Geography Books

The newest addition to the ABC-CLIO 'Global Studies: Latin America & The Caribbean' series, "Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook", compiled and written by Ted Henken (a Fellow at the Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies, CUNY Graduate Center, new York) and an academic specialist in Cuban Economics) provides a detailed overview of Cuba's geography and history, its economics and development, as well as its institutions, culture and society. Of special note is the Reference Section highlighting key events in Cuban history; significant people, places, and events; Cuban language, food, etiquette, and holidays; Cuba-related organizations, on-line publications, and websites. Enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive bibliography and a detailed index, "Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook" is an especially appropriate addition to academic and community library International Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook provides a clear, provocative, and up-to-date overview of Cuban historical, political, economic, and sociocultural development from the pre-Columbian period to the present day with an emphasis on the Cuban Revolution, U.S.-Cuban relations, and Cuba's current socio-economic reality.

This comprehensive reference/text book of almost 600 pages seeks to present the many diverse characteristics of Cuba (music and dance, literature, cinema, revolutionary politics, Cuban exile politics, sugar/tobacco/rum, U.S. policy, history of the Spanish conquest and African slavery, and state socialist economics), as a complex but integrated whole - without trying to over-simplify or trivialize any of these characteristics.

Moreover, this ambitious work is written by an author who has a broad expertise in a wide array of contemporary Cuban reality having traveled to the island more than a dozen times since 1997. As such, the book benefits from direct, first-hand knowledge of the everyday struggles and engaging, endearing characteristics of the Cuban people (both on the island and in exile).

This exposure and sensitivity allows the author to provide the reader with sympathetic, dignified, but critical-minded portrayals of both committed revolutionaries and ardent counter-revolutionaries, refusing to choose sides between those Cubans who left and those who have remained in their homeland.

The book also includes a critical assessment of U.S. policy toward Cuba since the beginnings of the 19th century with John Quincy Adams' "ripe fruit" policy, up to the imposition of the Platt Amendment on the newly independent Cuban nation in 1902, culminating with the U.S. embargo (1960 - Eisenhower/Kennedy) and its hardening into the Helms-Burton Act (1996 - Clinton) and the measures of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba (2003 - Bush).

CONTENTS: Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook provides an overview of Cuban historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural development from the pre-Columbian period to the present day with an emphasis on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The book contains four narrative chapters on (1) geography and history, (2) economics and development, (3) institutions, and (4) culture and society - each with its own bibliography.

This is followed by a reference section that provides fresh, detailed information on key historical events, important people, Cuban Spanish, etiquette (national habits and traditions, cuisine, and holidays), and leading institutions and organizations both in Cuba and abroad.

The book ends with an annotated bibliography that lists some of the most helpful resources used in preparing this volume (including books, newspapers, periodicals, films and documentaries, and websites).

Interspersed throughout the text are more than forty of the author's own photographs taken in Cuba since 1997, a timeline of Cuban history, a chart tracing the development of Cuban popular music, and a "discography" or listeners guide to some of Cuba's best music.

In sum, the book tells a critical yet sympathetic tale of Cuba's history and development, aimed at appealing especially to curious observers who want to add some historical weight and socio-cultural depth to what they already know about the island.

While the book is titled, Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook, it could well be subtitled, "Cuba: The Country that Dreamed It Was a Continent." That is, the island of Cuba has long had a political, strategic, and cultural importance that belied by its relatively small size, meager natural resource base, and scant population. Why is Cuba so BIG? Read this book to find out.

About the author: Ted A. Henken is an assistant professor of Black and Hispanic Studies and Sociology/Anthropology at Baruch College, City University of New York. He received a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from the Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University, 2002. Dr. Henken has traveled to Cuba on numerous occasions since 1997 to lead educational exchanges for Tulane University's Cuban/Caribbean Studies Institute and the CubaNola Collective, to attend academic conferences, and to conduct research. His work on Cuba has appeared in the journals Cuban Studies, Encuentro de la cultura cubana, Latin American Research Review, Latino Studies, and Cuba in Transition. He is a member of the board of directors of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE).

A huge contribution to a rapidly developing area of our lives and the future. Written with balance and interest it informs, yet poses further questions of pertinent relevance. Excellent value and of huge use to me in my Geography studies.

Very nice book with a lot of interesting thoughts about how cyberspace can be conceptualised. If you are interested in a more theoretical approach,then you have to buy this book. Social, political, economic implications of cyberspace are discussed, very helpfull handbook if you're working on empirical studies in/about cyberspace.

> Andrew Ross' study of the life and work of David Livingstone is a worthy
> contribution to the literary corpus of this great man. Ross makes
> accessible the revealing nuances and context of this giant of the 19th
> century. There is special sensitivity to Livingstone because, like
> Livingstone, Ross is also a Scot and served as a missionary in Africa.
> His impressive knowledge of Africa and its history serve the reader
> well in grappling with both the facts and implications of what
> Livingstone did. His research is thorough and objective, while his
> portrayal is winsome and inspiring. This book is necessary for an
> accurate understanding of Livingstone. Reading it is a delightful
> experience!

