Human Geography: Making Sense of Planet Earth

As the human population rushes toward the 10 billion mark in our era of globalization, we are more interconnected than ever before, yet the world remains a diverse, ever-changing place. Hosted by Dr. Alexander Murphy, this eight-part series explores how humankind impacts the environment, rearranging the landscape at an increasingly accelerating rate. But how did we get where we are, and where are we going? Humans are linked by language, ethnicity, religion (and its sacred spaces), political boundaries, and shared assumptions, while variable topography over the course of history has helped drive migration that ultimately led to sweeping changes. Human Geography describes the rise and fall of empires and feudal states, the beginning of industrialization, and the growth of cities, along the way addressing questions that concern scholars of human geography (such as: how did the English language become globally dominant?), while also looking at similarities and differences found in world population centers. In addition, the series explores the impact of economic inequality, the terrible effects of Nazi aggression, and the role of climate change, while touching on American groups as varied as the Amish, Cajuns, the Cherokee Indian Nation, and Chinese Americans. Scholars call human geography a "survival science," one that emphasizes the importance of place and scale in all human activities. Human Geography effectively combines input from scholars, illustrations of far flung landscapes, and up-to-date material (including an examination of Hurricane Katrina's role in uprooting communities and rearranging populations). Extras include an instructor's guide and printable maps and graphics. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)