{"data":[{"id":78,"title":"World Regional Geography - People, Places and Globalization","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781946135278","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization is designed for students to experience and study as much of the world as possible within a limited amount of time. It gives students the fundamental concepts and the latest data regarding world places in a concise, easy-to-read format. This World Regional Geography textbook focuses on the primary issues that have created our cultural and societal structures, and presents them within a framework for global understanding. A pattern of development is outlined from the imprint that European colonialism had on culture to the impact that giant retail corporations like Wal-Mart have on consumerism. Within this framework, the textbook takes a regional approach to globalization and world geography, as each chapter focuses on one subject or region. The first unit covers the basic concepts of location, the environment, and global economic dynamics. Then, these basic concepts, theories, and principles are presented for each region on a chapter-by-chapter basis. The basic concepts are covered using real world examples to provide purpose and relevance for the students. And each lesson begins with learning objectives and ends with key takeaways to stimulate critical thinking about each topic or region. Basic spatial concepts are also tracked throughout the text to connect ideas and apply concepts to every region of the world. Special sections on relevant topics are also distributed throughout the book. With each chapter focused on one region, the textbook provides professors with some course management and flexibility. The text is also brief enough to provide additional flexibility if professors want to include specialized information from outside sources. World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization provides students with a working knowledge of world geography in an easy-to-read format. Basic geographic concepts of world places are presented in concise chapters, and each chapter provides a foundational framework for understanding the development patterns of world regions. See for yourself and take a look at the book today!","contributors":[],"subjects":[{"id":44,"name":"Earth Sciences","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QE1","visible_textbooks_count":54,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geology?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":181,"url":"https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing"}],"formats":[{"id":350,"type":"Online","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geography_(Human)/Book%3A_World_Regional_Geography_-_People_Places_and_Globalization","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1758,"type":"PDF","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geography_(Human)/Book%3A_World_Regional_Geography_-_People_Places_and_Globalization","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1759,"type":"eBook","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/worldgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2236,"type":"ODF","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/worldgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2237,"type":"XML","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/worldgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":10,"reviews":[{"id":106,"first_name":"Benjamin","last_name":"Timms","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"California Polytechnic State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an open access textbook this is a comprehensive and serviceable resource for classes in world regional geography. It begins with an introductory chapter that covers, in a rather basic fashion, human and physical geography and then progresses to cover the world in 12 regional chapters that add considerable and appropriate depth to geographical themes. The regional chapters are divided into: Europe, Russia, North America, Middle America, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific and Antarctica. The assignment of regions is always contested, but here they are clear and well delineated; e.g. dividing 'Latin America' into Middle America and South America as well as treating the Pacific Islands separate from Australia and New Zealand. The inclusion of Antarctica with the Pacific is a bit awkward, but the additional coverage of Antarctica turns out to be an improvement over other world regional geography texts. Further, and importantly, each regional chapter begins with a general overview of the physical and human geography of each region and then subdivides them for more specific coverage; e.g. Middle America broken up into Mexico, Central America, and then the Caribbean. That being said, the pdf document lacks a table of contents and a glossary which places extra effort on the instructor to create their own.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the textbook is accurate and unbiased, with minimal errors. Any discrepancies can be easily handled by the instructor in terms of their perspectives or areas of emphasis.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This version was published in 2012 and includes excellent up-to-date content and current issues, which I was impressed with. However, 'current issues' are constantly changing and requires instructors to provide supplementary up-to-date information, which is a constant for courses in world geography.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is extremely clear and easy to read in very concise sentences with description of geographical terminology. The conciseness is welcomed, but initially lacks depth in exploring topics in greater detail, particularly in the introductory chapter. However, in relevant chapters themes are expanded upon in greater detail. For example, the political geography of nation-state formation is expanded upon in the chapter on Europe. And from a physical geography perspective, the science behind hurricanes is provided in the Middle America chapter. These are just two examples, and I found the development of depth in human and physical geography themes within relevant regional chapters a significant strength of the textbook.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent with terminology and framework. It begins with concise and simple themes in human and physical geography but builds upon them in more depth in the relevant chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This textbook is well organized for dividing it into smaller assignments. Each regional chapter begins with a broad overview of the region and then subdivides it into more specific 'regions within the region'.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The main weakness of the textbook is in the ordering of topics within chapters. It tends to jump from one topic to the next without a proper transition, e.g. Middle America chapter discusses the colonial era and then, afterwards, addresses Native American cultures as they existed before the colonial era. I found the sequence of topics disjointed in many of the chapters. However, the material was excellent, just not ordered correctly.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interface of a single document that is over 1000 pages without an index or glossary is troublesome, and students will need a good version of Adobe Acrobat to navigate the document easily. The separation of chapters and sections within the chapter are not clear. The images, maps, and graphs are simple but very effective and tied to the text material well.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is excellent, only a few minor formatting issues in terms of spacing between words here and there and between paragraphs.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and unbiased without offensive material to multiple races, ethnicities, or backgrounds.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This open textbook resource should be seriously considered by instructors looking to reduce student costs and contributing to open access learning. While it has some limitations in terms of the interface and constant need for updating for current events, these should be easily overcome by minimal instructor additions. It provides an excellent basis for studying world regional geography and allows for the instructor to add content in their own courses.","created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":130,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Sibley","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"University of Northwestern - St. Paul","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book attempts to cover both the basics of geography and specifics about the different regions of the world. As such the author needed to chose which concepts to include that would be necessary when studying the different regions. Concepts included were necessary, but the instructor of the course would have to add both depth as well as other necessary concepts not included. (Migration was a concept that would need more coverage). A second decision by the author, was to cover each country in a region, unlike some other world geography texts that give more general information about each region. This approach attempts to give specifics, but some countries only get 3-4 lines- not really enough information to know about a country. Had the book chosen to organize information more general topics, more details could have been included. The book includes review questions, but there is no glossary or index. One last item concerns the choice of what to cover. For example, in North America, the author talks about minority populations and religion, but doesn't discuss energy resources or politics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, but doesn't avoid bias. Words chosen to describe people, events, and situations contain the author's perspective- words like \"sadly, dominion, violently, and fortunate\". In most cases, it would be hard to argue with the descriptions chosen, but they don't present an objective view of the content. A minor problem was missing text on p.149 and the word \"country\" instead of \"county\" was found on p. 240.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book does make short term predictions about political and economic trends that would be outdated in a short time. However, finding and updating those portions of the text would not be too difficult a process. The majority of the information is fairly stable and newer additions would not be necessary. There is a mixture of data that creates a a complete look at population, economics, etc., but the some of the data is very current, while other parts are from the 2000 census.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity is one of the strong points of the book. The language used is free of jargon (although when previously defined geographic terms are used, they are not reviewed when used again). The readability of the text is similar to a newspaper. Variations in sentence length and the use of common vernacular makes the text easily understandable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent in what is described for each region as well as perspectives that are taken. There is history, physical geography, resources, and current trends or issues for the region/countries involved. Rural to urban migration is an example of a concept that is used frequently throughout the book since it is a world-wide phenomenon.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book lends itself to a very efficient format- each chapter is a different region. The table of contents gives reference numbers which makes it easy to locate any particular section. Within each section, there are sub-headings, but there are also places where a change in topic occurs with a new paragraph, but no heading to indicate the change. The pictures and charts are well marked and legends are included. Because of the need for space on a screen-page for a chart or map to fit, sometimes the title is on one page, and the object shows up on the next page. Once you figure this out, you know to keep scrolling to find what you're looking for.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The overall layout of the book is logical. It topics presented within each region are consistent (as mentioned previously), but there is no self-evident reason for the organization within each region. The order the countries are discussed, the topics for each region do not have a obvious pattern, so if the reader was searching for a country within a region, they would have to scroll within a region to find the country (the table of contents only lists the order of the regions- it doesn't give page numbers for the chapters or anything within the chapters). The lack of page numbers is definitely an issue when attempting to find something. I was searching for information about Sudan and it took a fair amount of time scrolling through the North African region in order to find what I was looking for.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The only issues have already been mentioned: lack of page numbers for finding a region/section or when object titles appear on one page and the object appears on the next page.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical error encountered. I did find that the one page which ended in mid-sentence, and a map that showed counties by said \"countries\" in the title.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The authors seemed to pay special attention to covering issues related to culture- especially in areas where culture currently plays a significant role in the lives of the people within the region. Examples would include the immigration issue that faces both the United States and developed countries in Europe (both of which attempt to maintain their cultural heritage while integrating peoples from other cultures into their perspective societies. Also, coverage was given to ethnic cleansing the occurred in eastern Europe and the conflicts in the Darfur region of Sudan.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":267,"first_name":"Andrea","last_name":"Williams","position":"Director of International Studies","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides a comprehensive, if somewhat superficial, introduction to the subject of geography. It does a good job of covering all world regions, but it falls short of its stated goal to present geography as the study of the world as a whole. Chapters are divided by world region. Beyond the introduction (Chapter 1), which discusses the aims, subdisciplines, and fundamental concepts of geography, the book does not integrate multiple world regions or draw comparisons or connections among them. In addition, the book suffers from the absence of a conclusion. It also lacks an index, but as an online, open source text available exclusively in PDF form, the text technically is searchable.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's depiction of world geography is constructive and well balanced, with relatively equal attention to all world regions. It objectively reflects world geography's fundamental concepts and content.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is most successful at presenting themes within physical and environmental geography. It deals relatively well with controversial topics such as deforestation and climate change. Its treatment of such issues is current and up-to-date, but broad enough that the book will remain relevant in the short term to medium. \r\n\r\nIt is less successful at presenting new themes, currents, and debates within cultural geography. The book's depiction of this subfield is somewhat outdated already. It almost entirely ignores the deeply theoretical nature of contemporary cultural and historical geography. Instead, it perpetuates some of the field's former narratives, such as environmental determinism and the idea of group / national culture and identity.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is extremely straightforward. Its prose is clear and succinct. Concepts are explained clearly and fully, and occasionally illustrated with maps or other images.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its approach to the subject.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is clearly divided into distinct chapters, and the number of chapters (13) translates well to a semester schedule. The length of these chapters varies significantly, and some of them (e.g. Chapter 2: Europe) are too long for a weekly reading assignment. At over 1,000 pages, the book as a whole is a bit long for a semester survey course, but the added length improves its comprehensiveness.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very clearly organized. As a textbook on \"World Regional Geography,\" its organization according to geographical world region is straightforward and logical.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book's format (PDF) makes it much harder to navigate than a hard copy textbook or a more interactive online resource. A few of the charts, maps, graphs, and images could be improved or sharpened. The url links to certain maps are a helpful addition.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains very few proofreading issues.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The book is not offensive in any way, but certain aspects could be viewed as culturally insensitive. For example, equating the evolution of group culture and identity with climatic and environmental factors is a pursuit that most contemporary scholars within the field of geography have rejected because it has the potential to suggest the superiority of certain peoples over others. While the latter obviously is not the book's intention or implication, the text would benefit from an update in its geographical theory.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, the book presents a decent, cost-effective, no-frills introduction to the subject.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":363,"first_name":"Randy","last_name":"Morris","position":"Geography Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The focus of this text is \"regional geography\", and it carries this out very well, especially considering that this text can save student upwards of $100.\nWhile the concept of \"region\" in geography can be problematic, it is part of the range of study, and the text is comprehensive in its coverage and breakdowns.  The section covering Africa is a good example; in this section, the author incorporates an extensive description of the physical and historical geography along with the analysis of social and economic geography that addresses the thematic issue of modern globalization.  \nThe book's introduction contributes to the comprehensive nature by covering important technological aspects of contemporary geographic practice, and does a decent job of introducing key general geographic concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A caveat here: I believe strongly that the quest for sterile \"objectivity\" is both impossible and undesirable.  The time has come for geographers to take a stand on the issues we study.\nHaving said that, this text does a reasonable job of remaining fair in its biases, and the book is extremely accurate to the best of my knowledge.  I found no glaring errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Considering the original publication year of 2012, I have been impressed with the relevance of the content.  The use of Wikipedia links for well-proven supplemental or tangential information contributes to the continued viability of the material, as wiki's are routinely maintained and updated as world events unfold, or as new research-based knowledge is constructed. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The general clarity of the book is just fine.  The most important enhancement to clarity found in the document is the wonderful  call-outs that float over key words when moused-over, providing a definition or example for readers without cluttering the prose.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is fairly consistent.  After an introduction to the general geographic delineation of a region, each of the \"realm\" sections start with a focus on historical geography, thereby setting a linear stage for contemporary geography.  Even as the book primarily utilizes \"Core-periphery\" to to frame subject conversations, it continues to weave historical context into the narrative. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Although there are three format versions of this book available from Saylor, only the html online format provides ready modularity.  This is mainly by virtue of the table of contents, which is notably absent in both the PDF and DOCx versions available for download.  The html version may be found by following the link to Saylor's website at the bottom of their pdf pages.\nUsing the html book allows a user to access each chapter and subsets of each chapter, on top of the ability to search for specific text within the web pages.\nApart from the introductory chapter, each chapter covers a general geographic \"region\".  This generalization is then used as a framework for exploring geographic relations within the region, as well as between various regional entities.  This provides an important continuity, reminding students that no \"region\" is truly isolated, while simultaneously allowing the instructor to compartmentalize material for instruction.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters are laid-out in similar format, providing consistent structure and flow.  It is hard to justify any particular organization in the \"regional\" geography model that is any better than the one that the author has chosen.  Having said that, I would have appreciated seeing a region OTHER than Europe as the first one described.  Euro-centrism persists, and should be undermined wherever possible.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Use the html version, or manually reformat the pdf or docx version to mimic the functionality of the html web-interface, which is good.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No perceived grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I found this book to be quite culturally sensitive overall.  The author addresses important issues of globalization by placing it in context to people actually living in the regions, often referring to the local struggles against extra-regional forces.  This is in stark contrast to the relative lack of exposure students will have had via mainstream media to the cultural struggles of people outside their own narrow identification groups.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":764,"first_name":"Selima","last_name":"Sultana","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of North Carolina ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"With the rise in the cost of textbooks, many students avoid buying textbooks and instead, try to rely heavily on lecture notes, which cannot cover course material alone. So, many instructors are mostly concerned to find an open textbook that would be interesting for students to read and at the same time covers contemporary physical and human aspects of the world from a geographic perspective.  This open access textbook meets these criteria. The book covers a good understanding about the concept of contemporary globalization and the world. An understanding of the world can be learned so many different ways, but a student must understand the concepts of geography first and then concepts like globalization can be better explained to understand today’s world.  This textbook did that job very well in a brief and concise manner.\n\nI like the fact all of the regions of the world are covered in this textbook that including treating Southeast Asia and East Asia separately. This book has balance between physical and human aspects of each regions and interconnection between economic development and the physical environment. While this book is not as comprehensive as one might intendeds to cover in the class, instructors can collect information from other sources for their lecture materials such as short video clips, readings etc... Despite having to use other works, I like the fact that it is an open textbook and it will allow students to read and follow the outline of lecture notes. Bolder fonts emphasize key terms in the text making it easier for students to follow. The subheadings also make this book more easy to read.   ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In terms of content and accuracy, this book is fine.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is clearly well-written and up-to-date and holds a good understanding about the concept of contemporary globalization and the world. However, some chapters are too inadequate. For example, only India is discussed in South Asia chapter, which is miss representation of the regions. Other limitation of this textbook can be absence of contemporary environmental, cultural, political or economic “point-counterpoint” view sections. However, one can address the limitation by adding supplementary readings on topics.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is clearly well-written and up-to-date on topics . The author covers topics in a story-like fashion without using too much technical jargon—very easy and interesting to follow. The colors of the illustrations are aesthetically appealing. The ratio of maps to photos seemed appropriate. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This open textbook is compatible for entry-level undergraduate students and used traditional methods to illustrate geographic views such as presenting the concepts of regions for each chapter. The geographic concepts and terminology are well explained and consistent throughout the textbook, making it easier for students to follow.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The table of contents of the book translate well for most world regional geography syllabus. This book presented each chapter with a series of objectives—very easy to follow. I think it is important for students to understand the physical settings of each region before approaching human concepts and this book meet that expectations.  Each chapter of the book provided physical settings (e.g. landforms, climate, vegetation) of a region and then subdivided the discussion on the human and environmental aspects.\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organizational structure of this book is logical and should make appealing to world regional geography instructors. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"With the increase in ease of access to information technology over the years, we have witnessed that the vast majority of today’s students love reading online. The PDF format of the book makes it much easier for students to navigate. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This textbook doesn’t provide sections that are offensive to anyone.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Though this textbook is not grounded with theoretical foundations, the straightforward writing style of the book will certainly be more attractive to students. Given the cost associated with the textbook, if any instructors/institutions is trying to save the cost for their students, this open textbook is exactly what we need for engaging students in the course.   ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1272,"first_name":"Alise","last_name":"Lamoreaux","position":"Adult Basic \u0026 Secondary Education","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book achieves its stated goal of being “…designed for students to experience and study as much of the world as possible within a limited amount of time….”  The book is written in a “student friendly” manner that encourages students who may lack the background knowledge in the subject matter to challenge themselves to read an unfamiliar content area.  Students I work with frequently may feel confident as readers in general, but lack confidence in reading science specific topics. The book does a good job or presenting essential vocabulary in a clear manner.  The book makes good use of a variety of images and charts which help students gain multiple layers of reading skills.  Many of the concepts used in this book are interrelated.  Understanding one concept can assist a reader in learning about another concept and how they apply to different geographic regions. The discussion, study questions, and activities at the end of each chapter are helpful in tying key concepts together for students.  I have been looking for a book like this one!","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content of this book is accurate.  I like the use of images to support the reading content of the textbook, but I did notice in Chapter 1, section 1.2 Figure 1.19 is mislabeled.  The photo says,” A man in Malawi carrying firewood for cooking and heating purposes.”  The photo is titled,” Girls Carrying Firewood” by David Stanley.  I think that would be important to correct this information if the book was adopted for classroom use, but that is the great thing about an OER, they can be adapted!","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook has been updated since its original publishing and seems current enough for today’s use.  Chapters like the first one, that includes many basic geography concepts, lends itself more easily to staying current without needing much attention.  I noticed in Chapter 4, which is about Regions of the United States and Canada, in section 4.5 the author doesn’t seem to know much about the Pacific Northwest and mentions that Bill Gates lives near Seattle.  The detail seems out of place since the textbook doesn’t mention other specific people living in geographic areas.  Details like that would need to be checked for accuracy in terms of updates when the textbook was used in the classroom.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is very clear and does an excellent job of explaining key vocabulary, especially for students new to topics related to geography.  The textbook is very easy to read. The textbook integrates cross curriculum topics such as politics and economics and their relationship to geography which helps readers tie concepts together and understand interrelationships.  The textbook also relates geography to other related science topics like hurricanes, earthquakes, plate tectonics etc. in a manner that helps create a “big picture” for readers.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The version of the textbook I evaluated was very consistent in the delivery and format of the material presented.  I evaluated the textbook in the online format and found it very easy to view and use. The organization of the chapters begins with key concepts and builds from there.  The integration of information in the cross-curriculum concepts helps students learn information efficiently while gaining a broader perspective of the overall topics.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook has an effective and efficient format.  Each chapter is a complete unit with an overview and subdivisions and concludes with discussion, study questions and/or activities at the end of each subsection.  The chapters can be used in their entity or in smaller sections which makes the textbook very adaptable to classroom use.  The format of the textbook uses standard heading and paragraph style with documentation at the end of each subsection.  The images and charts are well documented and support the content of the chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization and overall flow of the book worked for me.  My goal was to find an open source textbook that would serve as an introduction to geographical concepts for students who have little to no information about geography. This textbook accomplishes what I was hoping to find.  The PressBooks format makes it easy to see chapters and subsections which would allow for use of some or all of the material presented.  It is a very useful open source textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of the textbook in its online format was very clear and easy to use.  The interface reads well on computers as well as mobile devices.  The Table of Contents organizes the material in a very usable format.  The textbook is well organized in terms of chapters and subsections within the chapter aiding in the easy navigation of the textbook online. The use of supportive images and charts within the content of the textbook is visually appealing and creates appropriate breaks from long passages of text, as well as providing useful information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammar errors were noted.  I did find an image mislabeled in Chapter 1, section 1.2, figure 1.19.  As noted, earlier in this review, the photo says,” A man in Malawi carrying firewood for cooking and heating purposes.”  The photo is titled,” Girls Carrying Firewood” by David Stanley.  I think that would be important to not and correct if the book was adopted for classroom use.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook was sensitive to cultural issues around the world as they relate to geography and its integration with other social issues such as economics and politics.  The cultural issues presented in the textbook would be an area needing constant updating/evaluating for currency.  As a textbook with a goal of providing students with as much world information in a limited time, it seems to be culturally appropriate. The text did not seem offensive or biased in its presentation of material.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook met my expectations for finding an introductory level geography book to use with students who lack confidence reading scientific materials.  As an open source textbook, it is well designed and easy to use in its online format, another aspect I was looking for. The discussion, study questions, and activities provided along with the content of the chapters make this resource very useful.  Excellent find for my needs and those of my students!","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2439,"first_name":"James","last_name":"Tjaden, Ph D","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"University of Missouri - Kansas City","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book approaches each region in a well-organized, comprehensive way. Regions are introduced using standard geographic factors such as the Koppen climate typology, geology, and the affects of weather. Geographic interpretations of population, language, religion and other areas of study are also covered well for each region.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be accurate. As in any geographic text the instructor will have to be aware of events which occur after writing.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text follows an approach which allows the instructor to add material as needed. The freshman survey courses I teach cover a great deal of material in a short period of time. The format of this text allows me to focus on key points.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Actually, I find this to be one of the strong points. Some college texts use complex sentences which are difficult for underclass readers. I find the use of shorter sentences, each organized around a fact to be more understandable at this level.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each region is approached the same way, which adds to clarity and understanding.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is well done and should enhance the student's ability to follow along.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized in a traditional regional approach.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found myself able to navigate through this text easily. The maps and illustrations were well chosen.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is careful to approach such ethnically diverse areas as Sub Saharan Africa in a sensitive way. The many types of diversity such as language, religion, and culture are covered in a way which can lead to meaningful discussion.  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"A very usable introductory text and the freshman/sophomore level.","created_at":"2018-12-03T14:21:02.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-03T14:21:02.000-06:00"},{"id":4721,"first_name":"Richard","last_name":"Miller","position":"lecturer","institution_name":"Kapiolani Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is fairly comprehensive and timely.   It covers the world in a fairly standard regionalization and provides material on different dimensions of culture in each chapter.  The introductory chapter could go a little more into the melding of physical and human geography and the geographic approach.  The book contains no index or glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I noted no errors in my review of the book material.  There are, however, very few tables and charts to provide comparison data and the ones that are there can be a little old.  On the positive side, currency of tables and charts (and maps) is always a problem in geography texts.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book was up to date despite the constantly changing subject matter of world regional geography.   Since subjects are arranged by region and country, the text should be easily updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text writing is in a very straight forward style that should be welcomed by students and faculty users.  While there are map and photo illustrations, I would prefer more maps and other graphic illustrations be provided to give visual means of identifying spatial distributions and location.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Format and content including takeaways, study questions, and chapter summaries are consistent throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter arrangement by regions, beginning with Europe, is fairly standard and an instructor can easily rearrange the order to suit the progression desired.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book is fine.  It can be rearranged easily to suit the instructor's needs.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no interface issues when reviewing the book.  Some of the pictures were a little blurry when printed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors when reviewing the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book attempts to keep a sensitive posture.  I did not find any offensive language or culturally insensitive issues.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book is suitable for an introductory world regional geography course.  The order of the chapters, Europe being the first chapter, is a nod to academic geography's European roots and tradition.  I believe an instructor would benefit from introducing more maps, cartograms, charts, tables, etc., to supplement the book's graphics and to suit their own teaching objectives.","created_at":"2021-03-29T23:52:10.