behalf of the population and the nation as a whole.

The first two overview chapters define the changing relationship between the people and their environment and describe the natural resources upon which the people in the Badia depend. Subsequent chapters divide into groups. Chapters 3-10 cover aspects of the hydrological cycle from precipitation to water demand. Chapters 11-13 look at aspects of the relationship between rainfall and irrigation and geomorphological processes. Chapter 14 includes a checklist of the flora including rain-dependent grazing plans. Chapter 15 deals with the changing pastoral system for the management of sheep and goats. A final group of papers describes demographic change, aspects of social structure and discusses the provisions ofhealth and education services. The volume concludes with a selection of abstracts of papers by Jordanians authors in Arabic and in English.

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Chapters: Jabal Ram, Ramoth-Gilead, Abarim, Ma'an, Amman Governorate, Qasr Al Hallabat, Al Qastal, Jordan, Karak Governorate, Ma'an Governorate, Romtha, Qasr Tuba, Madaba Governorate, Abdoun, Safina, Jordan, Tafilah Governorate, `iraq Al Amir, Al Muwaqqar, Jerash Governorate, Dana, Jordan, Al Muqabalayn, Al Bunayyat Al Janubiyah, `urjan Ash Sharqiyah, Al Lubban, Halawah, Al Wahadinah, Kufayrat Abu Khinan, `urjan Al Gharbiyah, Al Bassah, Al Bunayyat Ash Shamaliyah, Al Qartu`iyah, Umm Shujayrah Al Gharbiyah, an Nuwayjis, Al Jubayhah, Al Quwaysimah, Dulaylat Al Mutayrat, Ash Shumaysani, Al Jizah, Jordan, Khirbat as Sahilah, Rujm Ash Shami, Halaq Ash Shuqayq, Buqay` Al Qababi`ah, Abu `alandah, Kufayr Abu Sarbut, Kufayr Al Wakhyan, Al Qunaytirah, Jordan, Murayjimat Ibn Hamid, Umm Al Qanafidh, Al Mathluthah, Al Yadudah, Al Judayyidah, Qurayyat Falhah, Qurayyat Salim, Umm Zuwaytinah, Al Hummar, Al Quwayjiyah, Al Hawwasiyah, Al Juwayyidah, Umm Al Kundum, Mafraq Governorate, Khirbat Khaww, Adh Dhuhaybah, Al Manakhir, an Naqubah, Ash Shufatah, Rujaym Salim, Umm Al Birak, Al `amiriyah, Al Mushaqqar, Al Jumayyil, Al Mahattah, Al Qurayyat, Jordan, Bayt Zir`ah, Al `arudah, Ar Rabahiyah, Al Mabrak, Al Bahhath, as Saqrah, at Tunayb, Al `arid, `ara`ir, Ar Rajib, Ar Riwaq, as Samik, `ammuriya, Barazin, Bilal, Jordan, Biddin, Al `al, Tell Johfiyeh, Wadi Al Seer, Rujm Ash Shara'irah, Deir Alla, Dulaylat Al Hama'idah, Aqaba Governorate, Zaba'ir `udwan, Dhiban, Syrian Desert, Al Mazar Al Shamali, Ajlun Governorate, Wadi Araba Crossing, Rainbow Street, Habaka, Umm Ar-Rasas, Qasr Hammam as Sarah, Aroer, Balqa Governorate, Jordan River Crossing, Harrat Ash Shamah, Umm El-Jimal, Zarqa Governorate, Yarmouk River, Rabba, List of Cities in Jordan, Karameh, Lisan Peninsula, Dion, Jordan, Nasib Border Crossing, Tell Mar Elias, Jabal Umm Ad Dami, Daraa Border Crossing, Jubaiha, Punon, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, Amman New Camp, Marj Al-Hamam, Syro-African ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1799534 ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Jordan is situated in Southwest Asia, northwest of Saudi Arabia. The territory of Jordan covers about 91,880 square kilometers. Until 1988, when King Hussein relinquished Jordan's claim to the West Bank, that area was considered part of Jordan, although officially recognized as such by only the United Kingdom and Pakistan. At that time the West Bank - which encompasses about 5,880 square kilometers had been under Israeli occupation since the June 1967 War between Israel and the states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Jordan is landlocked except at its southern extremity, where nearly twenty-six kilometers of shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba provide access to the Red Sea. A great north-south geological rift, forming the depression of Lake Tiberias, the Jordan Valley, and the Dead Sea, is the dominant topographical feature. ... Read more

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Chapters: Ilkley. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 85. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jordan is situated in Southwest Asia, northwest of Saudi Arabia. The territory of Jordan covers about 91,880 square kilometers. Until 1988, when King Hussein relinquished Jordan's claim to the West Bank, that area was considered part of Jordan, although officially recognized as such by only the United Kingdom and Pakistan. At that time the West Bank - which encompasses about 5,880 square kilometers - had been under Israeli occupation since the June 1967 War between Israel and the states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Jordan is landlocked except at its southern extremity, where nearly twenty-six kilometers of shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba provide access to the Red Sea. A great north-south geological rift, forming the depression of Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee), the Jordan Valley, and the Dead Sea, is the dominant topographical feature. Geographic coordinates: Except for small sections of the borders with Israel and Syria, Jordan's international boundaries do not follow well-defined natural features of the terrain. The country's boundaries were established by various international agreements, and, with the exception of the border with Israel, none was in dispute in early 1989. Jordan's boundaries with Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia do not have the special significance that the border with Israel does; these borders have not always hampered tribal nomads in their movements, yet for a few groups borders did separate them from traditional grazing areas and delimited by a series of agreements between the United Kingdom and the government of what eventually became Saudi Arabia) was first formally defined in the Hadda Agreement of 1925. In 1965 Jordan and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement th...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=15716 ... Read more

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This book shows how travellers and scholars since Roman times have put together their maps of the land east of the River Jordan. It traces the contribution of Roman armies and early Christian pilgrims and medieval European travellers, Crusading armies, learned scholars like Jacob Ziegler, sixteenth-century mapmakers like Mercator and Ortelius, eighteenth-century travellers and savants, and nineteenth-century biblical scholars and explorers like Robinson and Smith, culminating in the late-nineteenth century surveyors working for the Palestine Exploration Fund. This original and valuable book shows, with full illustrations, how maps of the Transjordan region developed through the centuries, and with its detailed tables and bibliography will aid future scholars in further research. The author took part in archaeological excavations and surveys in Jordan, was Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, has published research papers and books on ancient Jordan, and now edits Palestine Exploration Quarterly. ... Read more

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A collection of jokes about backyard animals. ... Read more