Human Geography: Culture, Society, and Space - Hardcover

The cover photos show two people in two places connected to a wider world through modern technology. For many, such images evoke a world of social, economic, and cultural "globalization." Yet what does globalization mean? Are the lives of the individuals on the cover, one in Yemen (front cover) and the other in the United States (back cover), converging? Can we increasingly think of ourselves as living in one world? Some might say "yes," but a look into the geographical context within which these individuals lead their lives reveals a more complicated answer. These two people live in places that have developed distinct human and physical attributes. Moreover, there is a geography to globalization itself, in that internationalized technologies, economic interactions, and cultural forms affect some places more than others. If we are to understand the complexities of the modern world, we must consider how global forces are interacting with local and regional geographies to produce the patterns and processes that are shaping our constantly changing, endlessly fascinating world.

H.J. de Blij of Marshall University
Alexander B. Murphy of University of Oregon