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-03-29T23:52:10.000-05:00"},{"id":35387,"first_name":"Andy","last_name":"Milson","position":"Professor of Geography","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The twelve regions in the text are commonly taught in World Regional Geography. The Introduction provides a very good overview and summary of key ideas in physical and human geography for students who haven’t taken those courses. One thing I would add is a discussion of the purpose of regional geography and how regions are defined. Regions are a way to make spatial generalizations and help us to understand patterns and processes of social and natural spaces. The criteria boundaries, area, systems, and homogeneity could be used to help students see that regional divisions are based on something other than just continental masses and tradition. In general, if I used this book for my class I would need to add more coverage of the effects of climate change, updated geopolitical context, 21st century events – political, economic, and environmental, discussion of migration trends, revised figures on population, cultural and social movements, and the effects of COVID-19 and natural disasters. The index is very sparse, but the glossary is good.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I didn’t catch any significant errors or bias in the text. The main issue with accuracy is that some sections are out-of-date. I’ve explained the most important outdated material in the “relevance” section.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Most sections are relevant and up-to-date, but I noticed several topics that should be updated. The section on climate change in chapter 1 could be updated to include more specific impacts on places and people, such as an increase in severity of droughts, floods, wildfires, storms, coastal flooding, ocean acidification, increasing ocean temperatures, and forced migration of populations in vulnerable locations. The unevenness of climate impacts is an important point for the course.  The sections on the history of each region tend to weigh heavily on post-WWII 20th century history. I would like to see more 21st century history since this is the world our college students have lived in and is arguably more relevant to understanding present-day regional issues. The global population data should be updated to 8 billion in section 1.3. Section 2.3 describes the UK as a part of the EU and should be updated to include Brexit. Section 4.3 should be updated with 2020 Census figures. Section 5.2 should be updated to include the end of NAFTA in 2020. Section 5.5 should be updated to include significant hurricanes since 2008. Section 6.2 should be updated since it incorrectly refers to Hugo Chavez as the current president of Venezuela.  The maps in chapters 7 and 8 should be updated to include South Sudan. Section 8.4 needs updating to include the Syrian civil war, the fall of Asaad, and the war in Gaza. Section 8.5 should include the Yemen civil war since 2014. Section 8.7 should be updated to include the return of the Taliban and the withdrawal of US troops. Section 10.2 should be updated to explain the relaxation of the one child policy in 2015 and 2021.  Section 13.2 could be updated to include the collapse of major ice shelves in Antarctica.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This is a strength of this text. Key terms are underlined in the online version so that a student can rollover the text and view a pop-up definition. The introduction offers a good explanation of some of the “basics” of geography without becoming overly technical or jargon laden. For example, the explanation of formal, functional, and vernacular regions is clear and includes good examples.  The inclusion of chapter sections such as learning objectives, key takeaways, discussion and study questions, geography exercises, and chapter summaries adds to the clarity of the content and enhancement of the pedagogical value of the text. The maps, photos, and figures are very effective.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I only noticed one issue with consistency. The table of contents includes twelve regions, but in the introduction, there are only 11 regions listed and mapped in the associated figure. The text and figure are missing “The Pacific and Antarctica.” The chapter title “North Africa and Southwest Asia” is also not consistent with the listing in the introduction and map where it appears as “North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.”","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is another strength of this text. Each chapter includes an introduction to the realm and the sub-headings for major sub-regions. Some chapters include topical discussion of historical, cultural, or urban geography. The text can be easily reorganized or assigned in small blocks given this structure. The sub-sections are organized into reasonable lengths.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are laid out according to commonly recognized world regions. I like that what is sometimes called “Oceania” is divided into two chapters: “Australia and New Zealand” and “The Pacific and Antarctica.”  The sequence of each chapter is consistent and similar in length.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I really like the interface of both the online and the PDF versions of the text. While reading online it is easy to navigate from page to page with the right and left arrows at the edge of each page. The images and text are consistent and easily read. The “Contents” bar to the left also allows you to jump to different sections or chapters with ease. The PDF version links easily to the online version to open a specific section or chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The writing is very high quality. I didn’t notice any significant grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is not necessarily offensive, but the term “Dark Ages” in section 2.2 should be changed to early medieval period since the former term carries a negative connotation and historians tend to avoid it as simplistic and misleading.   Otherwise, I believe the text is culturally sensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book is easily as good as any commercially-available text. I plan to use it in future semesters of World Regional Geography. In the spirit of Open Pedagogy, I will probably have my students work on the many updates that I've noted.","created_at":"2025-01-16T15:10:57.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-01-16T15:10:57.000-06:00"},{"id":35642,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Norris","position":"Professor of History","institution_name":"Grace College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an introductory textbook, \"World Regional Geography -- People, Places, and Globalization,\" published by the University of Minnesota Libraries is thorough enough in covering all areas of world geography appropriately. It has an extremely brief index, but it does have a longer, and more helpful glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I find the content to be accurate, unbiased, and error-free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Though this was published in 2016, it still feels up to date. It is written in helpful though discreet sections that may be easily updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is definitely student-centered. First-year college students will find this easy to read. Sections may easily be taken out and used in regional geography courses.  \"World Regional Geography\" avoids any unnecessary jargon and defines terms when necessary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The work is pleasantly consistent in terms of terminology and framework. At the end of each chapter are helps including: Key Takeaways, Discussion and Study Questions, Geography Exercises, and Activities.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This work is set up in LibreTexts: Social Sciences where it is helpfully divided into discreet sections: Front Matter, Introduction to the World, Europe, Russia, North America, Middle America, South America, Subsahara Africa, North Africa and Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific and Antarctica. As such, this is easily reorganized and may be realigned with various subunits of a course. The subunits here appear in a user-friendly fashion. For example, subunits for South Asia are: Introduction to the Realm, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Regions of India and South Asia, the Peripherial States of South Asia, and India. Each could be a unit in the classroom. Included are also some helpful end-of-chapter summaries.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"One could not ask for a format that presented topics more logically and clearly.  Again, this is very user-friendly and student-centered.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw no interface issues or navigation problems. Because the way the chapters are set out in Libretexts, one does not need to scroll through chapters.  One merely clicks on the desired chapter to read. Many helpful maps, charts, and colored pictures are included.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"\"World Regional Geography is culturally sensitive and includes contexts of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The very nature of the topic demands this and \"World Regional Geography\" delivers.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I found this text very helpful to use, especially when I needed a summary overview of a region. For example, I include sections on China, India, and Japan from this textbook in my class \"The History and Geography of Asia: China, India, and Japan.\"  When I explore an Asian country, I have them read the appropriate section in this open source first. Then I can do multiple deep dives in a variety of sources, knowing that my students have a helpful and concise overview to return to if they get lost. The summary chapters are most helpful.","created_at":"2025-09-23T15:22:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-09-23T15:22:55.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/world-regional-geography-people-places-and-globalization?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:02.000-05:00"},{"id":335,"title":"World Regional Geography","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"1077115032","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Rather than present students with a broad, novice-level introduction to geography, emphasizing places and vocabulary terms, this text approaches geography as experts understand the discipline, focusing on connections and an in-depth understanding of core themes. This thematic approach, informed by pedagogical research, provides students with an introduction to thinking geographically. Instead of repeating the same several themes each chapter, this text emphasizes depth over breadth by arranging each chapter around a central theme and then exploring that theme in detail as it applies to the particular region. In addition, while chapters are designed to stand alone and be rearranged or eliminated at the instructor's discretion, the theme of globalization and inequality unites all of the regions discussed. This core focus enables students to draw connections between regions and to better understand the interconnectedness of our world. Furthermore, the focus on both globalization and inequality helps demonstrate the real-world application of the concepts discussed. Colonialism, for instance, rather than a historical relict, becomes a force that has shaped geography and informs social justice. This thematic approach is also intended to facilitate active learning and would be suitable for a flipped or team-based learning-style course since it more easily integrates case studies and higher-order thinking than the traditional model. Each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives. This text was written with the backward course design model in mind and the content of each chapter was structured around these learning objectives. Because of this backward design focus, the length of each chapter is considerably shorter than most traditional textbooks. The intention is for the instructor to supplement the text with problems, case studies, and news articles and to use the text as a springboard for discussing deeper issues. The chapters are written in an accessible style, often addressing the student directly, and the author's voice has intentionally tried to remain present in the text. Following the Washington Post's gender-inclusive style guide, the singular they is intentionally used throughout the text. Rhetorical questions are also used to help students reflect on concepts and to encourage them to dig deeper and consider concepts from different perspectives.","contributors":[{"id":3587,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Caitlin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Finlayson","location":"University of Mary Washington","background_text":"Caitlin Finlayson earned a Ph.D. in Geography from Florida State University in 2012 and a B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Winthrop University in 2007. She is a broadly trained Human Geographer specializing in Cultural Geography. Her specific research areas include the Geography of Religion, nature/societal interactions, and explorations of geographic theory and methodology. She has co-organized a session on sacred space at the Association of American Geographer’s annual meeting and her work has appeared in the journal Environment and Planning A as well as in The Professional Geographer. She is a member of the Association of American Geographers. She is an assistant professor at the University of Mary Washington and has taught a variety of courses in geography including World Regional Geography, Introduction to Human Geography, Sacred Spaces, and Environmental Studies."}],"subjects":[{"id":44,"name":"Earth Sciences","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QE1","visible_textbooks_count":54,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geology?locale=es"},{"id":46,"name":"Cultural \u0026 Ethnic Studies","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM621","visible_textbooks_count":26,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/cultural-ethnic-studies?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":245,"url":"http://caitiefinlayson.com/worldregional/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-08-22T09:38:40.000-05:00","name":"Caitlin Finlayson"}],"formats":[{"id":398,"type":"PDF","url":"http://caitiefinlayson.com/WRGTextbook.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":399,"type":"Online","url":"https://worldgeo.pressbooks.com/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1296,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1077115032","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":14,"reviews":[{"id":837,"first_name":"Evan","last_name":"Renfro","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"University of Northern Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text presents a solid foundation suitable for introductory Geography courses. Unfortunately it does not provide an index, but it does include a useful glossary. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's content is accurate, error-free and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"While updating any maps will have to be attended to as states change, they are currently accurate, with, for example, South Sudan shown appropriately. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written is a lucid style, providing adequate context for any specialized terms used. It avoids getting into terminology more appropriate for upper division geography courses. For instance, it mentions and defines geomorphology, but not aeolian geomorphogy. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The author uses a, \"thematic approach... Instead of repeating the same several themes each chapter, this text emphasizes\ndepth over breadth by arranging each chapter around a central theme and then exploring that theme in detail as it applies to the particular region.\" That is fine, but would seem to make stand alone chapters difficult. As noted, \"In a traditional World Regional Geography textbook, chapters are arranged around the various regions of the world with each chapter focusing on the geographic features of the particular region.\" The are pros and cons with either approach, but the benefit of the \"traditional\" here may be precisely its modularity. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"In keeping with contemporary pedagogical fashions, the author organized the text, \"with the backward course design model in mind and the content of each chapter was structured around these learning objectives. Because of this backward design focus, the length of each chapter is considerably shorter than most traditional textbooks. The intention is for the instructor to supplement the text with problems, case studies, and news articles and to use the text as a springboard for discussing deeper issues.\" ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Several of the maps include details that are, quite frankly, impossible to decipher. Page 99, for example, shows something about population, but...? This is okay, as long as the on-line zoom function is available and doesn't distort, but many of the maps would be useless if printed out. It would also be helpful to include the names of countries on many of the maps rather than just their shaded-in shapes. Most students will not know, for example, that Eritrea is being referenced on pg. 104. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is quite culturally sensitive and inoffensive. Here, the author goes out of her way to err on what some readers may feel is an overly \"political correct\" way. For example, rather than discussing the Middle East, the author opts for North Africa and Southwest Asia. The author feels that the Middle East is an \"awkward\" lexical choice as it is \"privileges the European perspective,\" which it certainly does. The challenge here, though, then involves a series of other discursive gymnastics to get to \"North Africa and Southwest Asia,\" which, paradoxically, carry their own Eurocentric baggage. Is it really necessary to spend 400 words to get there? This is an issue that geographers go back and forth on, but the point is that the author certainly takes care to be sensitive. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a solid text suitable for introductory World Regional Geography courses. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2358,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Sciuchetti","position":"Graduate Student","institution_name":"Florida State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Caitlin Finlayson’s World Regional Geography provides a comprehensive introduction to help instructors and students understand the thematic approach to geography that she as provided in the text. The introduction offers an exploration of the role and importance of the spatial perspective as well as a guide to the different themes that will be explored in the text. The book is outlined like a traditional world geography textbook including chapters on Europe, Russia, North America, Middle and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Southwest Asia, South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, and Oceania. In the text, Finlayson goes beyond the traditional approach in world geography and not only includes descriptions of geographic features of regions such as climate, physical features, culture, economics, etc., but also emphasizes depth over breadth by arranging each chapter around different themes with those of globalization and inequality being two uniting forces.\r\nThe learning objectives presented at the beginning of each chapter offer the instructor and reader a way to navigate the text. Thought the chapters are shorter than a traditional regional geography textbook, they provide depth in context of the themes discussed and offer a way for instructors to utilize supplemental material to make the course more present and relatable to the students. The figures that are provided in each chapter are up-to-date and relevant to students, making it easier to relate to the text. The author also includes current trends in the discipline of geography, such as in chapter five with her discussion of income inequality in South America and the current research on urban development. The text is also a living text, in that it is updated. Finally, the text does provide an in-depth glossary of terms bolded throughout the text, but there is no index provided from the book. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Having used three other world regional textbooks before I found Finlayson’s, I would say the text is quite accurate and the information contained within is well research from the physical geography of a region to the current political and cultural climate of each region discussed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is written up-to-date and provides an instructor opportunity to add supplemental material to help include more current themes and case studies in their course. Using globalization as a major theme of the text makes it quite easy for an instructor to keep the text current with their own content with the text as a springboard. The chapters often use case studies of different places within a region, which can seem like an over generalization or a region, but it must be remembered that this text should act as a guide and more detailed examples and case studies should be brought into the classroom to interact with the students. A beneficial element in using this textbook is the requirement to from each based on the students and the time when the class is being taught. The book is also being updated and I have seen the 2018 edition, which shows that the author has written a text that facilitates updates, which only enhance the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is well-written, and the prose are quite clear. The language used in the book makes the text approachable by the instructor and their students. The author provides an important introduction to the text to be upfront and clear about her approach in her writing, which is important to the clarity of the entire book. The use of figures, images, and maps helps to clarify many of her points and therefore appeals to the visual learner. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook presents an interesting view to the study of world regional geography at the undergraduate level, one which is not often take, that of a thematic approach. In traditional undergraduate textbooks on world regional geography, each chapter represents a world region, often not all of them. Then within each chapter physical features and generalized cultural aspects of a country are discussed. Finlayson’s texts move away from that traditional approach to focus on important themes to geography and the regions at hand. To structure her text, she does rely on the traditional approach of regions as chapters, but I believe it helps provide consistency not only in the text itself, but for how we have taught geography in the past. This approach along with her framework of subdivisions between physical and human geography makes the text easier for students to read and follow along.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The structure and flow of the text along with its regional organizational schema makes it a great text to model to any world regional geography course. There are ten chapters, which is perfect for a fifteen-week course allowing for some chapters to be divided into multiple weeks. The objectives that are presented at the beginning of each chapter also allow the instructor to use different strategies when exploring each chapter with their students. The book provides a good overview of the physical and human settings for each region before jumping into the theme that will be discussed in the chapter. For example, in chapter two the author provides a description of the physical geography of Europe and the development of the human setting (a focus on the Industrial revolution), before exploring the theme of migration and identity. This type of structure allows for the instructor to begin where they like and add material to the course as they see fit.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book is very clear, well thought out, and easy to follow. The author divides the book into regional chapters. Within each chapter, there are subsections which explore the physical geography, human geography, and historical setting of the region. Then each chapter includes a thematic discussion of the region focusing, for example, on globalization or inequality. The prose is clear and easy to read and would make any reader comfortable to learn about this detailed and important subject matter. Finally, the bolded key terms make for an easy way to find the important points from each chapter as well as providing concepts that will return throughout the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The pdf format for this textbook is great both for the instructor and students. Having the material in this format facilitates easy of reading, note-taking, and intext searches. The students also enjoy reading online as they are used to using screens, so the text is perfect for the students of this age. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In my reading of the text through multiple times I did not find any grammatical errors that were obvious. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This textbook is culturally sensitive and providing material that is understood and appreciative of all cultures. In chapter eight, her discussion of cultural groups in South Asia takes care to explore the migratory patterns and development of culture and ethnicity in the region. As a geography of religion scholar, she provides detail on the various religious groups in the region. The maps and photos are beautiful color images that bring to life the text to highlight the cultural identity of the individuals discussed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook provides an innovative way to teach students the spatial perspective and the importance of studying geography not for memorization of place names and physical features, but to understand how to study the world through the discipline of geography.  The clear and conscience writing style of the book proves attractive to instructors and students who can easily open to any chapter and clearly understand the approach, theoretical foundations, and regional diversity. I would not look at this textbook as a separate alternative to costly textbooks just because it is an open access text, but rather, I see this book as holding equal ground with any textbook on world regional geography. It is engaging, thought provoking, and relevant to our modern world and the society in which our students are learning. I would highly recommend this textbook to any instructor or student of geography as a foundation to their study of the world’s regions and cultures.","created_at":"2018-11-05T11:13:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-05T11:13:52.000-06:00"},{"id":2850,"first_name":"Dayna","last_name":"Quick","position":"Full Time Faculty, Department Co-Chair","institution_name":"College of Marin","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the regions and realms well and includes basic coverage for lower division courses. It focuses mainly on Core/Periphery and Globalization. This text has a glossary that is helpful, but there is no index. Some important issues for specific regions are missing, such as traditional agricultural methods, and explaining issues with tropical soils and deforestation, in the chapter on South America. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The information appears to be accurate. However, since it is a few years old populations have changed by several million.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Tables for statistics that change would make updates easy to implement. It would also be helpful to have dates for statistics (e.g. population as of 2015 is/was...)","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Excellent. The text is well-written, easy to read, and does a great job of defining terms as it goes.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapters cover similar basics per region (physical geography and settlement, for example) and then vary slightly, with some having a section on natural hazards, and others on biogeography, or religious conflict, for example.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Though the textbook lacks an index, it does have a detailed table of contents that should make it easy to assign specific sections to students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized by region, and with sub-sections, headings and helpful figures.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Easy to navigate to sections via the table of contents. For some reason I had a difficult time using the search or find function in my PDF viewer and web browser for this textbook. If this problem is duplicated for others, this is a major downside for the instructor and students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors. It is written in a clear, easy to read manner.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive. That said, I do think the textbook could do more to look at indigenous practices prior to and since colonization in different regions.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a good textbook for covering many basics of regional geography, with room to supplement. The text is only available in pdf format or online, and in both cases, the text stays on a particular page, rather than adjusting based on size. The online format simply looks like a pdf online, but with a table of contents/menu on side bar. The addition of ePub and other formats would be helpful (compare with another World Regional Geography textbook, where there are multiple formats).","created_at":"2019-04-26T18:43:26.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-26T18:43:26.000-05:00"},{"id":3112,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Moody","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Aims Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook has an outline for the chapters and sections. Each section has the respective page numbers labeled in the table of contents. The first chapter goes over geographic basics and terminology that is utilized throughout the semester. The remaining nine chapters explain the physical and cultural aspects for each realm through introducing new terminology. A couple of important geo-political topics are missing from the book. This includes: the European Union, Problems in Iran, and changing North Korea-US diplomatic relations. There are others but these are the current topics that should be within the book. Overall, it does contain the necessary information and terminology utilized within a typical World Regional Geography class.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is mostly accurate and contains the correct information for specific terms. The climates are accurate in each chapter giving a brief description as to why each realm contains these specific zones. The historical events and cultural phenomena for each realm are explained in detail.  The book can be a little bias over some topics. The first chapter goes over inequality/poverty towards the end, but does not go into differing aspects why poverty is rampant in specific realms. For globalization, the book only mentions Western cultural influences; nothing is present over Eastern cultural influences, with the growth of China.  The chapter over Latin America contains liberation theology, this is not geography term and can give the perception this is the authors personal beliefs. The topic over Israel and Palestine focuses more on the Palestinians than the Israelis, not giving both perspectives equally. Information on the topic is very short when compared to other books.  There are other instances of bias but these topics stuck out.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book has up-to-date information including recent occurrences within the world, especially over the Ukraine, Arab Spring, and the Refugee Crisis. The book is set-up so future impactful global events can be added. Every chapter(except for the first) contains information over current events and problems within each realm. In the future, information over the current crisis in Iran could be added at a later date. Another example would be potential changes with the diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very well written for an introductory course. Easy to follow and has a nice flow. The terminology is explained thoroughly using specific examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is laid out in an easy to follow fashion. Besides the introduction chapter, each chapter has a specific order. Every chapter starts on the physical landscape, going over physical features and climate.  Historical information is presented for every realm, this allows the reader to connect how historical events were shaped by the geographic landscapes. Every chapter explains the culture and settlement patterns, ending with current events/problems.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"All of the sections within each chapter allows an instructor to assign specific pages to cover important topics from the table of contents. The glossary contains all the terms described throughout the book. As stated before there should be an index to aid students in looking up specific information.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book follows the order of most World Regional Geography textbooks. It starts with an introduction to what geography entails, explaining basic human and physical geographic terms. The rest of the book goes by realm as follows: Europe, Russia, North America, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa \u0026 Southwest Asia, South Asia, East \u0026 Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Overall, the order is effective. However, Latin America should have been split between two chapters: Central America and South America. East and Southeast Asia should be separate chapters because of their economic and cultural differences. Though it is understandable the author is trying to condense the information","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Having the book in a PDF format to download is helpful for students; especially if they have slow or minimal internet access. However, there should be an index to reference specific topics and terms. Some map legends are hard to read. The legends in figures 6.7 and 6.13 from the Sub-Saharan Africa chapter are hard to see unless the maps are downloaded separately. If the student has eyesight problems this can be problematic. However, the majority of maps within the book are easy read and have effective color usage to show differences among various countries/regions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book does not contain any grammar errors after reading it several times. Overall it is very well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no instances I situated in which the author used insensitive or offensive terms for various cultural groups within our globalized world. However, Aboriginal should have been utilized for the First People of the Western Hemisphere in-lieu of Indigenous. Attention was given to the Mayans and Aztecs within Latin America, though there should have been information over the Incas. The author effectively explained the beliefs of the three Western religions and extremists within each religious group while utilizing sensitive language.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an effective textbook and recommend for any World Regional Geography course. Though it is somewhat bias, it is important students are exposed to all perspectives. Having students read these perspectives shows other viewpoints, allowing for greater discussions on various topics.","created_at":"2019-07-24T19:41:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-24T19:41:43.000-05:00"},{"id":3115,"first_name":"Sylvia","last_name":"Brady","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The regional approach follows the typical organization and topics of a world regional text. There are fewer maps, tables, and pictures than you typically see since the author is reliant on open sources and Creative Commons licenses. The topics covered in the text are comprehensive, but some chapters are light on economic activities and focus more on globalization. The text addresses different specialties in geography, such as biogeography, population geography, and economic geography, in the different regions and uses each region to address certain aspects of human geography throughout the text rather than examining and illustrating them in the introductory chapter. This is helpful to not get bogged down in the beginning and introduction, but can be a drawback. For example, the population pyramids are not explained or introduced until you get to South Asia, so the first pyramid you see is in chapter 8. Some regions are that are separated out in other texts are combined, such as the Caribbean, Central America, and South America into Latin America, as well as East and Southeast Asia, so this inherently means it goes into less detail about some of these combined regions and individual countries in the regions. I like some texts that include tables or statistics to compare countries within the region, and I think this easily be added to the text or the instructor would supplement.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no mistakes or errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Very up-to-date with relevant issues in the past 5 years. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Great writing style that is easy to read and follow.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Unlike some texts that repeat a topic in each region, the chapter subheadings are somewhat different, so it is not as easy to assign the “population section” or \"culture sections\" for each region. The physical geography section is usually the first section, but other topics do not follow the same format. This is a matter of personal preference, but it does take more time to find a particular topic. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are different headings and topics for each chapter, which can be good to avoid repetition and the need to cover every topic in every region, but a little more difficult for modularity. The text makes it easy to assign shorter readings for topics not covered in class or to supplement lecture.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organized by region with about 5-6 subheadings, typical of other world regional texts. Some regions are that are separated out in other texts are combined, such as the Caribbean, Central America, and South America into Latin America, as well as East and Southeast Asia. This is personal preference, but it does make it easier to cover all content, rather than what seems like skipping whole chapters or regions to students. I would like a list of each section at the beginning of the chapter, not just in the table of contents. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Currently the text is only available in a pdf, with few imbedded functions other than the chapter bookmarks.The pdf is quite large, 81 mb, so can be difficult to download, open, or save on some hardware. Some images are too small to be readable or properly analyzed because of lack of detail. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no issues with culturally insensitive content and addresses ethnic groups and diversity in each region.