Dateline: 12/06/99
Wow! I can’t think of many better words to describe the new National Geographic Desk Reference. At just under 700 pages, it’s the best general geography book to be published in the past few years, maybe even decades. It’s perfect for any home and is a must for geography students from elementary to graduate level. Readers of the Desk Reference will be amazed at how chalk-full of information the book is; for it covers almost every aspect of the discipline - from adiabatic process to zoning.
The sharply bound book is full-color and includes over 200 color photos and diagrams. An appendix of eight National Geographic regional maps and over 200 pages of country information and their flags make the book an even more indispensable resource.
The photos, diagrams, and thematic map choices were well above par and make for thorough understanding of such topics as plate tectonics. The maps of ocean floor spreading and continental drift from 600 million years ago through Pangea illustrate the described principles better than many physical geography or geology texts.
The text is fascinating and quite comprehensive as an outstanding team of true geographers wrote the book. The sections, the essential "What Is Geography?," "Physical Geography," and "Human Geography" organize the chapters. Chapters range from "Climate and Climatic Classification" to "Migration to the "History of Geography." Fact-filled pullouts and sidebars provide background information on such topics as the Aral Sea, lightning strikes, and lebensraum.
This book is an essential addition to the library of any geographic home or educational institution. It will certainly be a regularly utilized reference, one which will often be picked up, thumbed through, and, I expect, read diligently.
Order National Geographic Desk Reference from Borders.com
Read my reviews of other geographical books and products.
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