Longman dictionary of geography : human and physical /

This is the first work of its kind to combine the two major aspects of geography, physical and human, in one volume. For many years, geographical dictionaries treated only physical geography. Francis J. Monkhouse's Dictionary of Geography (2nd ed., CH, Jan '71), Wilfred G. Moore's Dictionary of Geography (rev. ed., CH, Jan '68), and Allen A. Schmieder's Dictionary of Basic Geography (1970) largely ignored terms such as ``garden city'' or ``nomadism''-terms in human geography. Balancing this traditional emphasis was Dictionary of Human Geography, ed. by Ronald J. Johnston (1981). Clark's contribution has been to combine both fields in a landmark dictionary of more than 10,500 entries. Clark had earlier revised and updated Sir Dudley Stamp's Glossary of Geographical Terms (3rd ed., 1979) and was instrumental in introducing into the Glossary many terms in human and cultural geography. In the Glossary the origin and use of geographical terms was provided through definitions from original authorities and other dictionaries, while the Dictionary is a more conventional word book with a term/definition/cross-reference format. Terms that appear in both works are indicated in the Dictionary, making it a companion to the Glossary, although each can stand alone. The appendixes (Greek and Latin roots, conversion tables, time zones, and random number table) make the Dictionary more effective as a reference tool, but it lacks illustrations and diagrams. Graduate students would find that Johnston or John B. Whittow's Penguin Dictionary of Physical Geography (1984, a revision of Moore) provide the depth and emphasis that Clark's book, because of its purpose and nature, cannot provide. Highly recommended for any college or university library.-P.L. Stark, University of Oregon