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I really enjoyed reading the text myself, and I used it in my summer class. I found it easy to assign just a section or two to reinforce lecture or address a topic I could not cover in class. It is more of a resource and reference for the class, and there are no supplemental materials that correspond to it. Likely useful for an instructor that already pulls material from multiple sources and is looking for a complementary and supplementary text. ","created_at":"2019-07-25T13:58:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-25T13:58:06.000-05:00"},{"id":3365,"first_name":"Ivan","last_name":"Ramirez","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Colorado","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book uses a regional approach and is concise for an introductory textbook, which could be appealing to many undergraduates. It covers basic concepts and topics in geography and introduces students to primary branches (human and physical) and the many sub-discipline perspectives in geography, such as economic, political, and climatology, for example. Throughout the book, the sub-discipline perspectives are integrated into the descriptions of the regions, highlighting human and physical geography dimensions of the discipline. The author however consistently falls short when it comes to human-environment interactions, namely global environmental change, disasters and hazards geography. Examples include simple descriptions of El Nino, causes of climate, and root causes of deforestation in the Amazon, for example. There are also some concepts that I would expect (for example, global south, imperialism) given the author application of core and periphery concepts. There is a glossary but no index provided, although given this is a web-based document, one could simply search the document for terms. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book appears accurate, but in some instances the descriptions are too concise and miss some information. For example, the description of the stage two of the demographic transition needs careful review. There should be a mention that industrialization begins.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book content needs updates and needs to be consistent about updates. For example, there are one or two references about Donald Trump in 2017 and 2018 (e.g. about NAFTA), but fails to update other sections or topics (e.g., Brexit, current immigration issues, Yemen, etc.).","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is accessible, but does not always provide adequate context or explanation of terms, for example, the human development index and European Union. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The regional framework is consistent. There is also a consistent application of core and periphery concepts, suggesting a critical view. With regards to physical geography, the author introduces the Koppen classification early as a way to describe ecosystems and climate in regions, which is useful; this however was not always applied (for example, North America). ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized in a clear fashion.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The text has many significant interface issues, inconsistent size of fonts and images, which may distract the reader. For example, Figure 4.8 and Figure 4.10. In some cases, the text within maps is too small to read even when you zoom in (for example, Figures 1.15 or 2.5). This is largely due however to the nature of the project, which relies on open source information. \r\nSome text or phrases are not consistently bolded (for example when discussing Figures).","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"I found many misspelled words and lack of spaces in between words, particularly in the first chapter. There are also some instances where the sentence is incomplete or incorrect (see Section 1.7). ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural context seems appropriate.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The book clearly needs a copy editor to proofread and make suggestions about consistency. Basically, the author could use assistance. There is also a need for more images, in some cases - fewer maps (provide table of data instead particularly where the maps do not provide much detail), and Boxes which could highlight a case study or example for a region (for example, El Nino and Disasters in Latin America; Migration Challenges).","created_at":"2019-12-09T23:30:10.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-09T23:30:10.000-06:00"},{"id":3584,"first_name":"James","last_name":"Leonard","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all major world regions.  I dislike that East and Southeast Asia is lumped into a single region.  Most world regional geography textbooks split that part of Asia into at two regions for better depth of coverage of this high population, diverse region.  \r\n\r\nBecause she only chooses a few topics per region, which topics differ from chapter to chapter, she can't present an overall comprehensive picture of WRG.  For the Russia region, I felt like I was reading a history textbook.  I suppose this is because \"in emphasizing depth over breadth, some content was sacrificed.\"","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Finlayson typically spouts general knowledge found in other similar textbooks.  This means she is fairly vague and makes some statements that are inaccurate because it appears she hasn't fully researched the issues. Because she relies on open source maps, several times her maps don't correspond closely with what she describes in the text and sometimes the maps are poorly designed without a sufficient legend or description of mapped items.\r\n","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Finlayson published in 2016.  I'm not sure how often she updates her materials.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Finlayson writes in a student friendly fashion.  I almost feel like I'm in her classroom as she lectures.","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"Because she relies on open source mapping, her chapters vary widely in the quality of graphics and even similar topics use maps that don't match.  For example, she presents a climate map of Europe, but no other chapter contains one.  How is a student supposed to compare features among regions?  I could name many more subjects discussed for one region, but not for any other--population density, economic development, etc.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"You could easily slice out one chapter and it could stand alone.  However, see my comment about consistency.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"Chapter order is fine.  Within chapters, however, she seems to have \"stream of consciousness\" arrangement, i.e., whatever interests Finlayson gets printed in whatever order brings her joy.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"You can't click from the table of contents to forward to a chapter or sub-chapter.  Within a chapter, I saw no problems with distortion or confusing display features.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Finlayson writes at a professional English level.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Covering a world full of different cultures, Finlayson presents the barest surface so doesn't have a chance to become offensive.  When she does address a sensitive topic of culture, she is inclusive and not offensive.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"For free, it's acceptable albeit inconsistent and sloppy.  Save students a few bucks and fill in the gaps with your own material.  I've used it for a couple of semesters.  However, Finlayson's World Regional Geography is nowhere near the quality of the traditional world regional geography textbooks that students must pay for.  ","created_at":"2020-02-17T12:03:59.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-17T12:03:59.000-06:00"},{"id":3694,"first_name":"Stanley","last_name":"Toops","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Text provides a useful glossary. There is no index, although one can search for items easily.\r\nChap 1 provides a basic introduction to geography. Other chapters provide more geographical information about the world regions.\r\nEast and South East Asia are merged into one chapter, they should be separate.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There are no biases. Fairly accurate discussion.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book provides a snapshot of global issues and regional analysis in 2019. It should be updated every two years.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"very clear, terminology is adequately explained","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"good consistency","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is organized with subheadings. The reader can easily find different sections \r\nfor example\r\nEurope\r\n2.1 European Physical Geography and Boundaries 27\r\n2.2 Cooperation and Control in Europe 30\r\n2.3 The Industrial Revolution 35\r\n2.4 European Migration 39\r\n2.5 Shifting National Identities 40\r\n2.6 Current Migration Patterns and Debates 44","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"good organization","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"easy to read and follow the text. maps and graphics are useful.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"well-written, no major grammar/ syntax problems","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The material is written form a US perspective rather than form a global perspective. it is difficult to see the local cultures in each of the world regions. More analysis is given to physical, political and economic geographies of the regions.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The chapters are short. While the text provides basic geography of the regions, the reader whether instructor or student would need to do more digging. \r\nperhaps some references or additional readings would be useful.","created_at":"2020-03-30T09:54:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-30T09:54:07.000-05:00"},{"id":4071,"first_name":"Kirk","last_name":"Scott","position":"Senior Visiting Instructor","institution_name":"Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Finlayson covers the regions of the world covered by most standard world regional geography. While the first chapter does cover in a single chapter the basic concepts of geography that often take 2-3 chapters in other more comprehensive texts, the coverage is certainly adequate and gives a good foundation off of which to build lectures.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not found any glaring errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The most impressive addition to Finlayson, one that I haven't seen elsewhere, is the section on the Arctic and The Law of the Seas included in the standard chapter on Oceania and Antarctica (section 10.2). With current conflicts over maritime resources, maritime shipping routes, and access to the Arctic in the face of melting Arctic sea ice, this section supports exploration of these important current events.  This also well-supports my project assignment on the Belt and Road Initiative.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear, and the addition of highlighted vocabulary terms that can be clicked on for definition is a real plus when dealing with the issue of the lack of common vocabulary among students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapter broken into logical sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well-organized in a standard \"regional\" approach to regional geography.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Everything looks good, but the term search function seems a bit clunky and doesn't always give the desired outcome.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors I have seen. The reading level is accessible but not simplistic.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Finlayson takes great pains to approach issues of exploitation and equity throughout.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The book is certainly brief, but gives a more than adequate foundation for my course. It is easy to navigate as well. One of the most outstanding aspects of this book is the author: She is accessible and is building a community of users who share ideas and resources. When considering this book on the recommendation of a colleague, I emailed the author. She responded the next day with encouragement, real interest, and recommendations for resources. She is great!\r\n\r\nYou may not see me in your list of participants because my spouse and I participated in your event jointly, registered under the email, diane.scott@mcla.edu. I am kirk.scott@mcla.edu.","created_at":"2020-06-24T14:29:35.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-24T14:29:35.000-05:00"},{"id":4745,"first_name":"Brian","last_name":"Grabbatin","position":"Geography Faculty","institution_name":"Midlands Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Chapter 1 provides a concise overview of the discipline and a solid overview of core concepts that allow students to get acclimated to thinking geographically. \r\nI like that bolded concepts can be clicked and defined without navigating away from the main text. However, the glossary itself is problematic.  First, you cannot search or browse by term or letter. Second, the definitions are awfully brief and not particularly helpful on their own.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Each chapter provides sufficient detail and generalized perspectives that are not overtly biased.  While I have not read every word, overall it looks well edited.  Some of the tables are linked to Our World Data, a source I trust and which is updated regularly. Some of the maps and images are linked to Wikipedia, which I know has come a long way since it's founding, but it not a source I would point students to or rely upon for accurate information. I typically point my students to Britannica, the CIA World Factbook, NASA, and Gap Minder, which are not perfect sources, but are far more scholarly.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the figures are linked to Our World Data and are done in such a way that they will automatically provide the most up to date information. Other figures are linked to sources that are more static or out of date.  This is a difficult problem to overcome because online sources are constantly redesigned and addressed. Some of the maps and images are linked to Wikipedia, which provides a link with a source that will be updated and use the same address, but it is not necessarily a source that improves over time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book does an excellent job of succinctly providing background and introducing complex concepts. The writing is clear and well organized.  Sometimes the succinct writing does do at the expense of complexity, but that is a limitation of any textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent without being overly routinized.  Each chapter presents the world region with an emphasis on its distinctiveness and diversity, while using concepts and tropes that are familiar from previous chapters and the introduction.  Each chapter is well organized and easy to navigate because of the consist organization and structure.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters are well organized. The sub-sections are well chosen and easy to navigate between in the online version.  The PDF version does have bookmarks by chapter, but could be improved by adding bookmarks to the sub-sections as well. \r\n\r\nSome chapters have a section with a key words like \"Current, Modern, or Future\" that suggests that section would be a natural place for updates on contemporary issues. However, other sub-sections also have topics that will require updating or adding new themes.  I'm not sure exactly how to make that process easy in the future, but I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are well organized and ordered. Chapter 1 does exactly what a chapter in a World Regions book should: introduces the discipline, geographic themes, and overarching concepts. The regions are well grouped and ordered to present a post-colonial narrative by starting with Europe, moving to the Global South, and moving on to the Pacific World. \r\nThe sub-sections are well chosen and easy to navigate between in the online version.  The PDF version does have bookmarks by chapter, but could be improved by adding bookmarks to the sub-sections as well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I like that bolded concepts can be clicked and defined without navigating away from the main text. However, the glossary itself is problematic.  First, you cannot search or browse by term or letter. Second, the definitions are awfully brief and not particularly helpful on their own. \r\n\r\nThe tables and maps look good both online and in the PDF. I wish there was a way to click on them and make them full screen (particularly the maps) so it is easy to take a closer look at the trends and distributions. I also like that the tables and maps are linked to websites where students can learn more. Although I do think that Wikipedia is used far too often as a general source of information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"While I have not read every page carefully, it appears to be well edited and written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text offers diverse perspectives and celebrates multiculturalism. World Geography deals with politically charged issues. So, I'm sure that someone with a \"bone to pick\" would take issue with the way some geopolitical themes are framed. However, the text is accurate and written in a way that allows the reader and the instructor to learn more about how different groups of people or nations might view the topics presented.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Very nice online textbook and the best open-source book I've found for World Geography.  I can tell that the author put a lot of time and effort into developing this resource and I am grateful. \r\n\r\nI am very tempted to ditch my expensive textbook from the publisher for this book.  It's particularly tempting because students can purchase a printed copy, download the PDF, or visit the book online.  The only thing that's holding me back is that I rely heavily on publisher online resources. In particular I like the interactive mapping software my publisher offers. I'm not sure how we can overcome that in the open-access format, but I'm open to suggestions and searching for answers.","created_at":"2021-04-06T12:55:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-06T12:55:00.000-05:00"},{"id":33577,"first_name":"TUBA","last_name":"KAYAARASI","position":"INSTRUCTOR","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content of the Middle and South America chapter covers basic topics I consider to teach in the Geography of Latin America course. The context is appropriate for the approach to the subject matter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, clear, well-written, and easy to read. It is accurate, free of biases. However, it was published in 2016.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook was published in 2016. There is data presented in the chapter. The numbers must have changed since 2016. It probably needs to be updated. However, the content is still meaningful and relevant for the geography of the Latin America course.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The language is appropriate and inclusive to most lower-level students. It is easy to read. It does not include much technical terminology that is not clear to non-majoring students. The chapter speaks to a general audience.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter in the book follows the same format. It is consistent. Each chapter is divided into a world region. And each region is divided into themes of human geography.  It is easy to follow the topics within the chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter (Middle and South America) is divided into several sections. It is well organized. Balanced amount of text and images. It is easy to follow.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapter starts with presenting learning outcomes. Each section within the chapter has subtitles. Each topic is presented in a logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Images could be smaller. There are half-empty pages that can be easily fixed by making images smaller.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No major grammatical errors were found.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The textbook is culturally sensitive. It is inclusive to all races and ethnicities within various regions of the world. The chapter on Middle and Central America, the one that can be used in the geography of Latin America course, can cover more cultural diversity of Latin America today. The chapter does not go into detail about the diverse cultural characteristics of Latin America.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The Middle and South America chapter can be used in the geography of Latin America course. But it lacks major themes of the human geography of Latin America that is central to the course learning outcomes. It needs to be supported with other OER resources.","created_at":"2021-12-26T15:25:11.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-26T15:25:11.000-06:00"},{"id":33965,"first_name":"Anne","last_name":"Santiago","position":"Associate Professor and Chair","institution_name":"University of Portland","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is comprehensive in that it covers all areas of the world. There is a helpful glossary.  On a critical note, the material presented is very basic. I would suggest the content is appropriate for high school use, but not at the university level. While many concepts are covered, there is almost no theoretical explanation for the material (for example, there are no references anywhere in the book). As such, it answers the what questions rather than the why questions. As just one example, there is no theoretical attention paid to causes of conflicts in the Sub-Saharan Africa or North Africa/West Asia chapters. It is similar to a comprehensive encyclopedia like those published by Europa World. I'm not sure if this is the intent of the Creative Commons texts, but it struck me as a major limitation for university level courses with this particular book.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"It appears accurate with most information. I did find a couple of errors that are minor (e.g. naming the General Sherman tree as a Redwood in Redwood National Park when it is a Giant Sequoia in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park).","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"A lot of the data (e.g. economic figures) will quickly be outdated. For example, the author listed Russia as the 6th largest economy in the world, when most sources today do not put it in the top ten.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is free of jargon, and concepts are well explained.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It is consistent in much of what is reported. However, I would suggest that it needs a better explanation as to why certain concepts are emphasized more in some regions than others (e.g.g religious conflict in North Africa/West Asia chapter).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Subheadings are helpful. Since it is organized by global region, instructors do not have to utilize it as organized.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It needs a concluding chapter!","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I believe the online version works very well. I downloaded the text as a pdf and a few of the figures did not download properly. This is a minor issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"It is well written and comprehensible to all reading levels.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Certainly the author was writing in a way that was culturally sensitive. But, again, my basic critique of the text is that it is much too simplistic when it comes to explanations about government processes, economics, conflict, etc. There are broad generalizations about regions without digging deep into historical explanations. This is true even when the author introduced the idea that one problem with geography texts is that they favor breadth over depth. This book tried to cover the globe, which is a monumental task, so depth and complexity are sacrificed.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I was excited when I read the teaser about the book and hoped that it would be more interesting than it turned out to be. I would not use the book for any course I teach at the undergraduate level (though I had been thinking I might prior to reading it). My students would be bored with this text. While it does give a lot of basic information in a single place, it does not ask the second order questions that I believe university level students need to grapple with.","created_at":"2022-07-29T13:19:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-07-29T13:19:25.000-05:00"},{"id":34470,"first_name":"Ali","last_name":"Alsaffar","position":"Ph.D","institution_name":"Minnesota State Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook has an outline for the chapters and sections. It is easy for the reader and the students to follow and comprehend.  I liked it.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not feel like I need to spend extra time or effort to read. I believe this textbook is very good for the students at introductory level.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The textbook may need some updates in next version.  I have noticed that we need to focus on few important topics like the geo-political topics are missing from the book. The textbook need to discuss more the European Union, Problems in Iran, problem in Ukraine and Russia and the changing North Korea-US diplomatic relations. \nAlso the textbook need to provide more information in how the paleoenvironment and current environment impacted people at different geographical regions.  Add more information about the natural resources and energy.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No issues","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook is easy to read and navigate.  I don't see students will struggle to comprehend,  instead, the students will be challenged in discussions about each region.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized and easy to navigate","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Maybe the textbook need to add more information about immigration and it changed specific geographical regions positively by having a spectrum of diverse people with different backgrounds, experiences and skills","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2023-03-23T09:36:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-23T09:36:28.000-05:00"},{"id":34859,"first_name":"Linda","last_name":"McCarthy","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"As described in the Preface, compared to traditional world regional geography textbooks, this book’s short chapters sacrifice content for depth over breadth. As a free resource for students, it is a very useful textbook for use with supplementary materials added by each instructor. There is the typical introductory chapter, and then 9 world regions covered in 9 chapters. These 9 chapters start with the physical geography and then address the human side. The depth over breadth means that the topics in each chapter are not consistent, with different themes offered in different chapters related to the book’s two overarching themes of globalization and inequality. The short chapters with themes result in some topics not being covered (for example, populism, global climate agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, ecotourism, Yemen Civil War, China’s Belt and Road initiative, China’s One Child Policy, Tibet, Europe’s aging population with its social and policy implications) and other important topics only getting a couple of paragraphs (for example, the European Union, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). The bolded terms and the glossary are very helpful for the student reader.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is largely accurate if too brief at times, for example, the core-periphery model is used but neglects any discussion of its third category, the semi-periphery, which includes China, India, and Brazil (which are most of the BRICs which could also be covered as a group of important semi-peripheral countries). The content needs to be updated in places to address some inaccuracies, e.g., the EU now has 27 members, not 28, and although the book mentions the 2016 referendum and why a country might consider leaving the EU, it needs to address Brexit more completely. The titles of some chapters could be revisited, e.g., “Russia” is a country, not a world region; many traditional world regional geography textbooks use “US and Canada” instead of “North America” because Mexico is covered in a different chapter and in this book too.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the material/coverage and data is up to 10 years out of date and would benefit from being updated if possible.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clearly written and very appropriate for undergraduate students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Some instructors might prefer the approach in traditional world regional geography textbooks to address the same human geography topics (after the physical geography section) systematically across all the world regions covered (instead of different selected topics) to allow greater comparison among world regions/chapters. The necessary use of open source maps/figures means that there is a lot of variation in the maps/figures in different world regional chapters (for example, there are no comparable physiographic region maps or climatic region maps in every chapter).","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Like traditional world regional geography textbooks, the chapters on the different world regions can be covered in whatever order an instructor prefers. In contrast, the content/topics covered in each chapter are not consistent across chapters. An index would be helpful.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Although the chapters do not address the same topics systematically, or in as much depth as is possible in traditional world regional geography textbooks, the short chapters in the book are well organized. Some instructors might prefer that East and Southeast Asia are not combined into a single chapter in this book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Having the book available online to be read by students is great. I downloaded the pdf without issue. It would be nice if the figures could be clicked on to be enlarged because the text in some of the figures is too small to read at 100% size on the pdf on my laptop or desktop computer screen.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are some minor typos.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No issues, although the level of detail is limited by the short length of the chapters.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Compared to expensive traditional world regional geography textbooks, this free textbook is great in terms of being no cost for students. The book is definitely worth considering adopting for an introductory world regional geography course by instructors who can do without the publisher provided online instructor supplemental resources and add their own supplementary material to the brief chapters.","created_at":"2024-01-10T12:11:31.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-01-10T12:11:31.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/world-regional-geography?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:10.000-05:00"},{"id":544,"title":"International Relations Theory","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781910814208","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This book is designed as a foundational entry point to International Relations theory – structured to condense the most important information into the smallest space and present that information in an accessible manner. The first half of the book covers the theories that are most commonly taught in undergraduate programmes. The book then expands to present emerging approaches and offer wider perspectives. Each chapter sets out the basics of a theory whilst also applying it to a real-world event or issue, creating a lively, readable and relevant guide that will help students to see not only what theories are – but why they matter.","contributors":[{"id":4464,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Stephen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"McGlinchey","location":null,"background_text":"Dr Stephen McGlinchey is the Editor-in-Chief of E-International Relations and Senior Lecturer of International Relations at the University of the West of England, Bristol. He is the author of International Relations (2017) and US Arms Policies Towards the Shah’s Iran (2014)."},{"id":4465,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Rosie","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Walters","location":null,"background_text":""},{"id":4466,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Christian","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Scheinpflug","location":null,"background_text":""}],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science?locale=es"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":506,"url":"http://www.e-ir.info/publication/international-relations-theory/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-01-02T23:46:57.000-06:00","name":"E-International Relations"}],"formats":[{"id":855,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.e-ir.info/publication/international-relations-theory/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":8,"reviews":[{"id":3073,"first_name":"Jaroslav","last_name":"Tir","position":"Professor","institution_name":"CU Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Yes, it is definitely comprehensive. Maybe a bit too comprehensive, with some of the theories being from really far afield. It will be up to the instructor to guide the students in understanding which theories are the mainstream ones, which are the key challengers, and which ones are more of curiosities rather than leaders in IR scholarship. Spelling this out in the intro would be helpful to the uninitiated readers, so that they are not lost in the sea of theories presented.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is unbiased for the most part.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Yes, this is something that can definitely be built on, which could be done easily.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Yes, no issues here.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Pretty much. There are a lot of different chapter writers, so some inconsistency is to be expected. This will be more of an issue for IR beginners than experienced readers used to various IR terminologies.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is one of the strongest assets of this book. An instructor can definitely and easily pick and choose among the many theoretical options provided.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Yes. This is basically a list of various IR theories, with the mainstream ones being up front and the others following. Such organization makes good sense.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No such issues were noticed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Maybe a few here and there, but nothing of major concern.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book does well on this score.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00"},{"id":3368,"first_name":"Shyam","last_name":"Sriram","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"Butler University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a mostly thorough understanding on the topic of IR theories with a diverse and highly-qualified set of authors from universities around the world. The myriad of intellectual styles contributes nicely to a book that feels more like an edited volume and less like a standard textbook (but this is a positive). Students will find thorough and salient discussions of the influence of various theories in the 21st century, and how the development of certain theories were motivated by previous schools of thought. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I found most of the content to be accurate and free from error. I also did not see any broad ideological bias, but certain chapters did \"lean\" towards the left. I was surprised, however, to see a discussion of intersectionality in Sheila Nair's chapter on \"Postcolonialism\" without attribution to Kimberle Crenshaw, the scholar who coined the term. While Nair does cite bell hooks, the lack of a Crenshaw citation is troubling. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In its current form, the book IS relevant and timely. Updates will most likely be required every two years, but can be supplemented by online readings (which are already available). Since the first half of the textbook focuses on \"established theories,\" the text cannot become obsolete.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text and its editors have done a marvelous job asking the chapter authors to unpack each theory in concise and cogent ways. From that perspective, this textbook is accessible by undergraduates as well as graduate students. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"While there are many authors with many different writing styles, I found the book overall to be consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is probably the best feature of this textbook. I would suggest my colleagues offer just the introduction in certain courses; it provides an overview of key theories; makes suggestions about study skills; and references online resources to help those still struggling to understand. The modularity also works because the book can be broken up by chapter, but also paragraphs within each chapter, and can be assigned out of sequence. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I am not fully convinced that splitting the book into \"established\" versus \"emerging\" approaches is the best way to organize this book. Doing so results in an awkward situation where students might be led to believe that the second half of the book is experimental while the first half is tried and true. While there are some political scientists and diplomats who might like to think so, undergrad students might be confused. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the book very easy to read and navigate. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are occasional punctuation and grammatical errors, but nothing that takes away from the project as a whole. