» Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation (8th Edition)

Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation (8th Edition) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: A Fair Attempt
Comment: Although the authors clearly have a deep command and even affection for their subject, the text in this book is often murky. It is a serviceable work for beginners, but certainly not for novices to the area of physical geography. More strict editing and a more "user-friendly" layout in the text are called for, although the graphics do a generally competent job of illustrating more difficult concepts. I would recommend this book with reservations.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: BUYERS BE AWARE 8th Edition Published
Comment: Fall 2004 & Spring 2005 Students: the 8th edition of this book is published and comes with a CD, and, in some cases, a free world atlas. Check with your instructor for requirements. In any case, I wouldn't spend $100 for the 7th edition.
Haven't read the book yet, so no rating.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very well-written and illustrated text with great photos
Comment: Obviously written by authors who have a deep appreciation for this subject and a desire to pass on their knowledge, this text is useful not just for students of physical geography, but for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of geopolitics, area studies, anthropology, world history, etc. For example, I would have no clue about the culture, history and politics of Central Asia/Afghanistan and vicinity (my area of interest) without having a comprehensive understanding of the physical terrain and climate of this region--and how its inhabitants have adapted to it. I would not have gained this understanding without reading this text.

My only complaint is that I had hoped for more emphasis on environmental issues. The authors may feel that this is beyond the scope of an introductory text; but problems such as the shrinking Aral Sea and tropical rainforest destruction are so widely catastrophic that I believe they deserve greater attention and understanding even at the introductory level.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: still on my bookshelf
Comment: I remember this book from when I was an undergraduate, lo these many years ago (OK, so it was an earlier edition)! I'm glad to see it is still available and updated -- I enjoyed it then and I am using it now in answering the questions my children throw at me.

This is an excellent resource book. I probably wouldn't pick it up as a light read at bedtime, but if you are interested in this topic you could do far worse than to get _Physical Geography_.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Book is conundrum
Comment: Suffice it to say, this text is awful, an arduous task to understand and conceptualize. I'm taking a lower level geography course with this book as the primary text and find myself ready to punch a wall when attempting to read.

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