Geography: A Very Short Introduction

This Very Short Introduction answers four basic questions: what is Geography, how do geographers work, why is Geography important, and where is the discipline of Geography heading? Geography has always been important, though it has had only a short history as an academic discipline and is much misunderstood. Modern Geography has come a long way from its historical roots in exploring foreign lands, in mapping the world and in describing the physical and human features of the Earth’s surface. There are two parts to the discipline: Physical Geography, which covers natural environments and landscapes; and Human Geography, which investigates people and the cultural landscape. Physical and human geographers commonly do not agree with each other. But there are also common elements and Geography as a whole has an important role as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities. Using wide-ranging examples, the book paints a broad picture of the current state of Geography, its subject matter, concepts and methods, how it developed, and its strengths and weaknesses. The book’s conclusion is no less than a manifesto for Geography’s future.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life’s most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

John A. Matthews is Professor of Physical Geography in the School of the Environment and Society at the University of Wales, Swansea. He has led 36 expeditions to southern Norway for which he has received the Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society. His books include The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Environmental Change and, with David T. Herbert, Unifying Geography: Common Heritage, Shared Future.
David T. Herbert is Emeritus Professor of Geography at Swansea University. He is also a Honorary Fellow of the university. He has served on most of the main committees for British Geography, such as the ESRC. RGS/IBG and the Research Assessment Panel.