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book does an excellent job of respecting cultural, ethnic, sexual, and racial differences, and I found it mostly inclusive. I did appreciate the detailed discussion in Benabdallah et al.'s chapter on the \"Global South\" on the omission of African theorists from IR, and why it is impossible to reduce a multi-generational and cultural legacy to one singular \"African theory.\"\r\n\r\nI would have appreciated a more diverse tone in Yeophantang's chapter on \"Asian Perspectives\" because it was too reductive; India, China, and Japan do not make Asia. Here again the author posits that a single unifying \"Asian theory\" of IR is absurd, but I believe the absurdity is focusing only on a few countries and presuming they speak for others. Doing so minimizes Asian political theoretical influence ... which is precisely what the author wanted to avoid. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was surprised to see no discussion of white nationalism in the textbook. I can understand that the term has gained popularity since the election of President Trump, but white nationalism affects global politics. It has influenced rhetoric, violence, elections, campaigns, public opinion, and policy across the world. White nationalism and its connection to Islamophobia, \"replacement theory,\" and antisemitism must be mentioned in ANY work on international relations theory. ","created_at":"2019-12-12T01:22:18.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-12T01:22:18.000-06:00"},{"id":3383,"first_name":"Margaret","last_name":"Gonzalez-Perez","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the various theories of International Relations, ranging from traditional perspectives such as Realism and Liberalism to newer and emerging theories, including Green Theory, Queer Theory, and Securitization Theory. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The theoretical foundations presented are accurate and reflect the views of scholars in those fields, including women and people of color. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The theoretical content is very current and each chapter offers an empirical example or case study of the theory as applied to a contemporary event. For example, a brief discussion of the Islamic State and global conflict illustrates the nature of Realism and an overview of migration and refugees illuminates the chapter on Marxism. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is engaging and well-written, as well as accessible to an introductory class, and the book defines and explains terms specific to the field of International Relations.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book's structure is uniform and consistent. The Introduction provides brief definitions of each International Relations theory, followed by a chapter on each theory. The established or classic theories of IR are explained clearly and each chapter includes a case study. The newer, evolving theories are presented in a second section of chapters that follow this pattern. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Because the chapters are not overly dense or lengthy, they are suitable for assigned readings in an IR course. Each chapter is independent of the others and students need not have read the preceding chapters to understand later chapters, so an instructor could easily rearrange the order of the chapters as reading assignments. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure of the book is well-organized and consistent. Each chapter follows the same method of presenting a specific IR theory. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface or navigation problems with this book, as each theory is presented in a stand-alone chapter. The book does not contain any boxes, maps, charts, or images to distract from the material, and frankly, such extraneous matter would not be helpful. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a handful of typographical errors, but nothing that detracts from understanding the text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The material is not presented in a culturally biased or insensitive manner and the references include significant authors in the field who are female and/or people of color. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-12-16T10:41:01.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-16T10:41:01.000-06:00"},{"id":3452,"first_name":"Erika","last_name":"Masaki","position":"Faculty Member","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is extremely comprehensive, if not overly so. Some of the theories covered are a bit far-fetched. Some of the examples used are limited or not included where they would be in other introductory texts on IR theory. For example, there is no mention of the Kantian Triangle and in the realism chapter, the author mentions Thucydides, but really does not provide any context for why his writings are argued to form the roots of realism. The book does not contain an index or glossary, but terms are relatively well defined within the text so that students could reasonably find definitions, although there are no boxes or bold letters as one might find in a traditional textbook. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the context is accurate. I believe some of the discrepancies can be attributed to differing perspectives in IR scholars. For example, chapter 6, entitled critical theories, indeed addresses critical theories, but makes some of the theories covered in other chapters appear to not be critical theories, such as Marxism and feminism because those theories are not covered explicitly within the critical theory chapter. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content and examples provided are extremely up to date. The format of the chapters, with the basic explanations at the beginning and the contextual example toward the end makes it easy and straightforward to update should the need arise. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well written and accessible for nearly any level of reader. Any use of jargon/technical terminology is well defined, although not always as obvious in this text as it might be in other textbooks (e.g. with boxes, definitions in the margins, etc.).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is extremely consistent in its presentation of the theories. Each chapter provides an explanation of the theories and historical context and follows with a clear and relevant example. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is very well formatted for modularity in a syllabus. That is, an instructor can easily pick and choose the relevant theories to assign for the course. This makes it incredibly desirable. Additionally, there is not an excessive amount of references to other theories within each chapter (which some may see as a weakness for comparison purposes), but that means that it is possible to learn about one theory (say feminism) without having to have read the chapters on realism and liberalism. Each of the chapters has very few subheadings, but I think this is appropriate. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, the theories are presented in a clear fashion. The exception to this is the discussion of critical theories, which appears as chapter 6 and should probably be sooner, perhaps before the discussion of constructivism. Additionally, the division between \"Established Theories\" and the \"Expansion Pack\" seems a bit odd to me and is more of a reflection of the editors' own delineation of what is established vs. \"expansion\" in the discipline. One organizational issue is that all of the references are found at the end rather than at the end of each chapter, making it more difficult for students to pursue original source material. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues found during the review. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors found during the review. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book does a great job in including many theories that other texts often omit, highlighting opportunities in international relations to be more inclusive. The examples used are also well-rounded and not completely Western-centric. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-01-02T01:06:54.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-02T01:06:54.000-06:00"},{"id":4338,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Trevathan","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Oregon State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The editors here provide a comprehensive overview of the varied theoretical perspectives that can be found within the discipline of international relations. They begin with the established theories (e.g. realism and liberalism) that have dominated thought in the field historically, but then delve into numerous critical perspectives that are often not discussed in detail, or at all, in traditional IR textbooks (e.g. green theory, critical geography, indigenous perspectives). The editors also include a few chapters at the end of the text that serve its readers by contextualizing the competing theories presented, and some of the theoretical contests that persist within the discipline. The chapters are well cited, written, and detailed giving students new to the field a relatively easy entry point into the discipline's rich theoretical foundations while not overwhelming the reader overly burdensome jargon.\r\n\r\nWhile the coverage of the number of IR theories presented is rich, the depth and detail provided is somewhat sparse. I think the text best serves as a centerpiece in which additional \"outside\" readings are used to supplement the theoretical core that is presented here. The indexing here is admittedly limited for hard copy editions of this text (which the authors readily admit), but the authors do point the reader toward solutions utilizing the PDF versions of the text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Each theory is given its own chapter and as an entry point this serves its readers well. The content presented is fairly clear, concise, and bereft of any controversy from an academic perspective. I would argue, however, that relative brevity of each contribution may not give its readers a complete view of each theory presented. Now in many cases, especially when one is trying to introduce these many theories, this text is fine and will certainly serve its purpose. There may be cases, however, where more depth and detail is desired or warranted. For instance, the chapter on realism misses out on the depth and richness of the realist project. There is no detailed discussion of offensive, defensive, or neoclassical realism, and consequently these areas would need to be supplemented by a professor that wants to delve more deeply into realism (and other theories). The depth I am writing of here, however, is not the aim of this text - it provides an introduction to theories - but I do think this is something one should consider when considering how best to incorporate this text into any course offering they may be planning.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"International Relations Theory gives us a good balance of both the foundations of each theory and its modern applications. Some theories can trace their origins backs millennia while others were \"born\" in living memory. The authors give its readers a balance of both the foundational works, but also its more recent additions, innovations, controversies, and paths forward. The nature of the material itself, as well as its recent publication, suggest that this text could be used  for quite some time without any need for major revisions or additional readings to keep the theories contained relevant for years to come.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Each chapter is written by a different author, but the overall style and tone of the chapters seamlessly meld together presenting a coherent whole. The selections provided here give novices an accessible entry into the discipline by avoiding unnecessary jargon and detail which often serves to detract, rather than enhance the reading and learning experience for undergraduates. Arguably, this text and its chapters are best used to supplement an introduction to IR course where professors seek to include more, or diverse, IR perspectives. To this end, this text serves its purpose. I would, however, argue that more detail and depth is needed if one were to use this text as the only (or main) reading for a text designed for an IR Theory course designed for political science/IR majors in an advanced course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text consists of theories and perspectives that are often engaged in a conversation about how global politics works. This results in each chapter (theory) often having a different starting point, and in some cases directly contesting what was posited in previous chapters. While this could be confusing to someone entering the field, the text does a good job of keeping the reader focused on each theory being presented, and the editors synthesize these theories into a coherent view of the discipline.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text shines in this aspect of its organization. International Relations Theory possesses 20 distinct chapters, of which 18 of the chapters, cover distinct IR theories ranging the so-called traditional theories (realism) to middle ground theories (English School) to numerous examples of critical theory. Each chapter is easily digestible and gives the reader a relatively pain-free introduction to IR theories. Consequently, this text serves as an excellent spring board for any professor seeking to create their own IR theory course utilizing any of the chapters as they please, while extending and expanding the scope as the will.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of the text is presented in what most in the field (I would think) is a logical progression. Building upon the foundational theories of the discipline the editors then proceed to unveil the theoretical progression of the discipline from its historical roots to the modern day.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"International Relations Theory is well written and easily accessible to any reader. The typeface and formatting are straightforward and do not present any major pitfalls for its readers. One thing missing, however, are opportunities to include pictures, diagrams, tables and similar items that could be used to more clearly depict the concepts, terms, assumptions, and relationships within and between the numerous theories presented here. While their absence does not detract from the text, their addition would certainly assist some initiates to the discipline.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is clean and well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This entry provides its readers with a wide array of views. This diversity of thought is not limited only to the number of theories, but also the types of theories included. For instance, several chapters directly and indirectly engage the prominence given to Western IR theories. Non-Western perspectives are given a fair amount of attention in this text, including entries on global, Asian, Global South, and Indigenous perspectives.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-08-24T16:01:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-24T16:01:28.000-05:00"},{"id":33553,"first_name":"Dimitri","last_name":"Tsarouhas","position":"Visiting Associate Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all IR theories and some, it is the most comprehensive volume I have come across in this regard. It does not limit itself to theories but endorses \"perspectives \" as well (More on this below). On the other hand, the book does not include an index. This is only available in electronic format and students who own a hard copy need to download the index so as to get access to it. Instructions are given on the volume's last page.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This is a very good volume and a welcome addition to a literature on IR theory textbooks that has long been dominated by mainstream approaches to the detriment of alternative voices. The structure of the book is clear and crisp, allowing for the basics of each theory to shine through and thus offering students an easy-to-reach starting point should they wish to dwell further on any of these theories.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book will not be made obsolete any time soon. It is very rich in content and includes all sorts of theoretical perspectives. The subject matter helps in that regard - International Relations theories have multiplied in recent decades but that is a slow-moving process. The book's shelf-life is therefore likely to be long.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This is probably the volume's biggest advantage. With very few exceptions that do not negate the overall impression, authors use a largely jargon-free language that makes their chapters accessible to students. This should allow at least some students to become more interested in IR theory and hopefully engage with it systematically going forward.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The volume is largely consistent. Given the diversity of authors contributing to it, the book does a very good job in using key concepts clearly and effectively.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I wonder if the attempt to be inclusive eventually backfires. The high number of Critical Theories, all of which get their own stand-along chapter, may prove too much for an undergraduate IR student. Further, the chapters on “perspectives” do not work well. Is there really an “Asian” perspective in IR? Should we go down the path of identifying a specific tradition pertaining to the discipline in each geographic region, with all the problems that such a simplification would entail? My answer is no, and that is despite the very welcome attempt by most authors in this volume to move IR theory scholarship beyond the western-centric lenses that have dominated the discipline for too long. In practical terms, the “perspectives” section serves, in my humble opinion, little purpose given that Amitav Acharya’s excellent 10th chapter addresses most of the issues contained in that section of the book.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The first part of the book provides a concise summary of all major theories and some. Yet with the exception of the chapters on Realism, Liberalism, the English School and partly Marxism, none of the other theories entails a short critique or counterargument to those theories’ assumptions. That is problematic as it weakens the stated purpose of the editors for students to avoid dogmatism and refrain from adopting any on IR theory as “their own”. It is refreshing and important to include non-mainstream theories in a textbook, and the second part of the book delivers on this promise.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"A  limitation of the book is the absence of any graph, figure or picture. The editors clarify this issue from the start and make an argument for their choice. Yet in today’s visual culture and given the association between text and picture that our cognitive perception is accustomed to, such an omission places an undue burden on students’ own effort to connect the dots. Why not entail graphs and bullet points to summarize key arguments? Visually complementing a written text traditionally works well for entry-level subjects. \r\n Although the editors' attempt to force students to take notes themselves is laudable, students would benefit from a concise summary at the end of each chapter. This is especially true for this book, given its comprehensive coverage of eighteen different IR theories. Entry-level students are likely to get confused, and it is unrealistic to expect all of them to read each chapter thoroughly, hence the need for key points at the end of each chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The mix of senior and junior scholars is refreshing, allowing for contemporary approaches to IR theory to blend with more traditional perspectives. The team of authors is mostly UK-based but has enough of representation from other parts of the world to claim that this is an international volume. On the other hand, and that is a limitation for a book that seeks to accommodate “mainstream” and non-mainstream theories and views, only two of the authors in this volume are based outside the West.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I enjoyed reading this volume. It is very comprehensive and reader-friendly. It comes with a lot of advantages for students and allows for a critical enquiry as to the content and assumptions that IR theories come with.","created_at":"2021-12-17T10:54:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-17T10:54:00.000-06:00"},{"id":33585,"first_name":"Mary M.","last_name":"McCarthy","position":"Professor of Politics and International Relations","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive, covering both the major paradigms introduced in the traditional IR classroom and additional perspectives that may need to be integrated more into the classroom for students to have a fuller comprehension of the academic field and the practice of international relations. Individual instructors can choose which chapters to include in their course based on their own needs in the classroom and pedagogical goals. \r\n\r\nStill, the editors acknowledge that the theoretical perspectives included in this book are not exhaustive of IR theory. From my perspective, there are a couple of glaring omissions. One is the lack of a chapter on race. Although elements of race are integrated into some of the chapters (such as that on postcolonialism), there are now many texts available that talk about the importance of this paradigm for the study of IR, so it warrants its own stand-alone chapter. Another omission is psychological perspectives. These are both paradigms I use in the classroom and this book would be more useful for my purposes if it included such chapters.\r\n\r\nThe text divides theories among the three categories of traditional (realism and liberalism), middle (English school and constructivism) and critical (all the others). In the classroom I divide theories among the individual, domestic, and systemic (or structural) levels of analysis. Although either type of categorization you use (or any you choose to use) has its advantages and disadvantages, any instructor seeking to assign this book as a whole, rather than individual chapters, should be aware of this in order to consider whether it matches their approach.\r\n\r\nInstructors may also need to supplement the text with some background information about what a theory is, particularly in the social sciences. For example, the difference between deterministic and probabilistic theories, and empirical and normative theories. As well as the difference between a theory and a theoretical program or paradigm.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"One goal of this text is simplicity, to introduce IR theoretical programs in a way that is readily accessible to undergraduates. In practice this means that some of the complexities of the programs are not discussed. Individual instructors may find this useful but also limiting at times. After gaining an understanding of the common core assumptions in a “theory family,” more attention may need to be given to specific distinctions or contradictions across theories within paradigms.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Each chapter includes both a theoretical overview and a case study, either historical or contemporary but focused on the 20th or 21st century. New chapters to represent additional paradigms could be added to the expansion pack easily.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is appropriately written for undergraduate students, in either an introductory international relations course or an upper-level course focused on IR theory. The editors also include a useful section in the introductory chapter about how to study most effectively with focus and the ability to retain or return to important information later, as well as how to assess sources.\r\n\r\nThere is no glossary of terms. There is also no index, following the practice of the E-IR textbook series. But a student can search for a word using the pdf format of the book or an e-book app, as the note on the last page of the text describes.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"All chapters in the book follow a common framework and use of terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is very easy to use this text modularly. I have assigned individual chapters without needing to assign the introductory chapter or any other chapters. Although all chapters fit within a general framework so can be used together, each is also a stand-alone contribution.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is an introductory chapter that provides an overview of the book as a whole as well as a summary of the main theoretical schools included. There is then an ordering of chapters across the traditional, middle, and critical categories. But an instructor can easily reorder the chapters according to any flow that best suits their needs in the classroom.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is solely text, by purposeful design, to avoid what the editors perceive as the distractions of charts and pictures.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not discover any major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not discover any culturally insensitive or offensive material. Still, none of the contributors are based in the countries mentioned as having major burgeoning IR programs outside the West: China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this textbook is an important addition to those available in the IR field and can be used in whole or in part to supplement other course material in an introductory international relations course or upper-level IR theory course.","created_at":"2021-12-27T23:50:24.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-27T23:50:24.000-06:00"},{"id":35492,"first_name":"Nick","last_name":"Dorzweiler","position":"Senior Professor of the Practice","institution_name":"Wheaton College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"International Relations Theory would be an excellent volume to assign in an introductory class in international politics, or IR theory more specifically.  The book contains 20 chapters overall, each devoted to a specific theory or conceptual framework in studies of global politics.  Most of the chapters are devoted to critical theoretical approaches, broadly construed.  Although I have some questions about the framing and organization of these chapters (more on this below), I found the inclusion of a wide range of “non-mainstream” approaches helpful and refreshing.  And it is worth noting that the book begins with several good chapters devoted to the “Big Three” – realism, liberalism, and constructivism – so students can get a solid introduction to mainstream IR theories if they read the book sequentially.  \n\nGiven that each chapter is short – purposefully so – if I were to use this book in one of my classes I would probably pair a section (e.g. the chapter on “Realism” alongside a longer and denser reading (e.g. Waltz’s “The Origin of War in Neorealist Theory”).  My sense is that giving students a short, clear, and accessible reading on realism would allow them to engage with primary texts much more effectively.  In this way, International Relations Theory is an excellent volume to have on hand for any undergraduate instructor.\n\nI should also note that I found the introduction to the book extremely helpful for the way in which does not just introduce students to the content of International Relations, but also to ways of thinking and reading as a student in the field.  Like the editors, I too find the myriad charts, tables, and boxes in most textbooks ancillary, at best, and distracting, at worst, so kudos to them for explicitly eschewing them.  Furthermore, the suggestions for students to do things like take brief breaks while reading, jot down notes as they are reading, and favor reading printed rather than digital texts are immensely helpful.  I wish more introductory textbooks offered foundational skill-building tips like this.\n\nThe book contains no index or glossary, although given that each chapter is organized by a single “keyword,” I did not find the lack of these items problematic.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Given the short length of the chapters and the fact that each chapter is meant to give only a brief, accessible introduction to a theory or conceptual framework, the book is accurate and error-free.  Moreover, since the books includes so many approaches, students are given a relatively wide-ranging and pluralistic overview of the discipline of International Relations.  \n\nLike all introductory textbooks, however, the emphasis on breadth does mean that nuance is sometimes sacrificed.  The chapter of liberalism, for instance, regards democratic peace theory rather than complex interdependence as the most important contribution to this theoretical approach, while the chapter on poststructuralism tends to describe power as functioning in “top-down” ways that do not mesh well with arguments of key poststructural thinkers such as Foucault or Deleuze and therefore does not clearly distinguish the approach from other critical theoretical frameworks like Marxism.  However, such questions of interpretation are focused on a level of detail that is beyond the intended scope of this book and are precisely the kinds of things that could make for fruitful discussion with students in class.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"International Relations Theory is designed to be and succeeds in being a highly relevant text.  This is due to both its content and organization.  In terms of content, the book covers a wide range of theoretical approaches and conceptual frameworks, the majority of which are of more recent ilk than traditional approaches such as realism, liberalism, constructivism, and the English School.  In my own experience, students value studying the traditional IR approaches but are eager to be introduced to newer and more critical theories.  On this score, International Relations Theory is greatly appealing.  \n\nIn terms of organization, each chapter is divided into two parts.  The first surveys the conceptual and historical foundations of the theory in question, while the second provides a contemporary example or case study to which the theory could be fruitfully applied.  A great strength of this volume, then, is that it allows students to see how each theory – even the ones that may seem to them to be the most “abstract” or “conceptual” – can in fact inform or transform how we see and understand the world.  Although I expect that each case study in the book will be relevant for some time, it may be that the editors of the book will want (or need to) update these sections in the coming years or in future editions.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"International Relations Theory is an eminently accessible book.  Each chapter has clearly been written with the introductory undergraduate student in mind, providing clear definitions of abstract concepts and showing how specific theories can be applied to practical, pressing problems in international politics.  Moreover, each chapter is titled by the name of the theory discussed, which means that students are provided a very clear, well-organized roadmap of the book.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Broadly speaking, the text is internally consistent in terms of its conceptual framework.  The volume is organized in two parts, the first of which addresses “Established Theories” ranging from realism to postcolonialism, while the second comprises an “Expansion Pack” that engages approaches such as green theory, queer theory, and indigenous perspectives which are often underdiscussed if not outright ignored in most IR textbooks. \n\nI do, however, wish the book was clearer in terms of the conceptual affinities, relations, and/or differences among the various theories considered.  Thus, while Part One includes chapters on Marxism, poststructuralism, and critical theory, the close connections between these approaches and those of, say, critical geography or Global South perspectives (addressed in Part Two) are never discussed or defined.  This is not to say that important differences among these various theoretical approaches do not exist.  For conceptual clarity, however, it would be helpful if the book defined their perceived relations and differences.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is a great strength of this book.  Given that each chapter is devoted to a specific theory or conceptual approach, it would be very easy to assign a chapter for a particular session.  Moreover, each chapter is relatively self-contained, in the sense that I could assign a chapter out of order from how it appears in the book and not worry that students would have missed necessary information to understand that chapter.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall organization of the book is clear and logical, in that the book is divided into two parts that broadly map onto “traditional” and “progressive” approaches within the discipline, and in that each chapter is devoted to a single theory or concept.  As noted above, I believe the organization could benefit from clarifying the conceptual relations among and/or distinctions between some of the critical theoretical approaches discussed.  It would also be helpful if a reference list was included at the end of each chapter, rather than a single reference list at the end of the book.  However, these issues do not overshadow the usefulness of this volume as a teaching tool.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not identify any serious issues of interface.  Although I find that line breaks between paragraphs clunky, this is a personal stylistic preference and did not hamper my ability to read the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I only identified one typographical error (a misplaced hyphen on p.126).  Otherwise, the text was free from grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Owing to the wide range of theories and conceptual approaches included in this book, International Relations Theory offers a perspective on global politics that is far more diverse and inclusive than most introductory textbooks.  This is a strength of the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-05-27T11:53:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-27T11:53:41.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/international-relations-theory?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:06:15.000-05:00"},{"id":554,"title":"Mapping, Society, and Technology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This book is about how to read, use, and create maps. Our exploration of maps will be informed by a contextual understanding of how maps reflect the relationship between society and technology, and how mapping is an essential form of scientific and artistic inquiry. We will also explore how mapping is used to address a variety of societal issues, such as land use planning and political gerrymandering. You will gain insight into the technical underpinnings of mapping as a science approach, complement on-going interest and activities, or provide an applied focus for research or policy.","contributors":[{"id":4497,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Steven","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Manson","location":"University of Minnesota","background_text":"Steven Manson with contributing authors Laura Matson, Melinda Kernik, Eric Deluca, Dudley Bonsal, and Sara Nelson"}],"subjects":[{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":520,"url":"https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing/works/textbooks","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","name":"University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing"}],"formats":[{"id":879,"type":"Online","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/mapping/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1694,"type":"PDF","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/mapping/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1695,"type":"eBook","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/mapping/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2287,"type":"XML","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/mapping/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2288,"type":"ODF","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/mapping/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":3198,"first_name":"Cady","last_name":"Carmichael","position":"Professor","institution_name":"College of Alameda","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is very appropriate and effective in its intent to introduce the uses, significance, and potential issues of mapping. Readers will benefit from the organization and clear structure of this text. I really appreciated the inclusion of cartographic design principles and their importance, as well as the “lying with maps” discussion and ways in which society is being transformed by mapping technology. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I am impressed with the overall writing and editing for this textbook. I did not encounter any errors with regards to the content, text or images and figures. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With any discussion of mapping technology, up-to-date content is essential. This textbook does a good job of including an overview of mapping tools without being too specific (something that can make it obsolete within a short period of time). This approach also provides flexibility in terms of classroom instruction and allows for the opportunity to incorporate the most relevant mapping technologies, something I highly appreciate as an instructor.   ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and accessible. While there isn’t a glossary included, the terminology is presented in a way that is easily attainable within the text. Many of the key terms are supplemented by helpful images, diagrams, and/or links. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The internal text itself is consistent in terms of its presentation of the topics.  My only minor complaint is the description of the textbook. I would argue that while this is an outstanding overview of cartographic principles, and the interactions between maps and society, it does not specifically walk students through creating a map (which is mentioned in the first chapter). And while there are instances within the text where students have the opportunity to explore various online mapping tools and technologies, having a map as a tangible outcome is something that will need to be facilitated and supplemented outside of this textbook. Again, this is very minor but I felt it worth clarifying for potential readers and adopters. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is very easy to navigate and follows a logical structure. The chapters are broken down into smaller subheadings that aren’t too long and allow for modifications, additions, and reorganization (if necessary).  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I really appreciate the consistent organization of the topics.  