This work, featuring many new and nuanced insights, is a wonderfully written story of a very determined missionary and explorer. As the author so ably describes, our modern knowledge of David Livingstone is heavily influenced by the fact that, in death, he has been made the icon for many causes. His legacy has been put to the service of, for instance, British imperial aspirations. But as the author recounts, Livingstone's complexity defies any neat categorization.

Livingstone was possessed of a ferocious curiosity. He was born into a life of poverty, but became both a medical doctor and an ordained minister. He fathered a large family from whom, due to his travels, he was often away. Both his physical endurance, and his capacity to withstand pain were prodigious. His respect and admiration for African cultures was incomprehensible to his contemporaries. Witnessing firsthand the depredations of the slave trade, he devised strategies for development that, had they been heeded, provided a chance for leaving African cultures intact.

Livingstone mapped the unknown interior of Africa. His expeditions were remarkable both in the beauty of the places "discovered", and the grueling physical and consequent emotional demands on the explorers. During Livingstone's final expedition, the American journalist H.M. Stanley so famously "found" Livingstone. The meeting is replete with irony, and the context and effect of this meeting are very movingly described. Very moving, as well, is the story of Livingstone's death in Africa, and the transport, by loyal friends, of his body fifteen hundred miles to the coast.

In my opinion this book was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel that every one should read about Denmark Vessey and his contributions to Black History. If you have nothing to do, read this book. I promise you it will change your views on Black History.

In my opinion this book was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel that every one should read about Denmark Vessey and his contributions to Black History. If you have nothing to do, read this book. I promise you it will change your views on Black History.

This dictionary is an invaluable resource for the student, academic, and researcher of anything "cultural". Although it was specifically created to fill a reference gap in the field of geography, it contains hundreds of useful and expansive definitions, each with a complete bibliography, that are useful to anyone who studies humans and cultures.

It is NOT a "dictionary of places/names", but rather focuses on concepts, applications, and general terms related to humans and cultures. It is also encyclopedic in its scope, giving both breadth and depth of coverage for each term, application, and concept. Most of the definitions are stated in simple terms, and then expanded upon, drawing from multiple sources, often times outside the field of geography.

The list of contributors spans the global gamut of experts in human- and cultural-related fields. It is well-researched, well-formatted, and easy to follow. If you want/need to know anything about human/cultural features in the world, chances are, you will find the explanation in this dictionary.

Yes, It's a great book -- Not only a dictionary of jargons, but also a collection of guidelines for study and research in various fields within the discipline. Most items provide a brief but critical review on the topics, all by preeminent figures in related areas. It's will be great helpful for both students and professionals.

Rather than write yet another book on probability in which the math is explained in yet another way, the author has chosen to tackle the problem of understanding probability via writing simulations and poking around a bit until you find the pattern and thus the solution. The author presents 21 problems in probability in the first half of the book, and shows his solutions in the second half with programs written in MATLAB. The idea is that you should try writing your solutions first before reading the second half of the book and seeing how the author solves the problem. Sometimes the author goes into detail in his reasoning, somethimes he just goes through a detailed explanation of his MATLAB code without really telling you how he arrived at his solution. Sometimes a little theory goes a long way, and this lack of theory at some points is the only real shortcoming of the book.

Of course, the problem here is, if you can't trust your intuition to solve a probability problem, how do you know that the computer program you wrote using that same intuition is also trustworthy? I found this to double as a book on helping you reason out the simulation of probability problems and also as just a good algorithm book on the solution of probability problems. You can take the approach to these specific problems and extend them to many other computational probability problems you are likely to encounter. Overall, highly recommended.

The reader should already understand fundamental probability theory and also have some experience in both Excel and MATLAB.

This is a delightful book showing how probability can be made to come alive by using Monte Carlo simulation. Wonderful examples are given to demonstrate this. A little experience in Excel or Matlab suffices to solve by simulation interesting probability problems that are otherwise not easily amenable to an analytical solution. The book is an excellent appetizer for more mathematical books combining probability and simulation such as the highly recommended books Understanding Probability: Chance Rules in Everyday Life by Henk Tijms and Intuitive Probability and Random Processes using MATLAB by Steven Kay.

this book is written by Dr.El-Sheimy, one of sinificant researchers in geomatics engineering. This book is very comprehensive and mathematical. The concept is well developed.
nice work.

The concept of digital terrain modelling (DTM) began about fifty years ago. The original concept was very simple, the three dimensions of each point were simply put into a database. Over time the technologies of using the data, collecting the data, and the storage of the data has developed into ever more complex forms.

