Book Review
Summary of the Book Why Geography Matters
Harm de Blij is Hannah A. John, a lecturer at MSU (Michigan State University). Harm de Blij was a renowned Geography editor for 7 years, a writer of as well as commentator for PBS series, and worked as a Geography analyst of NBC News.
In the book Why Geography Matters, the author (Harm), highlights three main challenges affecting America. These include climate change, Chinese rising power, and global terrorism. Nonetheless, the author as well identifies other significant challenges facing U.S. By the use of cultural and physical geography, Harm (2007), elucidates the justification for a number of problems facing the planet Earth; moreover, provides solutions to the challenges. Using focused discussion or conversation on the main threats, de Blij (2007) offers significant historical data concerning the geologic changes of the planet, human race development, the soaring population of the planet, global warming, the causes as well as future Islamic terrorism, and the rise or fall of renowned empires.
As the population of the Earth nears 7 billion, human race experience many problems. For America, the main problems with the 65 years will be the Chinese rise, global terrorism, and climate change. Even though these problems will be considered important and will never be only problems America experiences, if the government and citizen of America are prepared to address these concerns, they may be solved. Previously, either from Vietnam to terrorism of Islam, America has shown a failure to fathom the challenges or has been ill prepared to address such concerns.
The challenge of global warming is real though not novel. For million years, the Earth has faced warming as well as cooling phases and the present warning phase is another episode within that lengthy series. Presently, the Earth is within an ice age, though the planet has been going through the Holocene inter-glaciations for approximately 12, 000 years ago. Scientist forecast that finally the inter-glaciations would come to end, making ice return to the surface of the Earth. It is unknown when such occurrence will take place, and once it occurs, there is minimal man can do to revert such occurrence. Nonetheless, in the meantime it remains unclear what the effect of human actions like greenhouse effect and pollution would be within the duration of the inter-glaciations. Therefore, reducing human effect is advisable. One the cooling of the Earth starts; climates are anticipated to change and shift. Most of the inhabited polar areas, particularly within the northern hemisphere (arctic), will never be capable of supporting human life, as well as the current agricultural areas. Consequently, production of food would shift towards lower latitude, which is expected to be limited. With the population of the Earth reaching seven billion, the novel restraints on space as well as lower agricultural production can lead to severe difficulties for the inhabitants of the Earth.
In the last twenty-five years, China has changed from isolated agrarian society to a main economic power having huge military possessing nuclear weapons, plus its 1.3 billion people. As China keeps on flexing its muscle, conflict between China and America can arise, especially over territory like Southeast Asia. Ever since the conclusion of WW II, America has had an influence in Asia; nonetheless, currently, it has started to cut its military influence or presence. Without controlling Chinese influence, she can utilize military force to recapture former territories like Taiwan to accommodate the increasing Chinese population. Huge population places high demand on international resources, especially gas and oil. As reserves within the Middle East decreases, the increased demand for the natural resources can result in military conflicts within areas like Russia, where gas and oil is abundant. There exists great risk that an emerging cold war, between China and U.S., will develop. Nonetheless, that cold war can be between two cultures having few commonalities that can raise the threat of fatal misunderstandings. It will be prudent for the U.S. citizen to learn about China as well as its culture to reduce cultural misunderstanding or intolerance.
For U.S., international terrorism never became a reality until the terrorist attack of 9/11. Since that attack, U.S citizens have shared the international communities' held panic of terrorism. Such attacks are not novel; they have been employed as a political technique for centuries. Conversely, the current terrorism wave and Islamic extremism are more frightening compared to earlier forms. Since Islamic terrorism appears not having definite objective than terrorizing, it becomes a major problem for the globe. Nonetheless, since terrorism breeds within malfunctioning or failing societies, ways to avert its expansion and control it must be sought. As failing societies increase, it is prudent to international securities that hope and stability are ensured by world community within these failing societies before frustration, poverty, and fear allow terrorists to employ the victims into terror realm and expand.
The literature reveals that illiteracy of geography starts with poorly developed curricula within American learning institutions, where, in the last half century, physical geography, always within the climatology form, gave learners their initial taste of how and where worldwide environments prevail. Moreover, the book shows that currently the globe has experienced transformations: climate change or global warming, unprecedented terrorist attacks, earthquakes, overlooked conflicts, as well as an economic crisis or decline threatening international system stability. De Blij (2007), offers suggestions to enlighten the readers on how to address disparate global upheavals.
The literature is related to course work in many ways. It improves understanding of the globe’s geography. The author demonstrates how people may better address events occurring on the Earth. The information given in the book, adequately equips its readers to face the world problems. De Blij (2007) has prepared the writing with anecdotes or stories from personal, professional tours.
The literature is interesting as de Blij (2007), warns that America has become the globe’s most geographically illiterate community of consequence. It is informative to learn that regardless of increasing international connectivity as well as rapid change, U.S appear less knowledgeable and less informed concerning the other parts of the world. De Blij (2007), shows the reason dispiriting picture should change.
The literature provided by de Blij is useful and offers insightful information about Why Geography Matters, making the book indispensable to people seeking to fathom complex, changing globe. The U.S State Department is well served by making the book a compulsory for all flesh recruited Foreign Service personnel, as well as diplomats. The author shows convincingly how the findings and tools of a geographer are essential in fathoming the current world. It its scope, power, readability, originality, and analytical balance, Why Geography Matters as a book is matchless; the riveting information on African continent is the best abridgment of the past and present of the continent ever released.
The book- Why Geography Matters- also have some errors, for example, chapter about China betrays de Blij’s superficial understanding of the nation and its past. de Blij (2007, p. 125)explains that economic advisor (Soviet) within China in were repatriated, not castigated for despised revisionism. In reality, the economic advisors were not repatriated; instead, Khrushchev recalled them without warning in 1960, and in certain instances even managed to acquire the blueprints of novel factories still under development with them. Another error is in page 127, which shows that by the next century China was considered a nuclear power de Blij (2007). In reality, China exploded its initial atomic bomb in the year 1964 and her initial H-bomb in the year 1967, and tested her initial nuclear missile in the year 1966. Therefore, China was a nuclear power prior to the next century. Correspondingly, de Blij try to give credit to Xiaoping Deng with the economic and technological growths over the last half century overlooks the fact that it started during the era of Mao that certainly established its basis.
References
De, B. H. (2007). Why geography matters: Three challenges facing America: climate change, the rise of China, and global terrorism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