Each chapter includes a brief introduction with a summary of what is included, subheadings, and a conclusion. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is free of significant interface issues. I experienced no issues with regards to navigation and display in both online and downloaded formats. I did encounter a few broken links, which is to be expected. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I anticipated grammatical errors and found none. This is a testament to both the author and the editor(s). The quality of the review process is evident throughout this textbook. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"While the textbook does use a variety of examples, most of which are focused on the United States or the world, in general. As an instructor I certainly understand the need for approaching these topics at a macro-level, but I would need to supplement these by incorporating more examples from other cultures, races, and ethnicities. Additionally, the relationship between social justice issues and mapping is touched on very briefly, but I feel this could definitely be expanded on. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I will be adopting this book for our introductory cartography course next year. As with any textbook, I will be using lecture, discussions, and activities to incorporate the information I feel needs to be expanded on within this text. ","created_at":"2019-10-20T16:01:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-20T16:01:15.000-05:00"},{"id":3798,"first_name":"Erick","last_name":"Howenstine","position":"Department Chairperson","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is no way a single short text can cover all the elements in this title, so I will review the text as an introduction to cartography.  From that view, the array of subjects covered is excellent, it's well organized, and is nicely represented in the table of contents.  The text covers projections, scale, symbology, thematic styles, map structure, GIS and GPS, aesthetics and also some basic spatial analysis, social issues, spatial data and privacy, and what the authors call \"Lying\" with maps (although this includes cartographic error, user misinterpretation, purposeful manipulation... and yes outright lies).   Occasionally it touches on something tangential to mapping (e.g. the environmental impact of disposing of electronic waste), perhaps as a nod to the secondary elements in the  title.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It is succinct, accurate, and it covers the basic themes of a standard cartographic textbook with no sign of bias.  One mistake on page  98 presents Graduated Symbol maps (with interval ranges) as Proportional Symbol maps.  I would quibble with the characterization of map manipulation (e.g. by range classification choices) or cartographic error (such as mapping aggregate values with a choroplethic theme) as \"lying.\" Even gerrymandering (called a \"big lie\") is devious, yes, but not really a lie.  To be fair, some of the examples in this chapter are actual lies.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I was disappointed to see the 2012 election maps and not those of 2016 but they illustrated several important principles of classification and ecological fallacy nicely, and provide an excellent use of cartograms.  The discussion of GPS tracking, facial recognition, crowd-sourced maps, and personal devices is very relevant still.  I don't think this text will be obsolete soon. It was published in 2017 and this review in 2020.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Yes it is easy to understand.  The content is simple to moderate in complexity and the vocabulary and writing style reflect that.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent.  I would consider its pace brisk and the coverage introductory.  It does not presume prior knowledge of mapping and it introduces basic vocabulary and concepts. It doesn't doesn't go into great detail and doesn't slide into jargon.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter covers a specific topic which will be useful as a foundation for class discussion, for more current content, local examples, critique and discussion.  Chapters could be used in a different order but the arrangement is good for a short course or as a supplement to one with a strong practical component.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is appropriate, with projections early on and the more critical analyses, complex concepts, and discussion of current technologies near the end.  It is nicely reflected in the Table of Contents so should be valuable as a reference book too.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the wide margins, many large images and blank spaces to be a bit frustrating, as students are likely to print this text; it easily could be more compact, with no loss of information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have no real complaints about the grammar though I quibble over referring to the planet \"earth\" which, as a proper noun, should be \"Earth\" and I once found myself counting the number of sentences on a single page that began with \"We..\"  But no, it's well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is unlikely to be offensive to anyone except perhaps to leaders of an authoritarian regime.  It touches on the social inequities in access to modern technology, the corrupt effects of gerrymandering, and concerns regarding surveillance-- but there is no apparent political/socio-economic/gender/race/age bias.  It is stated early on that the text focuses on European and North American cartography, although it adds that many advances in mapping have occurred elsewhere.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I enjoyed this and may adopt it for a practical cartography course this summer for which I often don't use a text.  It will save students some money in difficult times, will ensure that they have a common foundation, and will likely inform the work they will do..","created_at":"2020-05-05T16:26:57.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-05T16:26:57.000-05:00"},{"id":4196,"first_name":"Alexander","last_name":"Tarr","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"As the title suggests, \"Mapping, Society, and Technology\" provides an excellent overview of the fundamentals of mapping as a technology in contemporary society (admittedly and understandably skewed towards the Global North). The book works well as an introductory text to how maps work, their basic components, and the challenges of understanding and displaying spatial data. Many of the topics covered are what one might expect to find in a beginning Geographic Information System (GIS) textbook, but are helpfully presented independently of GIS or a specific platform. This should allow students to understand and think critically about mapping without being bogged down in the technical details of software. \r\nThe book is much more limited, however, when it comes to cartography and design. While the brief history of mapping and Chapter 4 do take the reader through some basic concepts, the text covers a fairly limited sense of what constitutes mapping and how to read / make maps with nuance. This is not necessarily a problem with the book, but for educators looking for a guide to cartography, this may not be the best option. In the stricter sense of learning about the uses and representation of spatial data, the book is excellent.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It is challenging to simultaneously explain why the underlying systems of maps function and can be immensely useful, while showing how they are inherently contextual and necessarily inaccurate, but the authors do well keeping the argument of the textbook clear. They maintain an engaging neutral tone and, on the whole, use helpful examples to illustrate various points. My only point of contention is that despite strong chapters (1, 7 and 8 especially) on maps as embedded in socio-technical systems, many of the examples in other chapters slip back into a sense that mapping is a neutral practice confined by the realities of data collection, rather than the social goals of mappers.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Of the many textbooks and articles I have used to try and teach about mapping, \"Mapping, Society and Technology\" succeeds far better than most at striking a balance between staying relevant without tying itself to a particular moment, technology or jargon. Chapters 8 \u0026 9 may be the only chapter that will feel dated more quickly, but even there the authors do well situating concerns over surveillance, VGI and our changing relationship to maps in a historical context that will help future readers continue to ask how those topics have changed. On the one hand, it is an impossible task to write a relevant book about mapping, as the proliferation of maps into our society seems to be only accelerating, and what may have seemed novel a year ago is old news by the time a reader picks up the text. On the other, the book gets by focusing largely fundamental principles about mapping, but then necessarily feels more vague about the 'technology' and 'society' dimensions of book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is exceptionally clear. The reader gets the sense that the authors have explained concepts many, many times and have really boiled them down to their essence without over simplifying. The discussions of central, but perpetually baffling, ideas in mapping -- small vs large scale, projections, classification data -- are so useful that I am planning on replacing parts of my Introduction to Human Geography texts/lectures with the explanations used here.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology throughout the book is consistent. I have no doubt that a student will be able to follow each chapter and section as part of the whole. Indeed, one of the books strengths is the author's linking newly introduced concepts to previous discussions in the book.\r\nAs noted above, the only real inconstancy in the text is the \"maps as technology with social use\" framework falls out in the more technical, data focused middle chapters. The book does not contradict itself, but an instructor might want to do draw students attention explicitly to the framework at points where the author's do not.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is highly modular, and chapters could easily be assigned in various orders to fit a different course organization. There are helpful moment of self-reference, but they mostly serve to connect concepts and do not create dependencies. I.e. a section in chapter 5 may suggest a student see chapter 2 for more discussion, but does not rely on having read chapter 2 necessarily. The only caveat is that some basic concepts and terminology introduced early on in the book may be necessary for understanding later parts -- but I cannot easily imagine a course structure that wouldn't necessitate the vocabulary at the beginning anyway.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized, both at a chapter and sub-chapter level. Chapters have useful introductions and conclusions that provide succinct summaries of what a student should get out of each chapter, and then presents arguments, examples, and key terms in a coherent fashion.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The only major flaw in this book, at least in the PDF version and eBook versions I reviewed, is that relationship between text and figures (maps) is frequently off by a page. There are many places where the authors discuss a concept related to the map, but it is on the next page where a different concept is explained.\r\nRelatedly, many of the maps are lower resolution than I would have hoped -- especially those that could included as vector-based images rather than rasters. For example, the discussion of categorization and the ecological fallacy rely on maps where a reader cannot really see the legends clearly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no glaring grammatical errors. On occasion the book refers to a \"course,\" which is slightly confusing, but not often nor terribly distracting.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book has an unsurprising reliance on Minnesota and Midwestern examples, but not exclusively nor in a way that suggests bias or insensitivity. Students with a less developed sense of US geography may struggle with context, but it should not impede their comprehension of examples.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text has one of the clearest sets of explanations of how projections, classification, generalization and analysis are necessary but fraught with unavoidable distortions and unintentional (or intentional) mistakes. If nothing else, the book will be immensely helpful for students and instructor alike in diving into those problems.","created_at":"2020-06-30T17:24:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T17:24:12.000-05:00"},{"id":34996,"first_name":"Ting","last_name":"Liu","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers the essential fundamentals of GIS concepts with examples focusing on the social domain. I give a 4 out of 5 only because the book did not include the discussion on vector and raster data, a core concept in GIS. It would be beneficial to add a section or chapter that clearly explains the structure and differences between vector and raster data. Additionally, including an index for the glossary would enhance its usability, as it's currently lacking. On a positive note, the textbook includes supplemental materials including lab assignments and class activities, which can be readily incorporated into an introductory-level GIS course.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook generally meets the accuracy criterion well. There were only a few instances of confusion possibly due to ambiguous wording that could be clarified to improve comprehension. For example, in Chapter 6 section 6.4.1, the spatial boundaries of census tracts have changed between 1990 and 2010, which may not affect the visual comparison much, but still, not \" remained consistent\". Additionally, several reference links within the text are broken and no longer lead to the intended resources. These should be updated or corrected to ensure that all resources are accessible and useful.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook does an excellent job of incorporating up-to-date content and examples, which is crucial given the rapidly evolving field of GIS technology. While maintaining long-term relevance in such a dynamic area is challenging, the book is designed with a flexible structure that allows for easy updates. This adaptability makes it possible to introduce new examples and expand existing chapters with the latest technological advances without extensive revisions.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is well-written, employing clear language that avoids unnecessary jargon, making it highly suitable for newcomers to the field. It is rich with examples that illustrate the concepts being taught, enhancing understanding and engagement. Particularly noteworthy is the use of map examples, which are extremely effective that aid in comprehension.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Overall, the textbook demonstrates good consistency in its use of terminology, which aids in the clear understanding of the material. However, including a glossary index would be beneficial to guide readers more effectively through the technical vocabulary. Each chapter is structured in a consistent manner, beginning with an overview and a detailed list of focal points and concepts. These are then explored through definitions, discussions, and illustrative examples. Each chapter concludes with a brief summary that encapsulates the main idea.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is neatly organized into clear sections that you can use on their own, making it really handy for picking out specific parts to assign. Each of these sections comes with its own web link, so I've been able to easily share these parts with my students whenever they need a quick review. It might be helpful if even the smaller sections had their own links, but that could make the contents page a bit too crowded. The book revisits important concepts, e.g., projection, and examples from earlier chapters but includes essential recaps to minimize self-referencing.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters on GIS fundamentals are well-organized and follow a logical sequence, effectively building on each topic. However, the title of Chapter 5 might lead to some confusion; it seems to overlap with the symbolization discussed in Chapter 4. Additionally, the inclusion of Chapter 8 on surveillance, while an important subject, seems disjointed. Its connection to preceding chapters is not well defined, lacking a smooth transition that would help clarify its relevance and integration into the overall narrative of the textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I accessed this online book on my phone and found it clear and easy to navigate. However, the initial page featuring a Mercator Map was a bit confusing, especially since the table of contents is positioned in the upper left corner rather than directly below the map. Aside from this minor issue, everything else functions well. The images display correctly, and there are no distractions from elements that aren't working properly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is polished and easy to follow, demonstrating a high level of editing and attention to detail.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Overall, the textbook effectively utilizes case studies from diverse global contexts, providing a rich variety of geographical insights. The treatment of sensitive content, such as disputed territories, is handled with due care, avoiding any culturally insensitive remarks. To further increase inclusivity, it would be beneficial for the authors to explore accessible map design.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I thoroughly enjoyed the reading and plan to incorporate several chapters into my introductory GIS class. I also intend to examine the labs and activities more closely. The materials provided have been very helpful!","created_at":"2024-04-11T22:41:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-11T22:41:30.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/mapping-society-and-technology?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:13.000-05:00"},{"id":437,"title":"British Columbia in a Global Context","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This first year Geography textbook takes a holistic approach to Geography by incorporating elements of physical, human and regional geography, as well as bringing in methods and perspectives from spatial information science.. This textbook applies a fundamental geographical approach to understanding our globally changing world by looking at local processes which are linked to larger global processes and events. The textbook includes numerous case studies specific to British Columbia as well as a number of suggested service learning activities. Over the course of four days in June, 2014, 5 faculty members from across British Columbia supported by a facilitator, librarian, researcher, illustrator, programmer and instructional designer, created this book. This involved drawing on our own research, teaching and experience and working with the team to put it all together into an online format; one which would be accessible to students and educators alike. Beyond the unique way in which this book was created in a Book Sprint process, there are other elements of this book that make it unique. First, it takes a holistic approach to first year Geography, incorporating elements of Physical, Human, and Regional Geography, as well as bringing in methods and perspectives from Spatial Information Science. Pedagogically, this book incorporates elements of service learning and suggested service learning activities recognizing that the study of Geography is deeply connected to the communities we live in. Many of the suggestions for service learning are illustrated through the use of case studies from across BC. The book is aimed at a a first year or introductory Geography student, and would be suitable for a first year Geography course on BC.","contributors":[],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":352,"url":"https://opentextbc.ca/geography/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"BCcampus"}],"formats":[{"id":599,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/geography/front-matter/about-the-book/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":600,"type":"PDF","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/geography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1613,"type":"eBook","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/geography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":33598,"first_name":"Dimitar","last_name":"Dimitrov","position":"Geography Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is an interesting, informative, and comprehensive description of one of the most diverse and abundant with natural resources provinces in Canada, British Columbia. It covers several important topics, presented in eight chapters. Each chapter starts with an introduction, and besides the main text includes case studies, as well as some sections that are very helpful to both students and instructors: a summary, key terms, suggested activities, and references and resources. As a whole, the text is well illustrated with tables and figures. One of the many merits of the text is the abundance of examples from the historical development of the region.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn’t find any inaccurate information in the textbook.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is up to date. Due to the constantly changing subject matter, the human geography parts (text, examples, maps, and figures) should be updated every three or four years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clearly written and easily understandable even for students who are encountering the geography text for the first time.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology and the framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are arranged by topics, and each chapter is organized into smaller reading sections that can be easily assigned for individual or group work. All of the chapters include short introductions, a summary, key terms, suggested activities, and references and resources.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized in 8 chapters, each one covering a specific topic: 1. Urban Settlement in British Columbia. 2. Socio-Economics in British Columbia. 3. Aboriginal Issues in British Columbia. 4. Resources in British Columbia.   5. Food Systems in British Columbia. 6. Forestry in British Columbia. 7. Health Geography in British Columbia. 8. Physical Geography of British Columbia.\r\nThe flow is not traditional for regional geography texts, and the physical geography of the region is presented in the last chapter. Although the authors explain the reason for this unusual organization of the text in the Introduction, I still believe that the structure and the flow would be more logical if the chapter Physical Geography of British Columbia precedes the other chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn’t find any interface issues. The textbook is very easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well-edited for grammar and I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t find any offensive language or culturally insensitive issues in both the text and the illustrations. All of the races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds are addressed with respect.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The textbook includes some definitions of basic processes and phenomena, which the reader would expect to find in an introductory human geography textbook, not in a regional geography text.  For example, the intro part of Chapter 1 includes definitions of city, demographic changes, economic changes, technological changes, and so on; the intro part of Chapter 2 provides definitions of GDP, GNI, PPP, etc. \r\nThe review of the contemporary urbanization in British Columbia, which I believe should be the core of Chapter 1, is presented in just one short paragraph. \r\nThere are no maps in two of the chapters: Chapter 1 Urban Settlement in British Columbia, and Chapter 6 Forestry in British Columbia.","created_at":"2021-12-29T22:14:18.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-29T22:14:18.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/british-columbia-in-a-global-context?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:36.000-05:00"},{"id":67,"title":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2011,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781453321966","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems integrates key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential GIS users are nonspecialists or may only need a few maps, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic, and concise. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems also illustrates how GIS is used to ask questions, inform choices, and guide policy. From the melting of the polar ice caps to privacy issues associated with mapping, this book provides a gentle, yet substantive, introduction to the use and application of digital maps, mapping, and GIS. In today's world, learning involves knowing how and where to search for information. In some respects, knowing where to look for answers and information is arguably just as important as the knowledge itself. Because Essentials of Geographic Information Systems is concise, focused, and directed, readers are encouraged to search for supplementary information and to follow up on specific topics of interest on their own when necessary. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems provides the foundations for learning GIS, but readers are encouraged to construct their own individual frameworks of GIS knowledge. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. First, it promotes active learning through research. Second, it facilitates flexible and selective learning—that is, what is learned is a function of individual needs and interest. Since GIS and related geospatial and navigation technology change so rapidly, a flexible and dynamic text is necessary in order to stay current and relevant. Though essential concepts in GIS tend to remain constant, the situations, applications, and examples of GIS are fluid and dynamic. Though this book is intended for use in introductory GIS courses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems will also appeal to the large number of certificate, professional, extension, and online programs in GIS that are available today. In addition to providing readers with the tools necessary to carry out spatial analyses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems outlines valuable cartographic guidelines for maximizing the visual impact of your maps. The book also describes effective GIS project management solutions that commonly arise in the modern workplace.","contributors":[{"id":3708,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jonathan","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Campbell","location":"UCLA","background_text":"Jonathan E. Campbell is a GIS analyst and biologist based in the Los Angeles office of ENVIRON. ENVIRON is an international environmental and health sciences consultancy that works with its clients to manage their most challenging environmental, health, and safety issues and attain their sustainability goals. Dr. Campbell has twelve years of experience in the application of GIS and biological services in conjunction with the implementation of environmental policies and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. He has extensive experience collecting, mapping, and analyzing geospatial data on projects throughout the United States. He holds a PhD in geography from UCLA, an MS in plant biology from Southern Illinois University—Carbondale and a BS in environmental biology from Taylor University. He has been an adjunct professor of GIS and physical geography courses at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Santa Monica College,"},{"id":3709,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"MIchael","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Shin","location":"UCLA","background_text":"Michael Shin is an associate professor of geography at UCLA. He is also the director of UCLA’s professional certificate program in Geospatial Information Systems and Technology (GIST) and cochair of the Spatial Demography Group at the California Center for Population Research (CCPR). Michael earned his PhD in geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) and also holds an MA in geography and a BA in international affairs from CU as well. Michael teaches Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, Intermediate GIS, Advanced GIS, and related courses in digital cartography, spatial analysis, and geographic data visualization and analysis. He was also recently nominated to receive UCLA’s Copenhaver Award, which recognizes faculty for their innovative use of technology in the classroom. Much of Michael’s teaching materials draw directly from his research interests that span a range of topics from globalization and democracy to the social impacts of geospatial technology. He has also worked with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and USAID to explore and examine food insecurity around the world with GIS."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":44,"name":"Earth Sciences","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QE1","visible_textbooks_count":54,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geology?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":66,"url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:36.000-05:00","name":"Saylor Foundation"}],"formats":[{"id":248,"type":"PDF","url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":249,"type":"Online","url":"https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_essentials-of-geographic-information-systems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":16,"reviews":[{"id":154,"first_name":"Jeffrey","last_name":"Widener","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"The University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A new textbook covering fundamentals of geographic information systems (GIS) may cost a buyer between $25 and $150. Geographers Dr. Jonathan Campbell and Dr. Michael Shin have delivered an open textbook alternative to students and professionals. Compared to the paid for versions I am familiar with, their version is comprehensive with no sacrifice of content.\r\n\r\nThe authors begin with a chapter on spatial thinking. They describe geographic questions before moving into a discussion in Chapter 2 on “Map Anatomy.” In this chapter, on page 24, is the actual definition of GIS—perhaps a bit too far into the text to adequately explain GIS. \r\n\r\nChapters 3 through 8 pry deeper into the world of GIS. Chapter 3 covers the way data and information from various sources coalesce to move us from analog to digital maps. Chapter 4 covers the basic data models—vector and raster (order of the two models is not consistent in the text)—used in GIS, while chapters 5 and 6 detail how we manage information and work the data to make it visually accessible. Chapters 7 and 8 explain some basic analysis capabilities within information systems for vector and raster data models. Chapter 9 diverges from the discussion of GIS and introduces readers to basic cartographic principles. Campbell and Shin conclude their textbook with Chapter 10 and a discussion on management of GIS projects. \r\n\r\nThe PDF version lacks an index and a glossary, which would benefit readers, particularly since GIS is such a jargon-filled tool. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Campbell and Shin took care in making general statements about the application and use of GIS, which will help sustain this book. Some of the website links the authors placed in the text, on the other hand, have already broken (see pgs. 19 and 101, for example). Adoptees and readers, of course, will want to supplement the text with short articles on advancements in geospatial technologies, as the authors advise in Chapter 1. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This textbook is easy to follow and the inherent technical jargon of GIS is explained well. Repetitive sentences and unnecessary phrasing, however, abound, and a few of the context examples the authors provide are too in-depth for an introductory textbook. Such examples are more suitable for a GIS module/lab book. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terms used in the text and the framework stay consistent for the most part. \r\n\r\nThere is a noticeable variance in the ordering of discussions about the two types of basic data models in the textbook. In Chapter 4, the subsections are 4.1 Raster, 4.2 Vector, and 4.3 Satellite Imagery and Aerial Photography. But in the data model analysis chapters (7 and 8), vector appears first in Chapter 7. \r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors did an excellent job of partitioning the text. Not only do chapters contain subheadings to guide the reader, but each chapter is broken up into three to four subsections—5.1, 5.2, 5.3, for example. The length of these subsections will serve well the needs of instructors as they assign course readings or of professionals looking to brush up on their GIS terminology. The chapters can easily be rearranged to meet the needs of the user. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Aside from the raster/vector order discrepancy already mentioned, the general flow and organization within the chapters is fine. However, the chapter flow is interrupted with Chapter 9’s placement. The information in Chapter 9 would fit better after Chapter 2 or as the conclusion to the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the text is satisfactory. Some images and tables, however, have awkward breaks between the pages, such as the Exercise Table on pages 119 to 120. \r\n\r\nThe PDF document I downloaded from the Open Textbook Library at the University of Minnesota lacked the table of contents and the list of figures and tables, and the blue links (or at least that is what I thought they were) on certain captions, endnotes, and figures for navigating the PDF did not work. \r\n\r\nIn Chapter 2, the authors placed a box at the end of the chapter called a “Waypoint,” which contained an intriguing dialogue on satellite images. The authors could place more of these boxes throughout the text to showcase the power of geospatial technologies.\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were minimal, but several words and sentences could be removed to make the book more concise.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and not offensive. Branching out and discussing what other countries and unions are doing with geospatial technology, particularly regarding satellite data collection, would add to the overall picture the authors present on GIS. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":282,"first_name":"Stephen ","last_name":"Leisz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the essentials of GIS as its title says, and more so.  The most comprehensive parts of the book are chapters 2 through 8 which cover Maps and Cartography, the differences between Data and Information, where to find data, Data models, Geospatial Data Management, Data descriptions and summaries, and Geospatial vector and raster analysis.  These points are well presented, clear and easy to follow.  The information is also general enough (and fundamental) and will not need to be updated soon.  The last two chapters on Cartographic principles and GIS Project Management, are not always as thoroughly covered as they could be in basic GIS classes that I have reviewed and these two chapters are a welcome addition to the basic GIS coverage of the book.\r\n\r\nThe first chapter where information related to the background of GIS is covered is adequate, but not as well organized as I had expected, especially on reflection after having read and reviewed the whole book.  The first chapter doesn't introduce a definition of GIS until the third section. I found this slightly annoying as I felt that a first time reader would be slightly lost, not having a definition of the subject that the textbook is covering.  When the definition of GIS is discussed it is discussed through an overview of the 'three approaches to GIS'. For my class when I teach it I prefer to augment this type of discussion with an explanation of my preference for what 'GIS' is.\r\n\r\nThe second chapter does a nice job of overviewing maps and cartography and is useful as presented. In this chapter I would have also liked to see a more thorough discussion of moving from 3-D space to 2-D space and at least a mention of the the geoid, eillipsoid and more discussion of datums.  A list of datums used worldwide would be a nice addition as an appendix.\r\n\r\nAnother weakness to the book, but one that the authors cannot fix, is the way that the textbook is presented thorough umn.edu as it is without a title page, author page, or table of contents. This is a weakness to the presentation of the book and to the use of the book.  It makes it more complicated for the user to assign specific chapters to students (as I like to do).\r\n\r\nOverall I would recommend this book for use in an intro GIS class or as a basic reference for the casual user (and have already done so).  All the essentials are there and if the lecturer mixes and matches the chapters to their specific classroom flow, it will be a good complement to a class on GIS.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any inaccuracies in the book. Concepts are clearly and accurately explained. The examples to the vector and raster analysis, and data models are very nicely laid out.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is general enough that it will not be outdated quickly as a basic text. However some of the online links are no longer up / available. That is a minor annoyance if one wants to click through to the book's linked examples.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"From chapters 2 through 9 I found the explanations offered in the book very clear and concise and easily understood.  Chapter 1 could be reorganized to provide a clearer introduction to the subject.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Except for the reversal of the order that vector and raster data and analysis are talked about from chapter to chapter I found the book consistent in its presentation.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter covers one subject.  It would be easy to use the chapters as stand alone additions to a lecture course on GIS.  However, the lack of a table of contents makes it harder to gain an overview of the modules and harder to direct the students to the specific chapter of interest.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The books organization is logical and consistent (expect for chapter 1).  