The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

The Cultural Landscape introduces geography as a social science by emphasizing the relevance of geographic concepts to human problems. The relationship between globalization and cultural diversity underlies the material and pedagogy throughout reinforces geography skills. This book, trusted for its timeliness and readability, introduces geography by emphasizing the relevance of geographic concepts to human problems. Two years after Rubenstein's Update Edition was created to encompass the events of September 11, 2001, this revision also begins the careful process of putting those events into perspective. It provides new Global Forces and Local Impacts boxes in each chapter that explore in depth an issue related to chapter material, focusing on particular regions of the world. It includes new material on medical geography, terrorism, mineral resources, sustainable development, conservation, and biodiversity. The book also presents new information on gender differences in development, and expands material on Ethnicity, relating ethnicity problems to political conflict.

Dr. James M. Rubenstein received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1975. His dissertation on French urban planning was later developed into a book entitled The French New Towns (Johns Hopkins University Press). In 1976 he joined the faculty at Miami University, where he is currently Professor of Geography. Besides teaching courses on Urban and Human Geography and writing textbooks, Dr. Rubenstein also conducts research in the automotive industry and has published two books on the subject entitled The Changing U.S. Auto Industry: A Geographical Analysis (Routledge) and Making and Selling Cars: Innovation and Change in the U.S. Auto Industry (The Johns Hopkins University Press). Originally from Baltimore, he is an avid Orioles fan. Stormy, a lab-pointer mix, takes Dr. Rubenstein for a long walk in the woods every day.

This book is dedicated to Bernadette Unger, Dr. Rubenstein's wife, who has stuck with him through thick and thin. Dr. Rubenstein also gratefully thanks the rest of his family for their love and support.