This book has chapters on each of these general areas. It is truly a comprehensive mathematically rigorous guide to DTM as it exists today.

In addition to the chapters on producing the various kinds of models, there are a couple of chapters on applications to illustrate the kinds of things that are being done with DTM.

The book was written by three Ph.D. professors who now teach at the University of Calgary, one of the universities in the lead of DTM.

With over 300 pages, countless well-reproduced color illustrations mostly from historic prints (printed in Italy- no surprise)and oversized pages around 10 x 14 inches, this book is one of my favorite "coffee table" books. But it is more than that. It is engagingly written and filled with information on the discovery of the Nile and more. I especially like all the historic maps reprinted in it. There is so much more, too, including David Roberts' prints in very accurate color. If you are at all interested in this subject, you will love this book!

The plates in this LARGE volume are absolutely stunning! If you are at all interested in the history of Africa, it will be well worth your while to get this book before all of the cheaper copies are bought up.

The most incredible underwater photos yet to be seen of the Maldives; combined with the best dive spots and detailed descriptions. First fully detailed, reliable and accurate maps of all the Islands, a Great book that is a must to any Maldives traveller or scuba enthusiast.

To begin, The Maldives are a group of over 400 islands (many uninhabited) that can be found in the Indian Ocean south-west of the Indian continent. These are the 'paradise' islands - idyllic bleached sand, green lagoons and blue ocean. The sun is virtually guaranteed 365 days a year (though trade winds can help lower the temperature from time to time). Most islands can be circumnavigated on foot in less than ten minutes, so I would advise anyone thinking of visiting The Maldives to do so only if they want a holiday with nothing to see and nowhere to go, OR want to spend their holiday clutching the bar stool and watching the waves caress the beach, OR love water sports. It's as quiet as that, and scuba, snorkeling and water-skiing are about as active as you'll get. If you fit into the third category, you'll adore these islands and their friendly peoples. You'll undoubtedly appreciate the diving which, in my view, ranks with the very best in the world (and I've dived a lot of places). Tim Godfrey has spent a considerable amount of time and effort putting together 'Dive Maldives'. When you consider, for a start, that the islands cover an area of ocean as big as Texas, you'll understand the scale of the task. And for readers who have attempted underwater photography, you'll appreciate that it can take several dives just to get one good picture. This book contains 191 superb photos taken throughout the atolls that make up The Maldives. Also included are 114 computer-generated maps with descriptions of over 270 dive sites based on the author's personal research over 12 years. Included in this comprehensive book is information on uninhabited islands, reefs, Protected Marine Areas, heliports, channel names, and some of the better-known dive site locations. The dive site maps show the topography and scale of the reefs, using symbols for features such as caves, overhangs, saddles and canyons, as well as commonly seen fish and marine life. Here divers can get a pre-dive glimpse of what they can expect to see during the dive. EXCELLENT stuff, thoroughly researched and exquisitely photographed. For visitors to The Maldives, who have diving in mind, this book is an absolute MUST HAVE.

Summer vacation with a ghost-story telling Grandpa is always filled with thrills and chills. But this year in Gimli, Manitoba, twins Michael and Angela and their cousin, Sarah, find the summer nights and sights prove more frightening than ever. Not long after Grandpa tells a spooky myth about an Icelandic ghost called a Draugr, the trio encounters something ghastly in the woods. Can ghosts really come back from the dead to cure their unrest? Sarah, Michael and Angela don't want to wait around to find out. And, just as the pieces to the mystery start to fit, Grandpa tries to send them back home to the United States. Before they leave Gimli, however, a dog turns dead and Grandpa suddenly disappears. Determined to get to the bottom of the strange happenings, Angie leads the others on a wild goose chase--that may just turn into a ghost chase. "You do have the Grettir's blood." I didn't know exactly what she was talk about, but I nodded as if I understood. Althea looked at me up and down..."Perhaps I've underestimated you. All of you. Maybe it would have been better if I told you the truth from the beginning." She paused for another second. "Alright," she said. "I'll tell you everything I know, and you can deal with the nightmares and the possibilities--it's a deal. But first each of you must give me your version of what happened. And don't leave out the smallest detail." Again we spoke about seeing the little boy in the forest and about how he had disappeared... Draugr is a wonderful book for young teens of either sex---a quick, but engaging read, with compelling chapter openings and cliffhanging endings. Arthur Slade has woven just enough fright into the story to keep the reader sitting on the edge of their chair, yet anxiously turning the pages. With Slade's newest book, The Loki Wolf, soon to be released by Orca, readers won't have long to wait for their next "shivers."

Lynne Remick, Reviewer

As an elementary teacher I found this book to be a great motivator for my Grade Six students. I found the content to be very enticing for this age level without the "gore" that is present in other books of this genre. Slade does an excellent job of filling all chapters with suspense and encouraging the reader to forge on into the story. An excellent classroom resource to excite readers and a wonderful read.