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It is easy to navigate through the book, although a table of contents and index would help with this aspect.  The images and charts are easy to look at, expect for figure 1.6 which seems to run off of the page.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The book is well written with few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural problems jumped out at me as I was reading it.  Examples are drawn from all over the world and overall culture is discussed neutrally in the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this book covers the basics of GIS and can be easily and usefully adopted into an introductory GIS course. It is a very good alternative to the more expensive GIS texts which are otherwise available.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":559,"first_name":"Kathleen","last_name":"Nuckolls","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is comparable in scope to many GIS texts on the market, and would provide students with a level of detail appropriate for an introductory course. Its straight-forward explanations and emphasis on cartographic literacy make it a particularly strong choice for non-geography majors. In addition, the text covers some topics that are often excluded or glossed-over by other authors. I particularly appreciated the last two chapters on cartographic principles and project management. Although many introductory texts mention cartography, I have found that few explain it in sufficient detail to allow students to make consistent, informed choices when designing map products. The last chapter is similarly important for students wishing to pursue a career in GIS, who will be happy to have a basic knowledge of project management before landing their first GIS job. This text provides a solid introduction for students of many disciplines, as well as for working professionals who need to understand the strengths and limitations of GIS. Unfortunately, its usefulness as a potential reference resource is hampered by the book’s lack of a glossary or index.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any errors or evidence of bias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text explains the fundamental concepts of GIS, with a few references to emerging trends and technologies. It should remain relevant over the long-term, with a few judicious updates. However, the book includes many URL’s which would need to be checked and updated regularly.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book does not assume any prior knowledge of the topic, beyond the basic map skills familiar to any adult. The writing is clear and understandable, without either talking down to the reader or using unnecessary jargon.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book’s framework is consistent and useful. Every chapter includes an introduction and three of four subsections, each of which begins with one or more learning objectives, followed by topic headings, “key takeaways,” and exercises. Terminology is used consistently throughout.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text does a nice job of using pop-ups associated with keywords to orient readers to definitions that have been covered in other chapters. For more in-depth coverage of concepts, the reader is referred to the appropriate chapter and section. These references are generally useful, but some of them seem unnecessary and might prove annoying if the chapters were assigned in a different order.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics within each chapter are organized in a logical order, as are the chapters themselves, with the possible exception of chapter nine. I would have preferred to keep the cartographic principles covered in chapter nine together with the information on “map anatomy,” which is located it the second chapter.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The pdf version of the book lacks a table of contents, which would make navigation much easier. However, the html version of the text begins with a hyperlinked table of contents, which includes separate links for each chapter and subsection. Furthermore, each portion of the book contains links to the previous section, next section, and back to the table of contents, making navigation easy and intuitive. Unfortunately, the in-text references to other chapters do not work as hyperlinks, as they were apparently intended to. The html version also includes bolded key terms that provide pop-up definitions for each term.\nThere is also a Word version of the book available from http://www.saylor.org/books/. Although this version does not currently contain a table of contents, the text is organized under appropriate section headers, which would allow instructors to easily rearrange contents and construct a custom, hyperlinked table of contents. The word version also includes references in footnotes, rather than including them in the body of the text, improving the flow (references are cited in the body of the pdf and html versions). Unfortunately, the word version does not highlight keywords, which would likely be a problem for some students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is written in an inclusive and inoffensive manner.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":788,"first_name":"Mary","last_name":"Hall-Brown","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of North Carolina Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" truly does cover the essentials of an introductory level GIS textbook. Campbell and Shin's discourse on the basics of GIS is exceptional while still maintaining a very \"readable\" text.   Examples are relatable and presented in a down to earth manner.  From \"What is GIS?\" to basic spatial analysis, the GIS component is nicely covered. I appreciate the chapters on Cartography and Project Management. While Cartography is occasionally included in introductory GIS textbooks, the depth of the information is usually lacking. Everything is for naught if your intended audience cannot understand your final product.  I also especially appreciated the chapter on Project Management. The information provided within this chapter offers the student an insight into how a project moves from inception to completion. With the costs of GIS textbooks climbing to well over $100, I am grateful that there is an online option.  \"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" is a comprehensive and well written book... (minus some editing issues).  \n\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the book is accurate. I did not find any errors of content within this book. I appreciate that the authors did not highlight one GIS program or company over another. The book focused on GIS basics that transcend individual GIS companies. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information\" will be able to stay relevant for quite some time as the concepts presented within this book (What is GIS?, Map Anatomy, Vector vs Raster datasets, Cartographic principles) are general and basic enough to ultimately be timeless. Even the technical explanations are presented in such a way that they too will not become obsolete quickly. The URL links are the only things that may become questionable, and as such, will need to be checked and updated.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written very well. The headings, examples and figures provided in the first chapter are lighthearted keeping the tone of the book friendly and fun. The discussion of each chapter's topic is both clear and concise. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book makes it easy to assign any GIS topic in any order. The understanding of the material in one chapter does not depend on previous chapters. There are places, however, where the reader is referred to previous chapters where a definition and/or discussion of a term is located. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the book make sense. Chapters cover one topic and are broken down into subsections. Each subsection is preceded by bulleted \"Learning Objectives\" with \"Key Takeaways\" provided at the end. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw only two instances of where images had gone awry; pages 248 and 256. The information is not lost but the image is too large for the page. The bookmark navigation within the pdf is correct. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors. However, there were several references within chapters 9 and 10 (citations and figures) that were omitted. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I don't believe \"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" to be offensive to anyone. The examples used in the cartography chapter, 9, are relevant to US elections.     ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I will use this book next year for my introduction graduate level course, Understanding Geographic Information Systems.  It would be nice if the citations and figures within the last two chapters are corrected before then. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1235,"first_name":"Darlette","last_name":"Meekins","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Virignia State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is too convoluted for my students to follow alone.  For my beginners GIS course, the book neglects to introduce the basic principles.  It lacks practical exercises that allow the students to work directly in the ArcGIS workspace. Thus familiarizing them with the software.  The basic components of GIS are  not covered in-depth.  Students need to know how to create spatial features as well as to use them as representation.  It does not explain GIS and its concepts to the novice student.  The pdf lacks a glossary, Index or table of contents.\nAs the Instructor, however, there are some chapters that I would use in my course during the mid portion of my term.\n\nOverall, the book is quite thought provoking and will provide a challenge and offer additional critical thinking to the concept of GIS.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The concepts were clearly explained.  The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the text content is written in a way that updates will not be necessary in the near future.  The content is up to date, but several of the resource links were broken.  If this PDF is used in my course, I will have to supplement it with additional exercises, references, and expand upon the applications from a more basic perspective.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some of the content in the chapters are advanced for my general education students taking GIS for the first time.  The text is clear and comprehendible for me but I will have to supplement each chapter, maybe use  PowerPoint.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent with the chapter headings and subtitles","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Great job was done in partitioning the chapters,subheading and sections.  The lack of a table of contents made it difficult to navigate through the book; when searching for a specific topic","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization and structure order appear to flow rather well, accept for The Cartography Chapter.\nThis chapter should have been presented earlier in the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is satisfactory; the broken links are causing some navigation problems.  The display features were necessary and relevant.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and not offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, the book is Good and I will recommend it to my colleagues and eventually to my students.  It covers principles related to GIS but not the actual principles involved in GIS for the Novice.  I would gladly use the book as a reference.  I hope to incorporate portions of this book into my course with some adjustments and more hands on activities in ArcGIS Desktop.  My students need to the fundamentals; i.e. the components of ESRI ArcGIS: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox. In addition to how to create spatial features and data within the attribute tables.\n\nI do appreciate the efforts put forward in writing this Publication.\n\nRespectfully.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1320,"first_name":"Thomas","last_name":"Allen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The authors cover a wide range of GIScience that would allow for a core foundation combining geographic abstraction and \"spatial thinking,\" data models and structures, cartographic representation, and importantly, a variety of data sources (e.g., GPS and remote sensing.)  Some included content is rather surprising, yet also welcomed, such as the strong coverage given to \"map anatomy\" and GIS project management.  Oftentimes other \"cookbook\" approaches to introductory GIS will omit the vital issues of cartographic principles (color, symbology, and design).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Fundamental GIS data and analytical techniques are presented very accurately. The conceptual basis of GIS is rooted in geographic and spatial abstraction, which provides for a sound mix of \"spatial thinking\" applied to actual GIS data. Terminology is introduced and referred later unambiguously.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Currency is an enormous challenge for any textbook in GIScience and Technology. GPS technology is presented rather lightly and historically, with accurate but limited currency, for instance on international GNSS constellations (GNSS includes Galileo, GLONASS, for instance, as well as regional satellites for positionining such as BeiDou-2 and WAAS.) Overall, however, the material presented at a fundamental learning level balances rigour and relevance with longevity. Map essentials or \"anatomy\" are critical and timeless in this sense.  Raster and vector data models are also time invariant. As compared to some texts, the book focuses on essentials and not the rabbit hole of arcane historic structures (e.g., GBF DIME files).  The revolutionary development of LiDAR, however, is something that may merit introduction at this level, and it blends vector and raster data structures (LAS files, point clouds, and derivative DSM and DEMs.)  Unfortunately, LiDAR is not introduced.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Spatial data and analytical techniques are quite clearly presented in the text. Illustrative figures are well chosen and augment the textual content. A few additional graphics might further improve students comprehension of new, abstract spatial structures. For instance, TINs are introduced and only one graphic of a TIN surface model is given. This rather limits the fundamental notion of TINs as vector structures with attributes, as well as their intrinsic relationship to topography and surface modeling.  TINs are not mentioned in the vector GIS data structure section nor the single-layer vector analysis section.  \n\nThough there are moderate gaps in some of the individual sections, overall the content presented is clearly conveyed. The written explanations are easily followed. White space and interspersed figures supporting concepts are replete. The style and length of subsections allow for one to easily and non-fatiguingly read through chapters.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and presentation are quite consistently organized among sections.  Learning objectives, key concepts, and after-chapter mental exercises are very integrative as well as keeping the learner on track within chapters/modules.  Between sections, key terms are also unambiguously mentioned.  One COULD see a bit more synthesis or even repetition fruitfully employed, however. For instance, TINs not presented again after a cursory introduction in data structures, yet they could be reviewed or mentioned again usefully in the vector structures, spatial interpolation, or terrain mapping sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter organization balances content and length very well.  Ten chapters would conform very well to applications in weekly readings in a course that supplemented the text with other exercises, yet allowing for emphasis or de-emphasis as an instructor chose.  No chapters too lengthy or conceptually overburdened.  Some modules could be dropped in actual instructional use if, for instance, an instructor wished to use another source for greater detail.  There is very little burden of self-referencing, almost to a fault, as some re-enforcement or application of data concepts might be useful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"A logical and cumulative structure of content is used that makes great sense and jives with most other GIS texts and authoritative pedagogical references (e.g., GIS Body of Knowledge and other related \"core curricula\".)","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Available as a PDF and online, both formats are stylistically easy to navigate, cogent, and appropriately supported with embedded graphical content. The online format is easy to page and refer or jump to alternative sections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is free from grammatic errors and would be easy to read and follow from a very wide range of readers.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural biases are evident in the book, and there are no national or unusual localized biases toward data structures or sources or terms as sometimes can be found in GIS texts.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" is exactly what it is entitled, providing introductory concepts that are importantly rooted in spatial thinking, mapping and related geographic concepts. Although a few concepts tend toward a light or cursory nature, these are easily augmented by an instructor with other resources.  The book is to be prized for its accessibility, pragmatism, and provision of a rigorous yet easy to follow framework for GIS concepts, spatial analysis, and future learning.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1386,"first_name":"Joanne","last_name":"Logan","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Tennessee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was thoroughly impressed by the comprehensiveness of this book. It covered most of the important aspects needed for an Introductory GIS class - from GIS and mapping basics all the way to project management. The book does not currently have a glossary nor an index, which would make it even more useful for instruction. Therefore, I highly recommend that the authors include a glossary and index in the next edition.  There are several new areas of GIS that were not covered in this book, due to the fact that it was published in 2011, more than 6 years ago. Since that time, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has become an invaluable addition to the GIS data inventory, and entire chapter could easily be devoted to this topic. Also, online mapping tools and mashups deserve more coverage in this book. However, I very much appreciated the generality of the book, i.e. it did not often mention specific formats or programs or data sources, which  of course, are moving targets and would require continual and frequent updates.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book was very accurate and error-free. The only misspelling I found was under the Table of Contents/Licesning Information instead of Licensing Information. Other than that silly error, the text was spot on with terminology and concepts. I have used mostly ESRI books in the past, which of course are biased toward their software platform and data formats. I believe the authors did a good job or presenting the wide array of GIS options, including open-source. Much of their information was generalized enough that it could be applied across a wide array of GIS platforms.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Because the author's did a good job of keeping the text as general as possible, the relevance of this 2011 book was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be quite out of date, but not so. Of course, several of the links provided in the text were broken and need to be updated. Also, some of the images were pretty old and newer ones could be inserted. I think the authors could perhaps review some of the text that refers to specific sources of data, satellites, etc. and try to generalize even more. Also, some of the proposed exercises were perhaps a little too specific and might become outdated with new technologies and websites.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Due to the nature of the book, a certain level of jargon/technical terminology is to be expected. That is why a glossary would have been oh-so helpful. However, I felt that the terminology was appropriate for an entry level GIS book. Most of the book is very readable and easy to understand, even for a newbie. Perhaps several of the sections could be lightened up a bit, such as the vector data model topic.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The authors were very consist in terms of terminology and framework. I liked the way they often linked back to previous concepts to show the relevance of the newly presented information. The framework was also very consistent - learning objectives, materials in a digestible chunk (not too much, not too little for the most part), basic concepts learned, and further practice with exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the modularity to be on of the best  aspects of this book. Some GIS books have very long and complex chapters, and students get lost or distracted. Their chapters and sections are very concise, with clearly stated objectives. Many of the sections are stand alone and not highly dependent on other sections, which is excellent for those of us wishing to daisy chain elements from several books.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are so many different ways that GIS instruction can be presented, but I thought their flow was as good as any of the other books I have used. The authors did jump around a bit between raster and vector, so perhaps those two aspects could be presented more cohesively.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I thought the interface was fine. The pdf file worked great in IBook and was easy to navigate. However, it could be improved by having a linkable table of contents (like it is in the html format), and a linkable glossary and/or index. I thought the figures and tables were very helpful, but some of them could use more descriptive captions.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"My only suggestion for improvement would be too keep the same grammatical tone as much as possible throughout the book. In some parts, it's very light and readable, in other parts, it gets quite complex and deep.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. They included some diverse examples of GIS applications, but even more diversity would be appreciated.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would use this book for sure, in the GIS class that I teach. I was pleasantly surprised by the rigor, breadth, and content.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1511,"first_name":"Joe","last_name":"Gordon","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Campbell and Shin’s “Essentials of Geographic Information Systems” provides a comprehensive overview of GIS.  They begin with a general introduction to geographic and spatial concepts (and the role of GIS within geography), and proceed to lay out the fundamental conceptual components of GIS in Chapters 2 through 5, including common elements of maps, common data types and metadata, challenges of researching, identifying, and finding relevant data, GIS data models (raster/vector), and database management.  Chapters 6 through 9 are dedicated to visualization and analysis, including selecting, searching and querying data, classifying data, common single- or multiple-layer analyses, raster and surface analysis, and basic cartography (color, symbology, map design).  Chapter 10 concludes with an important, albeit often overlooked, discussion about the challenges of effective project management, both in general and as specifically relates to the particularities of GIS projects.\n\nSubjects that could perhaps use greater exploration in Campbell and Shin’s book, include (a) geodesy (e.g., geoids, datums), (b) coordinate transformation, (c) global navigation satellite systems, (d) photogrammetry, (e) development of various satellite sensors, (f) lidar, (g) network analysis, and (h) types of geospatial models (e.g., weighted, spatio-temporal, agent-based).\n\nThe concepts in Campbell and Shin’s book that are particularly unique for an introductory GIS textbook include (a) spatial thinking (e.g., mental maps), (b) map abstraction (e.g., what is a forest?), (c) the challenges of acquiring accurate and relevant data, (d) the challenges of implementing effective database management, and (e) the practice of good project management.\n\nAlthough aiming toward providing a broad overview of GIS, Campbell and Shin also elaborate on a fair amount of subfield specifics, but not so much as to obscure or distract from the central points of interest.  The strength of the book is the emphasis on GIS practice and the actual decisions that lead from conceptualization and project planning to an effective deliverable with useful information.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Both in terms of broader GIS concepts as well as domain-specific and technical skills, Campbell and Shin’s book accurately provides the “essentials” of GIS.  I found no glaring conceptual errors or omissions.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is generally relevant and up-to-date, as relates to the current ecosystem of common GIS software, hardware, workflows, and functions.  That said, technology, data, methods quickly evolve, and the book will need to be updated as-needed.  The structure of the book, especially in the online version, allows for flexible inclusion of new material or elaboration upon specific components of existing material.\n\nI was a little surprised that Python was not mentioned regarding development in GIS, especially related to its current role in Esri tool development and general rise in data science.  That said, for an \"essentials\" book that is not focused on Esri software specifically, this omission does not seem that important.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear, and it is evident that the authors write from experience.  Throughout the different sections, a good balance exists between detail and conciseness.  Where detail is omitted, it seems that the authors implicitly suggest that some of the onus is on the student for a deeper understanding of the specific subfields, such as the case of transformations between projections, where the authors simply state that although “most GISs include functions to assist in map projections[...]an awareness of the potential and pitfalls that surround map projections is essential.”","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in structure (e.g., primary learning objectives at the beginning and key takeaways and exercises at the end of each section), tone (e.g., a guidebook of “essentials” for working with and understanding GIS), and GIS-specific content (e.g., lists of relevant GIS definitions and geography-specific jargon are laid out prior to exploration of subject).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book lends itself well to modular assignment of sections, as needed in coordination with lecture or lab topics.  There are internal cross-referencing when topics intersect or overlap, but the references do not break the modular cohesiveness of the sections being read, especially in the online version where links are provided and use of the web browser enables easy navigation between sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization and structure of the subjects in the book are appropriate, beginning broadly with a discussion of geography and spatial thinking, moving on to GIS and maps (the most prominent or identifiable aspect of GIS), and finally the complex decision-making processes involved with data management, analysis, cartography, and project management.  The balance that Campbell and Shin strike regarding detail and conciseness on specific topics also plays out well in the overall structure of the book, whereby chapters are split into a few manageable sections each.  Compared with, hypothetically, on one extreme, a book with a few long chapters or (on the other extreme) many short chapters, Campbell and Shin have designed their “essentials” such that each chapter is suitable for about a week’s worth of reading and exercises, both in terms of required reading time as well as conceptual modularity.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Overall, the online interface is seamless.  Navigation via linear links (i.e., next/previous section) and nonlinear links (i.e., table of contents) are available, as well as subject-specific links within the text.  The charts are simple, appropriate to the subject, and intuitive.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Noticed one or two spelling or grammar errors, but overall the writing is professional and enjoyable.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"In Chapter 1 and 2, the book contextualizes GIS in terms of the ongoing development of social technologies and the related democratization of GIS, which is important for introductory students to understand in terms of the moving ground upon which GIS is evolving.  Additionally, the authors explore the ideas of bias and generalization, and the responsibility of GIS practitioners in the communication of information through maps.\n\nAlso, occasionally, the book provides examples of the incorporation of social data into GIS workflows, primarily by providing brief references to data sources for social or demographic data (e.g., census data) or types of data in potential analyses (e.g., income data in mall suitability analysis).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No other comments other than I really like this book.  Our current textbook is good, as well, but perhaps too detailed for an introductory class of students using ArcGIS for the first time.  This book will be a good conceptual accompaniment to our Esri-based labs.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1683,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Ramos","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Comprehensive information about data formats, data operations, and analysis. Less coverage of fundamental concepts, applications, and cartography.\n\nThe chapters about GIS data formats and data management are thorough and well-organized, though they too would read better if they included more narratives and concrete examples from the field. The information here is dense and thoughtfully explained, and diagrams support the concepts well. These chapters form the heart of the book, and represent the book’s greatest value.\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"No errors stand out; the book shows a certain level of generalization, appropriate for an introductory text.\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book takes an ecumenical approach to the choice of software; the authors wisely observe that GIS software changes quickly, and that students and instructors might choose any number of tools. This approach is welcome, in a world that too often teaches the details of one piece of software rather than the longer-lived principles that underly that software. Some more discussion of the ideas that programs embody, though, would help introduce in students a useful skepticism.\n","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written.\n\nThe quality of the graphics varies considerably, an issue in a book that leans heavily on diagrams, example data, and model maps. Some sections would be clearer with more skillfully-drawn graphics. The explanation of projections, particularly, suffers. Other sections, like the chapters on searches and queries, and on vector operations, are accompanied by excellent graphics. \n\n\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"A quite internally consistent book, in terms of perspective and use of language.\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are self-contained and would read well in more than one order.\n","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"More case studies and narratives would help readers, particularly novices. The book offers a handful of examples—a glimpse at deforestation in the Amazon, or a hypothetical database query and its effects on returned data—but they are rare and abbreviated. More stories, and more real-world data, would help turn abstract concepts into concrete ones. \n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The design of the book deserves a note. I read the PDF-formatted book. Whether for screen viewing or for printing, the book would be far more readable if lines were shorter. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatically, fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Generally neutral; appropriate awareness of the cultural frameworks that surround our use of maps.\n","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1901,"first_name":"Donna","last_name":"Dambrosio","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is an excellent resource as an introductory GIS course for undergraduate and graduate students in a computer technology curriculum who have not had any prior experience with GIS. As the introduction states it “is designed to be accessible, pragmatic and concise.” (pg.2).There are ten chapters in the text which review GIS in a logical flow beginning with chapter 1 explaining GIS and why it is used. Within this chapter there is a discussion of spatial thinking and how we use special thinking every day. Chapter 1 also provides an overview of geographic concepts which define GIS and how GIS is currently used and how it may be used in the future; in addition, there is a discussion on the geospatial web. All of this affords a good foundation for the remaining chapters. An important component of this online text is the student’s ability to click on the external links to additional information. The remaining chapters present understandable lessons on cartography and cartographic principles, maps, map types, data and information, data files and formats, GIS data models, satellite imaging, data visualization, geospatial analysis and GIS project management. Each chapter begins with learning objectives and ends with a review of concepts learned and topical exercises. In addition, the charts and illustrations provide good visual learning support. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content seems accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content seems relevant and up-to-date since the authors provide link to pertinent websites. It seems that any updates can be added to the chapters if needed. An important component of this online text is the student’s ability to click on the external links to review additional information. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written and there are explanations of technical terminology.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It seems internally consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"A chapter or portions of a chapter could be assigned for each week of the semester.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are ten chapters in the text which review GIS in a logical flow beginning with chapter 1 explaining GIS and why it is used. Within this chapter there is a discussion of spatial thinking and how we use special thinking every day. Chapter 1 also provides an overview of geographic concepts which define GIS and how GIS is currently used and how it may be used in the future; in addition, there is a discussion on the geospatial web. All of this affords a good foundation for the remaining chapters. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is accessible as are the external links.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were not found.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There was no evidence of insensitivity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall this text presents a well-balanced, clearly written and informative introduction to Geographic Information Systems. I enjoyed reading this text and will use it for the GIS course.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2220,"first_name":"Elia","last_name":"Machado","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY)","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"“Essentials of Geographic Information Systems” provides an accessible foundation of GIS and mapping at the undergraduate level, suitable for readers without previous experience with GIS, mapping, or spatial thinking. \n\nThe book is not very concise, but it is well written, engaging, and promotes the critical thinking of the reader by interspersing several questions and comments to encourage the critical examination of the content presented (e.g., what is included in mental maps, section 1.1). I also appreciate that it helps developing a sense of the type of questions that can be examined using a GIS and spatial thinking skills.  \n\nEach unit starts with a clearly laid out set of objectives and concludes with a summary of the main takeaways and a set of exercises. Altogether the units provide a broad foundation of GIS and mapping. Some of the main topics covered include: Spatial Thinking and GIS definition, map types (mental, reference, thematic, dynamic), map elements and scale representation, GIS data models and associated file formats (vector vs. raster), coordinate systems (only GCS) and projections, remote sensing and remote sensing data resolutions (very basic introduction), data quality (accuracy vs. precision), descriptive statistics and histograms, attribute and spatial queries, data classification methods, vector and raster data operations (including local, neighborhood, and zonal operations, and interpolation), cartographic principles and map design, and project management. \n\nOverall, the level of depth is adequate for an introductory textbook, but there are few potential weaknesses: i) the unit on coordinate systems and projections did not seem to offer the necessary depth, and did not include a discussion on planar coordinate systems, omitting two widely used coordinate systems in the U.S. (UTM and State plane), ii) the textbook does not cover how to read and specify coordinates from paper maps or USGS digital topo maps, iii) the unit on remote sensing is also quite brief and defines spectral resolution using the term wavelength without defining it first, some additional links would be helpful in this regard, iv) there is no coverage of the different types of thematic maps (choropleth, dot density, graduated symbols, flow maps, etc) and the data suitable to be represented by each type. Choropleth maps are briefly defined in unit 6, but the definition omits an important characteristic of them: the data represented in choropleth maps are aggregated by area (e.g., administrative areas). In addition, the authors use a choropleth map of population by county in the U.S. to illustrate the effect of different classification methods on the spatial patterns of the same dataset. Choropleth maps are ideal to identify spatial patterns, but their use with absolute numbers is discouraged because in many cases the aggregation units differ in size. Since it is difficult to make comparisons across units of varying sizes, transforming the data to percentages and rates is recommended when using choropleth maps. \n\nA table of contents is provided in the description of the textbook, but not in the version of the .pdf that I have downloaded. There is no glossary or index of terms, which would be very useful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the content of the book seems accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the book focuses on the fundamentals of GIS, is up-to-date, and will remain relevant over the long term. Some references to GIS applications, external links, and software will need to be checked and updated on a regular basis.