Don't Know Much About Geography

Davis, Kenneth C.

ISBN 10: 0553471023 ISBN 13: 9780553471021

Publisher: Random House Audio, 1992

Synopsis

From bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis comes a treasure trove of answers to questions about our world.
Was there an Atlantis?
What's the smallest country in the world?
What's the difference between a jungle and a rain forest?
Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About(r) History, Don't Know Much About(r) the Civil War and Don't Know Much About(r) the Bible, turns his inimitable wit and wide-ranging knowledge to the subject of geography, and proves once and for all that there is a lot more to it than labeling countries on a map.
From often amusing perceptions people have had through the ages about the world and the universe to the changing map of today, Davis shows how geography is really a great crossroad of many fields: biology, meteorology, astronomy, history, economics, and even politics. In this lively, entertaining, and endlessly fascinating presentation, you'll hear about the personalities that helped shape the world and learn the answers to questions that have vexed most of us since grade school. Along the way, Davis offers an affectionate ode to the earth: a celebration of the earth, a searching investigation of the destruction of our habitat, and a practical guide to saving our home planet.

For anyone who has felt geographically ignorant ever since gas stations stopped handing out free maps, Don't Know Much About(r) Geography is enormously informative entertainment.

About this title

Review

You might think you need to look at a map to learn "everything you need to know" about geography, but Kenneth C. Davis proves otherwise. In this hugely entertaining and informative program, Davis takes a different approach to learning about the world by pointing out its relevance--and importance--in every sphere of human life. Geography, Davis explains, has been sadly misunderstood, which accounts for the fact that Americans consistently score lowest among peoples of industrialized nations when it comes to "knowing where we are." He sets out to show listeners how this "mother lode of sciences, the hub of a circle from which all the other studies radiate" informs disciplines ranging from meteorology, climatology, and oceanography to economics, ecology, and political science. Rather than looking at geography as a parade of facts about where things are located, he encourages an approach that considers human and natural history in its larger context--and the universe as a large canvas upon which the fascinating story of life is drawn. Using his familiar question-and- answer method, Davis offers interesting anecdotes to explain, for example, who invented the compass; why wars are always fought over geography; the differences between country, republic, nation, and state; why the tallest mountain in the world is getting even taller; and much more. Succinct discussions coupled with Davis's lively writing style makes this a perfect candidate for audio presentation. Indeed, listening to this program without the aid of visuals underscores the sense conveyed that geography is as much about how we think about the world as where things are in physical space--that it is about the "tender connections that keep the earth alive." (Running time: three hours, two cassettes) --Uma Kukathas

From the Publisher

Who killed the Dead Sea?... Where was the Garden of Eden?... What's so bad about the Badlands?

The author of the critically acclaimed national bestseller Don't Know Much About History now takes us on a fascinating, breathtaking and hilarious grand tour of the planet Earth--opening our eyes and imaginations to a wide, wild, and wonderful world we never knew.

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Audio
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0553471023
• ISBN 13: 9780553471021
• Binding: Audio Cassette
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 3