The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny and Globalization's Rough Landscape »

Harm de Blij is the John A. Hannah Professor of Geography at Michigan State University. The author of 30 books, including Why Geography Matters, he is an honorary life member of the National Geographic Society and was previously the Geography Editor on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The world is not as mobile or as interconnected as we like to think. As Harm de Blij argues in The Power of Place, in crucial ways—from the uneven distribution of natural resources to the unequal availability of opportunity—geography continues to hold billions of people in its grip. We are all born into natural and cultural environments that shape what we become, individually and collectively. From our "mother tongue" to our father's faith, from medical risks to natural hazards, where we start our journey has much to do with our destiny. Hundreds of millions of farmers in the river basins of Asia and Africa, and tens of millions of shepherds in isolated mountain valleys from the Andes to Kashmir, all live their lives much as their distant ancestors did, remote from the forces of globalization. Incorporating a series of persuasive maps, De Blij describes the tremendously varied environments across the planet and shows how migrations between them are comparatively rare. De Blij also looks at the ways we are redefining place so as to make its power even more potent than it has been, with troubling implications.

"A tour-de-force, a fascinating and deeply knowledgeable account of the crucial ways in which 'place,' the Earth's physical geography, shapes global society.... The Power of Place is a treat for the specialist and a thrilling eye-opener for the general reader."
—Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University

"Should be set upon the desks of every legislator, policy wonk and concerned citizen."
—Chicago Sun-Times

"Mr. de Blij's vast reach and steady even-handedness make The Power of Place an enjoyable, intellectual stroll."
—The New York Sun

"Informative and provocative...made all the richer by his inspired use of maps. Substantive and smart."
—ShelfAwareness.com

Publishers Weekly

De Blij (Why Geography Matters) argues forcefully that "geography and destiny are tightly intertwined" in this book that challenges the increasingly popular assertion that the world is becoming "flat" due to the effects of globalization. The author, greatly influenced by his experiences as a young man in South Africa during apartheid, illustrates that the world is still strewn with the economic, political and cultural versions of mountains and oceans that separate the lucky few in the "core" from those in the "periphery," specifically, those nations that lag behind in economic development and health care and are vulnerable to geography and environment. Using compelling data, de Blij describes how "Cruiseship Earth" is inhabited by three groups that he terms: "globals", migrant "mobals" and "locals," the latter, inhabiting the unprivileged periphery, who will soon outnumber the "fortunate minority" of globals, thereby presenting the world with challenges that mere globalizing economies cannot possibly assuage. This meticulous analysis of the impact of everything from religious fundamentalism to the streamlining of world languages on these three groups will serve as an indispensable primer for serious policy makers. (Aug.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1 Globals, Locals, and Mobals 3

2 The Imperial Legacy of Language 31

3 The Fateful Geography of Religion 52

4 The Rough Topography of Human Health 81

5 Geography of Jeopardy 108

6 Places Open and Shut 136

7 Same Place, Divergent Destinies 157

8 Power and the City 182

9 Promise and Peril in the Provinces 207

10 Lowering the Barriers 233

Works Cited 257

Index 263