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well written at an introductory level. Most of the concepts included are defined in a clear, accessible manner, with a few exceptions (e.g., wavelength).","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology used throughout the book is consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is subdivided in a logical manner and can be read/assigned as separate chapters. There are internal references to other chapters in the book. It would be very useful to have a table of contents in the .pdf version with page ranges for easier navigation, reference, and identification of the length of each section.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The sequence of topics and chapters progresses logically, but personally I would have preferred having Chapter 9 (cartographic principles) after Chapter 6 (data characteristics and visualization).","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"A table of contents is included in the description of the book, but there is not a table of contents included in the .pdf of the book I downloaded from the Open Textbook library. This hinders navigating through the text and having a sense of the extent and structure of the book. It is also more difficult to refer to specific chapters for assignment. The online version starts with a hyperlinked table of contents and each chapter has links to the table of contents, as well as the previous and next chapter. The internal links to other chapters included in the text do not seem to work, this is also true for the .pdf version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found major grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. The authors promote a critical examination of what information is presented in map and the implications of how it is presented (e.g., mental maps, section1.1; map abstraction, section 2.3). These discussions are not typically included in “traditional”  introductory level GIS textbooks.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2579,"first_name":"Edward","last_name":"Davis","position":"Professor, Depat. of Geography \u0026 Earth \u0026 Environmental Sciences","institution_name":"Emory and Henry College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Campbell has covered GIS in a very complete way - the text may not include every possible element of the subject, but I think all the GIS essentials are given very complete explanations.  I particularly like the excellent coverage of data structures and statistics. These are areas sometimes given inadequate coverage, but Campbell gives them very good attention.  The latter chapters on cartography and project management are often neglected in GIS textbooks, but Campbell provides solid chapters that should really benefit students. One area that could have more coverage is remote sensing, which is a closely related field, but that is seldom taught within a GIS course - it is best taught separately.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is quite accurate, in my opinion.  I am a stickler for accuracy, but I found just a few errors - fewer than in most textbooks.  One small error will be discovered by students in Figure 4.11, where the topology table is missing a few values. But other than that, and a few typos, I am impressed with the writing, editing, and overall attention to the subject.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is designed to be relevant for years. Published in 2011, it is now 8 years old, and it seems quite up-to-date.  Yes, some of the references may seem outdated, but Campbell has written the book in such a way that the essentials are not hidden by a fascination with rapidly shifting technology.  For example, the data structures and the computer languages being used in relation to GIS now are mostly the same or simply derivative of those the author describes.  It would be impossible to keep up with all the computer language options in this kind of text - any professor will have to supplement the text with updates on that. This is not a flaw in Campbell's book.   The same is true for examples.  Campbell tries to avoid using examples that would be easily outdated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and easy to follow.  I think students should have no trouble reading and even being fascinated by the field as presented here.  I do think three improvements could be made:   A. The text could have more structural highlighting, such as bold terms, headings or colored guides, so that as a student reads she/he finds the important terms and concepts easily.     B. Many of the diagrams could be better designed.  I find quite a few of them to be overly simplistic, to the point where the reality being modeled is too hard to imagine.     C. More examples from the real world should be included, particularly when talking about the most difficult subjects, such as data structures and project management.  Students will easily follow the examples already shown, but in some sections, the author seems to have forgotten to maintain his good style.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its presentation of the subject.  Campbell shows he is a good writer and organizer.  We should also credit the editor(s).  The quality shows.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters are logically structured and not too long.   But sometimes the author goes on too long without subheadings, which can allow the reader to be distracted.  Our modern culture creates short attention spans, unfortunately.  The book should work to reflect the typical student reader's ability to focus.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Most teachers will find the book to be logically organized and each chapter properly connected to the others.  One complaint I have is the decision to place cartography at the end of the book.  In my experience, students enjoy knowing these design principles earlier, so they can apply them in the middle of the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I encountered no interface problems other than a few defunct links, which is inevitable. The simplicity of design helps in this regard.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I am a careful reader, yet I found no grammar problems.  This is impressive.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is US-centric, but as far as I could see it is not insensitive to culturally diverse groups. Perhaps more examples from other cultures could be included.  In act, as I think about it, it seems the book could use more examples, so if there is to be a second edition, the best choice would be examples from outside the US.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I like the book so much that I may adopt it for my course next year. Where it is flawed, I can make up the difference with a few adjustments (additional examples and diagrams).","created_at":"2019-02-23T10:07:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-02-23T10:07:40.000-06:00"},{"id":3964,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Kelly","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is where I feel the text struggled the most. Some of the basic and very important topics, such as projections, data classification, and visual hierarchy, were mentioned in such brevity that the reader is left without proper instruction on these topics. The text tries to cover so much that it often seems rushed and lacks comprehensiveness in many areas. No index or glossary is included.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I was pleasantly surprised to find the text mostly free of errors. However, with the text having been published 8 years ago some of the links provided were no longer active or incorrect. I did find some areas in which the terms or explanations used did not fit standard conventions. Additionally, in a portion of Chapter 9 the figures are not referenced to in the text, only empty parentheses are included.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"With a technology like GIS, changes happen very quickly and with a major software revision to one of the most widely used commercial products occurring in 2015 updates would be needed to portions of the text to increase relevance. While some of the information may at first glance seem dated, the historical information presented provides the reader with background as to where GIS has been. On the converse, the text is not forward looking which is needed for a text based on computer technology.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was designed as an introductory text for individuals that are not familiar with GIS. It introduces “key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications”. There are a lot of terms to learn with each indicate in bold text and well explained, but no index or glossary is provided. If a term/concept is discussed in multiple sections of the text they are indicated as such so the reader can switch between sections to gain full understanding of the concept. Many practical examples are used throughout the text which helps the reader understand the application of the concepts presented.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no issues with internal consistency. The framework used - a chapter introduction, and learning objectives at the beginning and key takeaways at the end of each section lends to a well thought out text.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text can be readily broken down into smaller sections, not only by chapter, but within each chapter there are multiple sections that are clearly divided by topic. However, there are multiple incidences in the text where the author refers to other sections/chapters of the text that could make some divisions more difficult than others.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I found the text topics did not flow well between a few of the chapters (3-5 and 6-9) with some rearrangement recommended. Furthermore, some of the chapter and section titles did not accurately represent the content or in one incidence repeated similar information. What did work was the use of an introductory section at the beginning of each chapter along with basic exercises provided at the end of each section within a chapter.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"In the PDF form there are quite a few images that run off the page, but when viewing the text online these issues do not exist. Otherwise, the graphics and interface work well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written with no grammatical errors found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"All information presented is done so in a culturally sensitive manner.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:19:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:19:48.000-05:00"},{"id":4023,"first_name":"Patrick","last_name":"Kennelly","position":"GIS Program Director","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems is designed to be a book for an introductory book in GIS. It is comprised of ten chapters which include introduction, map anatomy, data/information and where to find them, data models for GIS, geospatial data management, data characteristics and visualization, geospatial analysis (vector), geospatial analysis (raster), cartographic principles, and GIS project management. I would say the first and final chapter of this book are relatively unique when comparing it to other introductory GIS textbooks. The first chapter focuses on mental maps, which could be part of a more basic course typically called something like “spatial thinking”. The final chapter is a summary of elements of project management. It doesn’t hurt to introduce GIS students to PM in an introductory textbook, but many might find this the most surprising chapter to include.\r\n\r\nEach chapter begins with learning objectives and then gets into the main portion of the chapter. The authors include images that are generally informative and colorful. They end each chapter with key takeaways and exercises. The exercises are typically reflective (e.g. compare and contrast), or task oriented (e.g. find your home). This textbook does not include GIS exercises or labs, so instructors using this book would need to have another source of these. Finally, the authors end with a few references that are designed as overviews of the ideas such as Monmonier’s How to Lie with Maps.\r\n\r\nThis book covers the main basics of GIS, but is not a deep dive into the technology and what it can do at the introductory class level. It was originally published with Flatworld as an OER, then when Flatworld was purchased only available at a cost for a while, and now it is available again as an OER. I reviewed some of the original chapters in 2011 when they were first written, and like the style and writing.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I would describe the content as accurate, error-free and unbiased. Each author is going to have specific ideas about how to present content, but I think book does so in a fair and balanced manner. It focuses more on the concepts of GIS as opposed to how it works, which I think is appropriate for this type of introductory text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content covered tends to be the fundamentals of GIS, so I would say that the longevity is good by design. The big ideas in GIS covered in an introductory class are not evolving rapidly, but of course the software and applications are. This only means that this book would have to be coupled with other lab or exercises resources if the instructor wants to include hands-on GIS work in his/her class.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and concise. It doesn’t go too deep into the jargon, and clearly explains the terminology that it does use.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The materials in this book are consistent in terms of terminology. I am unsure what is meant by framework, but I would say at times the internal arrangement of materials was not always the most intuitive to me. For example, the final chapter on project management includes sections on working with CAD data, applications development, map series and grid-to-ground transformations.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This seems like a very modular textbook to me. However, since it only has ten chapters, I don’t think it could be used for more than an introductory course, and the materials here might not be enough to cover every topic in that course in sufficient detail, depending on the instructor’s curriculum.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical manner, and probably follow the typical organizational structure of many GIS instructors when teaching an introductory course. There is always room for potential reorganization depending on how topics are covered, and the sections would help the instructor assign specific readings from chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book is available in both a pdf and online format. The online format is nice, and has a table of contents with links to all chapters and sections within the chapters. In summary, it’s very easy to navigate. I wasn’t as impressed with the pdf, as it doesn’t include a table of contents or links to specific chapters/sections. Moreover, only page numbers appear on each page, there is no indication of what chapter you are in unless there is a figure number or section heading. I’d suggest sticking to the online version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t notice any grammatical errors. I also know that the original material was reviewed by external reviewers, so I hope that such edits were made during this process.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This material is not culturally insensitive in any way. The authors also try so show some maps related to social justice when appropriate, such as deforestation, worldwide life expectancy, GDP and literacy disparities, etc.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Good as an introductory textbook, but will need accompanying exercise/lab materials.","created_at":"2020-06-20T19:51:59.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-20T19:51:59.000-05:00"},{"id":4130,"first_name":"Ashok","last_name":"Pandey","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Maritime Academy","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"As an introductory book on GIS, the authors have done a commendable piece of work. The book has a constant flow connecting all the ten chapters succinctly. Each chapter starts with a ‘learning objective’ and ends with a take –away summary and some simple exercises for the reader. The associated graphics and illustrations in the chapters are well conceived and literally say a thousand words! A good piece of work for the uninitiated as it tells a simple story of a complex subject.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"'Essentials of Geographic Information Systems' covers almost all a beginner would like to know about GIS. It makes an interesting read and I found the contents precise and accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The authors have written the book skillfully and retained its relevance although the world of GIS is transforming so rapidly with evolving technology and multi-disciplinary applications. The examples cited in the chapters are aptly put and retain their logical connection even though the book was first published in 2011.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The authors have demystified the complexity of GIS with a clarity of thought and purpose in this book. As an introductory book, the chapters give a peripheral knowledge that the student must possess. Connecting the chapters to practical to-do lab exercises may have made each chapter more interesting.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its style and presentation. Complex and intricate terminologies have been avoided as far as practicable especially in the first five chapters to engage the reader and make the subject matter engrossing.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"A requirement for modularity is to clearly define the interfaces between modules and enable the modules to work together. The steps involved in the transfer of the flow of control between the author(s) and reader seems well defined through the organization of chapters and dissemination of introductory information. Small chapters keep the readers’ focus better that the book clearly displays.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized for the teacher and well- balanced for the taught. The structure, flow and organization of the various sections is tidy, well-kept and straight.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I do not see a Table of contents in the .pdf version. The online format looks better. I suggest a modification of the .pdf format for people to read and save offline. All the associated web links work well in the .pdf format. The Kindle file format may increase readership particularly among students with PDA's/mobile phones.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book has been through multiple reviews to date. I did not notice any grammatical errors as such. The book has a lucid syntax and makes splendid reading.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The subject matter of the book is largely technical interspersed with management techniques.  The examples and illustrations cited in the chapters could be drawn from multiple regions and industries, however. The world of GIS encapsulates almost every activity and it may interest readers and instructors far and wide.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I shall recommend  this book to any reader who wants to understand the world of GIS. If a book can tell a complex subject and reads like a storybook, the authors have succeeded in making an impact on the uninitiated as well as the seasoned GIS practitioner.","created_at":"2020-06-29T12:15:29.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T12:15:29.000-05:00"},{"id":35824,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Weidhuner","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southern Illinois University Carbondale","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook gives enough context and broad enough examples to understand all the basics needed to utilize GIS appropriately across a wide array of fields. There isn’t an index or glossary, but as a digital resource, searching the document proves helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content remains accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is still relevant despite significant changes within ArcGIS software in the last few years. If further updates are needed as the science advances the text is written to maintain updates easily.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of this text is phenomenal. Without getting into very specific details only relevant to one area of study or another, it challenges students to think about examples from everyday life for applicability. Additionally the language throughout the text is very approachable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are arranged into subsections, beginning with learning objectives and ending with key takeaways and reflective exercises for students to begin to think critically about and apply what they just learned about. This is a great resource for subdividing into sections, but also to help organize this text with other class materials, supplementary or not.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very well organized.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"All images, charts, text, and links, including hyperlinks are working and up to date. However, a Table of Contents with internal links would be helpful for navigating from one section to another.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Excellent grammar throughout the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text and geographic examples are globally representative and inclusive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is an excellent textbook that delivers exactly what it promises: the essentials of GIS in an interactive and clear manner. It is well-suited for both undergraduate and graduate-level introductions to GIS, and provides a strong foundation for more specialized study or software applications.","created_at":"2026-03-16T20:01:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2026-03-16T20:01:58.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/essentials-of-geographic-information-systems?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:29.000-05:00"},{"id":448,"title":"International Relations","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781910814185","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This book is designed to be a ‘Day 0' introduction to International Relations. As a beginner's guide, it has been structured to condense the most important information into the smallest space and present that information in the most accessible way. The chapters offer a broad sweep of the basic components of International Relations and the key contemporary issues that concern the discipline. The narrative arc forms a complete circle, taking readers from no knowledge to competency. The journey starts by examining how the international system was formed and ends by reflecting that International Relations is always adapting to events and is therefore a never-ending journey of discovery. Unlike typical textbooks, there are no boxes, charts, pictures or exercises. The philosophy underpinning this book is that these things can be a distraction. This book, like others in the E-IR Foundations series, is designed to capture attention with an engaging narrative. The chapters are short, with simple paragraphs and clear sentences placing the reader inside crucial issues and debates so they can understand how things work, and where they fit in the world around them.","contributors":[{"id":4155,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Stephen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"McGlinchey","location":"University of the West of England","background_text":"Stephen McGlinchey is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of the West of England, Bristol and Editor-in-Chief of E-International Relations. His main research interests are in US-Iran relations during the Cold War."}],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion?locale=es"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science?locale=es"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":361,"url":"http://www.e-ir.info/2016/12/07/e-ir-foundations-textbook-international-relations/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-01-02T22:39:33.000-06:00","name":"E-International Relations"}],"formats":[{"id":621,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.e-ir.info/publication/beginners-textbook-international-relations/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":20,"reviews":[{"id":1338,"first_name":"Emily","last_name":"Channell-Justice","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University of Ohio","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is presented as a beginner's guide to International Relations and in this way is comprehensive in its presentation of basic issues relevant to the subject. But the book refuses to use \"buzzwords\" like \"globalization\" because the authors do not want to get \"bogged down in big debates\" around complex terms. This seems like an inappropriate stance, as many beginners may be studying IR precisely to better understand such words. The book does not have an index. It has a bibliography, but throughout the text, is uses very few references, even when it seems obvious that the reader would like to know more.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The book appears accurate, but with so few citations, it's quite hard to know the perspectives of the authors of each chapter. It is not unbiased; the book is extremely Eurocentric. Countries in the global south are presented as object of diplomacy, or as the sites of problems like famine, rather than presented as active participants in globalization (I guess if they'd be willing the use the term globalization, they could have avoided this problem).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book seems up to date, including citations from 2015. Because the text is so theory heavy and includes almost no examples, this might prevent it from seeming out of date quickly. At the same time, the second half (\"global issues\") that focuses on contemporary problems, would have to be updated quite regularly (i.e. examples like the environment, global food crisis). But the book should do this, because students need to be presented with examples of how IR works and how we can respond to these global issues.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly, if dispassionately. There is little jargon, as was the author's intention, but this makes the writing seem even too simplistic for college students. Why should we not be asking them to understand challenging terms? The book's introduction also gives recommendations for how to read, which, if idealistic, could be useful to college freshmen who are not used to reading long texts. Additionally, the authors state clearly that the chapters should not be \"cherry picked\" and must be read one after another--I did not find this to be the case and had no issues jumping around.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent. Each chapter looks quite the same, although several of the \"global issues\" chapters are quite short. Again, the book is meant to be read completely linearly, so this consistency was a priority for the authors.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The book presents itself as NOT predisposed to modularity. As a reader in the field, it seemed to me that this was a little strict and that a good professor could easily reorganize the book in order to, for example, assign an \"issues\" chapter along with a \"basics\" chapter in order to illustrate some points. But the authors do not encourage any sort of creativity so such a task would require significant extra work on the instructor's part.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The book is clearly organized based on the priorities of the authors: this means that it is theory heavy up front, features one completely inadequate chapter about \"culture,\" and then presents a series of \"issues\" to bring IR into the real world. The book fits clearly into the authors' pedagogy.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"There are no images or any other illustrations. This is another part of the authors' pedagogy in which they find such things distracting. There are no interface errors, but the book is entirely page after page of similar-looking text. This is ridiculously boring and very far out of touch from how students actually learn.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any errors.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The book is very Eurocentric and is focused on the diplomatic world through the eyes of Europe and North America. This is an archaic way of teaching and learning about the world. There is one chapter about \"culture and religion\" (which, first of all, each deserve there own attention) which tells us nothing about how cultural diversity impacts international relations. The \"global issues\" section is extremely weak. For instance, the chapter on the environment focuses almost exclusively on international agreements, but not on differential expectations for countries, debates around these policies, and the real-life impacts of climate change and environmental policy. This book is not culturally sensitive because there are no people in it. It's as if the authors see IR as outside of the realm of human relevance.","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"Since there are no images or suggestions for discussion or further reading, a faculty member using this book would have to do a huge amount of work to make the text engaging for students. The instructor would have to find creative ways to do any practical exercises, and this seems like way too much work when much better texts exist. This book is not worth using just because it is open access. Why on earth would you want to teach IR without thinking about any examples and without getting students thinking about what policies have what impact on the people living around the world?","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1392,"first_name":"Alexis","last_name":"Henshaw","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book at least touches on all of the subjects that I routinely cover in my introductory course on international relations, but the coverage of the subjects vary greatly. I thought the chapters on the environment and food security were particularly well-developed, but other chapters like the one on connectivity, communications, and technology would have been made stronger through more details or applied examples. The historical context given to today's political world is also a bit shaky. Some historical developments are more thoroughly explained than others, and students using this book might find it confusing that some background material is spread across chapters. Also noteworthy, the book contains no finding aids (index, glossary) which would make it cumbersome to students trying to use this in an introductory course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be accurate on the topics it covers.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"It was not clear to me whether or how the publishers plan to update this text. This is particularly key for an international relations textbook with such a heavy emphasis on current world affairs. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that the book is less than a year old, some sections are already debatably in need of updating (particularly Ch. 17, as it relates to U.S. foreign policy). While the basic information conveyed in each chapter will remain relevant, I would want to know the editor's intentions for updating the text before implementing it in a course.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a very accessible way, and the various authors do a good job of explaining terms fully in the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are consistent in length and style.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter structure is well-defined and appropriate for an introductory course. Potential users may want to be aware that the text is designed to flow in a certain order, so in most cases rearranging chapters out-of-order would not be advised.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is mostly well structured. I did have some issue with some concepts or historical developments being explained out-of-order or across multiple chapters, for example the history and development of the UN--which is spread across chapters 4, 5, and 6--and the Cold War, which is discussed piecemeal in multiple chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"My biggest issue with the interface is that there is none. The book contains no links, pictures, charts, graphs, or visuals at all--even where the addition of these materials could help students using the text. I appreciate the editor's note indicating that these items were sacrificed in order to produce a free text, but I feel there were some extremely low- or no-cost ways of enhancing the text that would have been beneficial. Even having authors use bold font for key terms would facilitate student learning. Authors might also have been encouraged to recommend further reading or links to online resources related to each chapter. Combined with the lack of finding aids, I think the lack of interface would frustrate some students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any obvious grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is largely inclusive, and the individual authors are representative of the global nature of the discipline.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, my impression of this book was that it could not be a standalone text for an introductory, college-level IR course. The professor using this text would almost certainly need to supplement it with additional readings, and would probably also need to put a good deal of thought into designing exercises, lectures, tests, and study guides based on this material. Most importantly, I personally would not want to adopt this textbook without understanding the plan for updating it, as some of this information will likely seem outdated or obsolete in the next 5-10 years.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1639,"first_name":"Doga","last_name":"Eralp","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This edited volume provides a comprehensive yet not so well integrated coverage of the issues and theories that define the international relations field today. Although the book lacks an index, as the editor noted as being too costly to compile.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Book provides often times an objective view of global politics, but on issues there have been instances where some authors refer to their personal experiences as a way to open up debates and introduce paradoxes which in some ways impact the overall bias on the issues introduced. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The edited volume captures the relevant debates in IR and provides an overall view of open topics in a manner to insuniate longer term discussion. updates for that matter would be rather easy in the coming editions.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"terminology is very clear and almost too simplistic.\nit would have helped if the editor pushed the contributing authors to adapt a more nuanced language for their chapters. ","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"the edited volume definitely deserves a more consistent narrative across chapters. As is chapters do not necessarily follow each other. The language is inconsistent and calls for a major revision to keep the use of terminology and frameworks the same across all the chapters. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"each chapter of the book could be assigned separately as part of the weekly readings of an intro to IR theory course. in that respect it accomplishes a decent job; however, in terms of complementarity of chapters with one and another, it clearly fails. ","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"organization of the edited volume seems to be all over the place.\nthere is a number of redundant discussions along with a lack of integration of different topics. it does not flow very well. ","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"the edited volume obviously needs more charts, figures along with images. \nif the idea is to attract the attention of younger college age readers, it fails to achieve that. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"no problems with the grammar. ","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Yet another compilation of IR chapters from a very western oriented set of authors. There have not been a lot if any mention of contributions of non-western thinkers and scholars to the field of IR. As is such works contribute to the domination of western thinking in international politics. ","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1667,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Mislan","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"International Relations is an edited volume that attempts to cover all of the common themes in an introduction to IR course. On this, it does relatively well. It follows the basic format that most intro texts cover-- it starts with big themes and theories, and then proceeds to contemporary issues. The text lacks a glossary, boldfaced terms, and an index. These three omissions lessen the usability of the text. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy varies from chapter to chapter. One thing I'd like to see is more attention to key concepts in the first few chapters. The book lacks clearly written definitions of terms (e.g. state). Readers can infer definitions from context, however. This is good for a smarter, more experienced reader, but it's a problem for most novice readers. One thing I liked about a few of the chapters was the attempt to incorporate new and non-traditional theories of IR, e.g. critical theory. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"A few of the chapters reference current events or contemporary individuals, and thus will appear dated soon. Other elements are deeply historical and unlikely to need updating anytime soon. Some teaching cases embedded in the chapters were sufficiently historical, so they are won't need updating anytime soon. