Human Geography: Global Tourism; World Regional Geography: The Power of Place, Vol. 11: China and Its Sphere

Geography is not simply about land and environment; more specifically, it is about human society and how it is affected by these factors. Two new telecourses look at cultural, economic, and sociopolitical effects of geography. From environmental to acculturation issues, each of the 10 volumes in the Human Geography series concentrates on a particular topic or geographic region. We watched Global Tourism, which explored the island tourist industries of Hawaii, Malaysia, and Borneo and how it has shaped the development of the indigenous peoples. Tourism is a contradictory force, glorifying and preserving some of the tradition and culture while at the same time exploiting and manipulating it. The struggle to remain culturally and environmentally responsible while at the same time catering to a romanticized sort of cultural voyeurism is difficult. Examples are given of the commercialization of the Hawaiian tradition of hula, or the booming "ecotourism" business in Borneo that takes explorers to "real" longhouses. Are visitors' demands threatening the very existence of what they want to see? At times the video strays a bit, more resembling a travel video or resort infomercial, but overall, the production values are high and the subject matter timely. Recommended. Other titles in the series include: Imagining New Worlds, Population Transition in Italy, and The World of the Dragon. Aud: H, C, P. World Regional Geography examines, region by region, how the physical environment has shaped civilizations throughout history. Each program in the 13-volume series is made up of two documentary-style "case studies" that explore a particular region and show how the lives of the people there have been (and continue to be) shaped from a geographic standpoint. We watched Life in China's Frontier Cities, which examined two major cities: Lanzhou, in the northwest and Shenyang, in the northeast. Lanzhou is a "confluence of cultures"--because of its location on a major river, the Silk Road passed right through it. The Han Chinese from the east, and the Muslim peoples from the west, settled there together and have been living in relative harmony ever since. In contrast, the city of Shenyang has fallen behind the times. Located in a somewhat geographically isolated area, this state-regulated factory town has not been able to keep up with the world's economic progress due to outdated machinery, inefficient in-house practices, and a lack of foreign investment. Each segment ends with an articulate and fascinating analysis by geographer and commentator H. J. de Blij. The cities are presented through the eyes of geographers native to the region, which lends the program an air of cultural authenticity, the production values are very high, and the programs are well-organized and informative. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Other titles in the series include: South Asia: Aspiring India, Sub-Saharan Africa: Realm of Reversals, and Russia's Fracturing Federation. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)