The Europeans: A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment

books in wonderful condition got here quick was a little mix up were i was sent two for the price of one lol but got my shipping back (for the return of the extra book ) and a couple of dollars for my trouble

I bought this textbook to get a more comprehensive look at European Geography, and was not disappointed. Europe, of course, has an enormous volume of recorded history, so it is quite a challenge to sort through and select only the most relevant points for a regional textbook. I believe that the authors do a nice job of explaining key points to someone who is not very familiar with European history (i.e. they do not go into tremendous depth, but outline major points in history and particularly migration trends). As such, I think this book is quite appropriate for college undergraduates who often do not have a solid background in basic European history. More importantly, though, the book addresses contemporary issues facing Europe as a whole, such as the development of the European Union, the rapidly aging population, and ongoing concerns over immigration. My complaints about the book are minimal. (1) It is definitely a textbook, in that it is written like a textbook. (i.e. Don't expect it to be a gripping page-turner.) I found some chapters to be dry reading. However, I have a deep interest in geography, which served as my motivation to keep going. (2) The pictures and maps in the paperback I bought are in black and white, which is a terrible shame. The maps are difficult to read, and the grayscale versions of the pictures do not do a good job of depicting what the authors are trying to show. I would gladly spend the extra money for a color version. Overall, I definitely recommend this textbook. Ostergren and Rice are masters of their subject, and the depth of their knowledge about the region is excellent. I learned a lot!