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Again, the quality of the prose varies from chapter to chapter. There are some stylistic differences (e.g. first person in some, third in others) and more than half of the chapter read like they're transcripts of lectures. In this sense, I don't think that the book is written in a way that's appropriate for a first-year student being introduced to a topic. I understand that IR is interdisciplinary and rooted in the arts and humanities, but I also think that IR can be presented in a straight-forward and clinical way that makes reading and writing on the topic simple and accessible. Starting with boldfaced terms and a glossary would be good. Adding discussion questions at the end of each chapter, as well as a summary of key themes, would greatly help the reader. I suppose that faculty members adopting this book can create their own glossaries and materials. Let's face it, though-- who has time for that? ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Some of the chapters reference concepts and theories in prior chapters. Not all do, however. I think the book would be better if there was a more concerted effort to integrate. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text can be divided up according to one's own schedule. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of this text is nearly identical to all standard IR texts. It begins with some history, quickly moves to theory, and then surveys issues. My chief complaint-- and this is true of most IR texts-- is that the latter third (issues) rarely refers back to concepts and theories. It sends the message to the reader that \"here are these theories, let me show you how irrelevant they are with the rest of this book.) At best, this organization is a missed opportunity. At worst, it works against the basic goal of the course-- to show that the scholarly study of IR is useful. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no major issues. One minor observation is that the left justification seemed to be in different spots from one page to the next. I'm not sure if this is normal for an e-book. It didn't bother me. ","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is fine. There are some basic style issues for some of the authors, though. Some authors rely on run-on sentences and page-long paragraphs. Both of these stylistic errors make it more difficult for students to read and comprehend the text. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't see anything offensive, but I think there could've been more attention paid to non-Western examples. The last chapter was a bit weird, especially the bit about England's legacy for world affairs today.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I think that this book is a good alternative if you're looking to assign a free book. There are definitely better books out there, though. Students learn best when their texts have clear, simple, and accessible organization and prose. This book is, for all intents and purposes, a series of smart introductory lectures. I might not be the smartest guy, but I think that I already deliver smart introductory lectures. So, when I'm looking for a book, I'm looking for a reference guide/companion to my lectures. This book is not that. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1744,"first_name":"Azamat","last_name":"Sakiev","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Pennsylvania State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive in range of concepts it covers. Some topics, however, are dispersed throughout various chapters and could benefit from being looked at in a single section/chapter. The textbook does not provide and index or glossary, but since it is available electronically looking up terms and words of interest is of no difficulty. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears accurate. No major inaccuracies were detected as of this review.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook is up-to-date. The events, concepts and examples used in it are durable enough that it will not need to be regularly updated. Certainly not on an annual basis. The emphasis on concepts rather than smaller current event make it last for several years before needing re-edition.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook reads easily. It flows from chapter to chapter and theme to theme rather seamlessly. It would not be a difficult read for an undergraduate level course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The textbook has a decent consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"As it stands the textbook would require some effort to divide into readable chunks for assignments. I would organize is differently in terms of the chapters. However, when combining various chapters from parts 1 and 2, the reading assignments are coherent. For example, the chapters 8 and 10 cover topics that are usually taught in sequence. Thus, most likely they should be assigned as a combined reading block.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Organization is the one area where I would recommend re-work. As it stands the textbook is rather fragmented. Many chapters could be combined for a more streamlined presentation. Bringing down the number of chapters would also help in fitting the text into a standard 15 week semester long classes (at least in North America). ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The textbook could benefit from some graphic representations. Since the undergraduate audience is the primary target, pictures, graphics and other visual representations would significantly increase the textbooks appeal. It would also enhance its teaching ability.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major comments. As of this reviewing no major grammatical issues detected.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The textbook presents a very euro (western) centric view of the international relations. This is more telling of the state of the IR curriculum, rather than the critique of the text per se. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is a decent textbook. It accomplishes most IR requirements in an open format. As such it is a valuable resources in instances when textbook costs are a prohibitive barrier. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1928,"first_name":"Peter","last_name":"Funke","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While comprehensiveness is not achievable, this edited volume covers main areas of the field. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This is of course always depends on one's perspective but from what I could tell, it seems accurate. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Seems mostly fine although some chapters reference current events, which will be outdated at some point.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Clearly written.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is some referring back to other chapters and topics but there could be more given that it is a textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, it is.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Dozen of ways to do it but it follows a somewhat standard approach. From broader and theoretical debates to issue areas.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues that I could detect.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"It has a somewhat Eurocentric bend as there is little on colonialism or non-western examples or approaches.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"No index but you can search as it is available electronically. A glossary might be helpful.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2031,"first_name":"Boris","last_name":"Barkanov","position":"Teaching assistant professor","institution_name":"West Virginia University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers an impressive range of topics.  However, there is not much on IR theory.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any factual errors. There is some non-standard use of concepts.  For example, the chapter on diplomacy calls the reaction of common alarm in response to the development of nuclear weapons in a previously non-nuclear state a norm (p.25). The more common but contested interpretation is that this is interest in security. This is an important and fruitful area of debate but the chapter does not go into it and there is not enough theory in the book for students to recognize and make sense of it.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is mostly up to date and relevant. More focused and comprehensive discussion of 20th century cases, especially WWI, WWII, and the Cold War, would be useful, at least for American students. Also, I would expect more on the war/crisis in Ukraine (there is no mention of Maidan at all) and contemporary relations with Russia, which are addressed cursorily and from a very obviously Euro-Atlantic security community perspective.\n\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think it is very student friendly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found it consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a strong point. Because of the topical focus, instructors can easily integrate the various chapters into their course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization/structure/flow are fine.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"It would be nice if clicking on a chapter title or page number in the table of contents took you to the chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book tries admirably to include many perspectives and address issues of global relevance. I agree that it reflects views more common among European scholars than in the USA.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I will certainly include some of these chapters as supplements to my intro to IR course.  However, there is not enough theory to be my main text.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2213,"first_name":"Elissa","last_name":"Alzate","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The first section of the book, \"The Basics,\" did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. The first 4 chapters are really foundational for the rest of IR and the rest of the topics in the book, but the information is very cursory. For example, the IR theories are not covered in as much depth as they should be, and the author of that chapter seems to be somewhat dismissive of them. Also, there is no glossary. Each chapter should really end with its own list of sources cited, rather than having one long references section at the end of the book. I would also like to have seen each chapter end with a brief Further Reading list for students interested in the topic of the chapter, particularly since the main chapters in the first section are quite short.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any problems with errors or bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"IR is a discipline that is always changing. Perhaps old information does not become obsolete, but new developments are always happening. The authors of this book did well writing about the topics in a way that it will not become obsolete within a short period of time.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Obviously, with any edited volume, the tone of the book will change from chapter to chapter based on each author's writing style. I found some of the chapters to be written in an incredibly simple way, beneficial for introductory students. Other chapters were not as accessible.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Again, it is difficult with an edited volume to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of terminology, but the editor did a great job of ensuring that the terms and ideas were used consistently across the chapters. This was particularly true since a key theme of the book is that the ideas of IR being international and focused on states is somewhat outdated, shifting to adopt terms such as global, globalisation, and non-state actors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter was well laid out with subheadings.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Some of the topics are presented in an odd order and appeared repetitive across chapters. For example, chapter 2 was really the first substantive chapter in the work, and it was on diplomacy. It would have been nice to get some more introductory concepts from some of the later chapters such as levels of analysis and actors before addressing one particular foreign policy tool. Additionally, the the subject of diplomacy itself was not explained very well or in much depth before the chapter went into quite a bit of detail covering nuclear proliferation, which seems to me to be something that should be discussed after basic concepts are covered.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was fine. There were no interface issues or distractions. Very simple text and outline.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I saw no problems with cultural insensitivity or exclusion of any group. To the contrary, most chapters went out of their way to acknowledge that the traditional conceptions governing IR arose out of the Western tradition.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I wish the first four chapters of the basics section were covered much better. It seems that the editor chose breath over depth. In many ways, this is appropriate for an introductory class, but not when the basic themes and concepts are covered in less detail than the issues. The chapters in Part 2, \"Global Issues,\" were covered in much greater detail. I don't find many of the chapters to be particularly useful for my purposes, but some other instructors might. I did particularly like Chapter 12, \"Connectivity, Communications, and Technology,\" because it discusses things like the internet and internet commerce that relate directly to students' lives. Some of the other chapters did not seem as relevant and might have been better left to a textbook for a higher level IR course.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3100,"first_name":"Xiaowen","last_name":"Zhang","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A wide range of topics are covered. However, there is no index or glossary. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any factual errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Several chapters reference current events heavily, which will need updates soon. However, updates should be relatively easy.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible to beginners, although a glossary would really help.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The frameworks used by the contributors clearly vary a lot. It would be great if at least the issue chapters in the second part are written under the same framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Helpful subheadings throughout. Easy to be divided into smaller reading sections that can be moved around as the instructor sees fit.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Contributors in Part One tried to present the logic behind the flow from one chapter to another, but it is still odd to put a chapter on Diplomacy right after chapter 1 and before the chapter introducing the main actors of IR. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There were no major interface issues other than there are no images/charts. It would help if each chapter is followed with its own references, rather than putting all the references at the end of the book. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Many perspectives are included when issues are being examined. However, it could have included more non-Western perspectives/examples.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I can see myself including some chapters as supplemental reading material to my intro to IR course. However, using it as the primary text for college students in the United States would require a lot of extra work (developing a glossary,discussion questions, finding the images,charts, figures going along with the text, etc.). ","created_at":"2019-07-17T15:06:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-17T15:06:14.000-05:00"},{"id":3180,"first_name":"Stephen","last_name":"Bagwell","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, very comprehensive for an introductory textbook. In my introductory course, I tend to delve a bit deeper into a number of issues, but this textbook overall provides a good framework to build those discussions off of. Still, I'd have liked to see at least a short discussion on the changing nature of global finance in the global political economy chapter- there is a discussion of trade and multinationals which easily transitions into course discussion of GATT/WTO, and FDI, but no mention of sovereign credit or debt, which is by far the most commonly access form of global capital.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors related to accuracy in the book. It was very well researched and proofed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"While some of the specific data will need to be updated (references to the debt/deficit as it stands now, etc), overall the theoretical discussion and the overall structure of the book should enable extended longevity. The updates should be fairly straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Textbooks are never the most gripping reading, but even with advanced knowledge of the material in the book I found it fairly compelling, particularly because of the focus in the second half of the book on global issues. The second half takes the book from \"good\" to \"fantastic\"","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is well put together and I found no issues in regards to consistency in terminology or framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall, each chapter is well written, and each chapter and section has a number of natural breaks. However, the book is written, as it says in the intro, not to be broken up or only have selections assigned. Students should use the book to progress through, which limits the ability of the instructor to structure the course prioritizing different information.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Same as above comment in \"modularity\". Overall, well done, but not much freedom to use a chapter here or there or rearrange chapters to fit the desired flow of the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no navigation problems (the table of contents was accurate). There were no images or charts or other display features, however.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book was written by a large number of individuals with different backgrounds and identities, and it shows: I found no examples that were culturally insensitive or offensive, and found the inclusiveness of the viewpoints brought by the variety of authors to be refreshing.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to adopting this book in the Spring- while there are some issues with the ability to design a course around it (ie the text itself isn't flexible to starting from a different point than the text does), I believe it is worth the effort. We'll see exactly how much effort is required when I begin developing the syllabus for next semester.  While the preface indicates that there are \"no boxes, charts, pictures, or exercises\" because \"these things can be a distraction\", I find that in particular to be counterproductive. The overall narrative is engaging, but including visualizations only helps to keep that engagement, particularly with undergraduates. Additionally, visualizations offer an opportunity to discuss how data is used, often erroneously, by the media or government. Being able to point to good visualizations (charts, in particular) in the textbook would be much more of a strength than a distraction.\r\n\r\nIn all, I like this book, but it could have been made better with a few tweaks. For my purposes, the book is probably about 4.75/5 stars- as good or better than many existing textbooks, and close enough to the best textbooks to justify the switch given my desire to adopt open access educational resources.","created_at":"2019-10-10T11:55:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-10T11:55:22.000-05:00"},{"id":3215,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"McNeal","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"International Relations, Stephen McGlinchy, ed.\r\nA book review for the Open Textbook Library\r\nBy Michael J. McNeal, Ph.D.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tStephen McGlinchy, et. al. provide students of international relations a broad and substantive introduction to the discipline. McGlinchy has organized the chapter contributions in a sensible and accessible manner that succeeds in covering all of the major subjects and themes of the discipline. \r\n\tMcGlitchy’s volume is comprehensive thematically, but certain sections would have benefited from deeper and more sustained analysis, for instance in the section on International Relations Theory. The content is accurate and given the general relevance of the text to the subjects covered the text should enjoy a fair degree of longevity.\r\n\tIn the first chapter, The Making of the Modern World, by Eric Ringmar, the emergence of the norm of sovereignty is examined as a foundational development toward the Westphalian system of nation-states that emerged in Europe. Ringmar then focuses upon how this system was universalized over centuries via European imperialist conquests and colonialism. He then explicates how the resulting international system that is with us today operates and persists according to the post-war institutional framework for cooperation and conflict resolution.\r\n\tMcGlinchy himself authors chapter two, taking up the issue of diplomacy through a number of illustrative cases. In the first case he examines efforts to regulate and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, including the recent case of Iran. He provides an overview of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its diminution in recent years. The second case he focuses on is that of the 1979–1980 Iranian hostage crisis, the transformation of U.S. – Iranian relations in its wake and the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran in the future. \r\n\tCarmen Gebhard provides an introduction to the levels of analysis method of international relations theorizing. This chapter covers the individual, group, state, and systems levels of analysis and the implication of it for comprehending international relations. She also explicates the ways in which the levels of analysis framework determines the findings of researchers working in IR, as well as how it affects and is effected by the evolving ambitions of the discipline.\r\n\tThe fourth chapter, which introduces international relations theory, is co-authored by Dana Gold and Stephen McGlitchy. They begin with a helpful introduction to the particular use of terms in IR theory, then proceed to define each of the “traditional” theories of liberalism and realism that have long dominated the discipline. Insufficient attention is given to the “more modern versions” of these traditions, namely neoliberalism and neorealism, which have prevailed over roughly the last four decades. They move into the so-called “middle ground” (their phrase) in assessing the consequence of the English School of IR theory, before examining Constructivism. The overview of the Critical Theory school starts with Marxism, proceeds to Feminism, moves on to Poststructural thought in IR. The chapter then employs each theoretical framework to assess by the lights of each theory, respectively, the United Nations. This is an effective exercise, but ultimately does not compensate, as it were, for what are rather insubstantial explications of the IR theories themselves.\r\n\tChapter five, written by Knut Traisbach, introduces public international law. It covers the UN system, legal treaties, intergovernmental and the global organizations that since the Second World War have provided for the international legal regime we now enjoy. It begins with the contents of international law, including the aim of preserving international order and providing for greater justice in foreign affairs between states. The chapter also contends with the laws of peace, and international humanitarian law, including the related laws of war. Traisbach traces the development of international law from its complete absence, to the patchwork of laws characterizing the nascent regime, to the semblance of global governance provided by international law today. \r\n\tShazelina Z. Abidin contributes the sixth chapter, on International Organizations. The differences between and respective functions of inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations is explicated. The author begins with the UN and moves through a clear description of the forms governmental organizations take, their geographical limitations, and their various aims are examined. The purpose and function of non-governmental organizations are similarly examined. The chapter then takes up hybrid organizations examining the ways in which certain agencies cooperate with formally collaborate with governments throughout the world. Finally, the chapter concludes by illuminating the ways in which international organizations shape the world.\r\n\tThe remaining chapter contributions include introductions to a broad range of important but more specific subjects, including global political economy, religion and culture, global poverty and wealth, protecting people, giving people a voice, communications technology, terrorism, the environment, hunger, global security, and a concluding chapter on “doing IR” in a relevant way in the contemporary world.\r\n\tIn conclusion, the text McGlinchey’s introductory level International Relations volume is clear, and the writing is well edited. While it employs British spelling and phrasing in places, this should enhance the experience of American students for whom it is unfamiliar. The book’s chapters, while authored by different contributors, are consistently edited, giving the text a high degree of consistency. The respective sections of the text can also be assigned separately. The organization, structure, and flow of the text are effective, and assigning the sections in a different order would not be detrimental to this. Finally, the text is sufficiently sensitive in cultural terms, and should present no issues to educators who assign it.\r\n\r\n","created_at":"2019-10-24T22:36:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-24T22:36:09.000-05:00"},{"id":3370,"first_name":"George","last_name":"Amedee","position":"Professor","institution_name":"SUNO","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very comprehensive. It clearly covers all of the major themes, theories, concepts and trends in an extremely dynamic subject matters. It does well in covering traditional, enduring, and emerging issues and problems in international relations. The most recent emergence of the IR world Post Trump is the addressed in this text,especially with respect to the recent threats to NATO. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"For the most part, the book is accurate and error free. However, it addresses early in the book  the historical existence of  pre-state areas in a European context only. Some scholars might prefer to also understand the nature of government in lands,  territories and empires prior to the emergence of \"the state\" in the context of other non-European pre-states. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is extremely up to date. I believe this is because book is more of a reader with many scholars focusing on a specific area of IR. Sometimes with one or two writers the content can be limited by the writers knowledge and interest. Each write in this book obviously bring considerable in depth, current  knowledge about the special subject in IR. The basics Of IR are covered and most modern global Issues are addressed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly and  at a level that undergraduate college students should have no problems There is no assumption that the reader has been exposed to the field of IR.  Every major facet of IR is covered in clearly written terms. The jargon and technical terminology used is clearly defined in language accessible to our students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text has a strong internal consistency. I begins with basics of defining key terms and the historical context of IR. It then focuses on helping the reader to understand the various principle and theories, structure, key actors, and international organizations both state and nonstate . Most of the historical and contemporary issues, challenges, and problems then flow in the ensuing chapters addressing major issues one at a time. . ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The division of the text into smaller readings sections is fairly good. However, headings are good but most students are aided by vignettes, tables, graphs are other pictures that bridge the gap between words and pictures that help to further help to absorb the context of the readings. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a very logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In this case, the book can benefit from an interface with images, charts and other displays that would further the readers understanding of the key concepts, structures, and institutions and there role in IR. Also, most books also provide a multiplicity of weblinks and other online sources throughout each chapter. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text did not appear to have major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Overall, the book is not culturally insensitive. As mentioned previously, the inclusion pre-state history that focus on Europe only, makes one wonder about areas outside of Europe.  Beyond that introduction of the advent of sovereign state, the book goes on to address the  international global condition satisfactorily encompassing all regions and peoples.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Obviously, I am excited about using this book to teach my class in International Relations. The writers of each chapter appear to cover all of the themes that have been traditionally a part of IR and frankly have made major steps in incorporating today's issues as such connectivity, technology and cyberissues, terrorism, religion and culture factors, climate and environmental  and the emergence of new power bases in Asia and the Mideast. Of course, I have already begun researching supplemental material in the form of pictures, graphs, weblinks to supplement this outstanding reading. ","created_at":"2019-12-12T14:01:02.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-12T14:01:02.000-06:00"},{"id":4434,"first_name":"Abigail","last_name":"Post","position":"Assistant Professor of Political Science and National Security","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I would not classify this as a comprehensive text of introductory international relations. It misses some key components, the most obvious being interstate and intrastate war. My sense is that this omission emerges from its European perspective. In the United States, we still include segments on the causes, conduct, and consequences of both interstate (between states) and intrastate (within state) wars in our introductory IR courses. These text's underlying theme (obvious though never explicitly stated) is that of globalization as a cause of peace.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not identify any factual inaccuracies, although I would have liked more frequent citations. Since I use introductory courses to introduce students to basic research and citations procedures, I like texts that are very good at this.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors make a concentrated effort to make this text relevant to twenty-first century politics. Unfortunately, its relevance (like the relevance of so many political science textbooks) will take a hit due to the global pandemic. Its underlying, yet subtle, theme is that of globalization, and globalization has taken a hit with the pandemic.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The authors are clear in their presentation but they have watered down their approach so much that the text lacks conceptual clarity. Many key terms (anarchy, balance of power, collective action) are introduced but in an ad-hoc fashion. I imagine that it would be difficult for students to figure out what points were important to focus on. It's easy to read, however.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"In general, the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework, although inevitably multiple authors get repetitive.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is quite self-referential at first. That being said, I think that the chapters on international organizations and the environment would be two excellent standalone chapters that I could assign in any of my classes. The first 3-4 chapters were too interconnected. The editor himself argues that the text should be read in order in the \"Getting Started Section.\"","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I could not understand the organization of the chapters. I believe it is because the editor did not set out a clear organizing theme for the test. As I mentioned earlier, the underlying theme seems to be that of globalization. However, this concept does not explicitly organize the text, making it difficult to grasp the main points. The current IR text I use (World Politics by Frieden, Lake, and Schultz) is far superior on this point – but they are so expensive!","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The only downside is lack of index, which I presume is a costly endeavor. However, the text does not include images/charts, so the text is relatively easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any typos, but the authors used informal/casual writing that I ban my undergraduates from using. For examples, the authors used the trite writing crutch: “It is important....” Several of the authors used contractions (didn't, isn't, etc.), which I forbid my students to use. I worry that assigning this text might teach bad writing habits.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There was nothing at all offensive about this book, but people should be aware that it is a European-worldview IR text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a basic introductory text that to my mind holds promise. However, it requires a more explicit and systematic theoretical/conceptual framework to operate as a stand-alone text for an Introduction to IR class. I will, unfortunately, not be adopting this text as I had hoped.","created_at":"2020-12-04T13:07:39.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-04T13:07:39.000-06:00"},{"id":4440,"first_name":"Sahil","last_name":"Mathur","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the academic field of International Relations (IR), any textbook on the subject is bound to be lacking in some aspects. Despite the daunting task it takes on, this textbook does an impressive job of covering a range of topics that form the focus of scholarly inquiry in the field. Part One provides excellent, succinct overviews of the fundamentals, or “basics,” of the field, while Part Two delves into specific global issues of contemporary importance. As an introductory, “day-zero” IR text, the book provides readers with enough detail to kindle curiosity, without overburdening them with a flood of information. A minor criticism, however, is that some chapters in Part Two do not adequately tie the discussion of the issue to concerns and debates in IR.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general, the book presents accurate accounts of the key themes in IR, from a range of perspectives. Several chapters use case studies and examples—accurately described—to illustrate complex ideas and abstract concepts. While some individual chapters might appear biased toward a particular lens (e.g., a US- or Western-centric view of the world), other chapters present contrasting perspectives, thereby according the book with a semblance of overall balance. As an introductory textbook, the book is composed of considerably simplified narratives. In a couple of rare instances, the simplified presentation might be construed as inaccurate or, at least, controversial. However, these are almost always on deeply contested issues in the field; interested readers could consult other sources for more nuanced analyses.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook’s content is up to date in two ways: the topics explored in Part Two (“Global Issues”) are contemporary, pressing problems in international relations, and the case studies peppered throughout are largely drawn from recent, relevant events. Most, but not all, chapters are designed to first briefly introduce the topic or concept, followed by illustrative cases to help the readers’ comprehension. This design makes the text adaptable for updated editions, as newer cases could be added. Individual chapters also work as standalone pieces, thereby facilitating easy addition (or removal) of chapters on particular global issues, if required.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is generally written in a conversational tone, doing a good job of explaining the substantive content of each chapter in a simple manner. The prose is lucid and accessible. A handy “Getting Started” section prior to the first chapter guides the reader on how to navigate the text, elaborating on some of the field’s jargon—which is used sparingly—as well as on the use of academic citations. A couple of the chapters, however, appear to assume some prior subject knowledge on the part of the reader; while written clearly, the narratives in these chapters may not be as simple as a basic text would demand.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Insofar as the chapters construct the fundamental building blocks of IR, the book is internally consistent. While the chapters generally avoid jargon, the terms used reflect the scholarly language of the field. Consistency in terms of chapter format, however, is lacking. Some chapters make effective use of case studies, but others do not employ cases as an explanatory technique. Some chapters are simplified to the level of an introductory textbook, while others use formal academic prose. Some chapters tie the conversation to broader debates in IR better than others. Perhaps the biggest inconsistency is quality: some chapters, especially chapter 11 on “Protecting People,” stand out as sharp and clear—a highwater mark for pedagogical effectiveness. But not every chapter presents as concise and comprehensive a picture of the topic as might be desired.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While the text provides a good picture of the field overall, each chapter covers a distinct topic or issue and stands on its own. Further, the chapters make effective use of subheadings to present the material, while remaining coherent. Moreover, each chapter begins with a few sentences tying it to the preceding chapter(s). Individual chapters can, therefore, be easily assigned for specific course subunits, without losing any of the book’s broader context. This is especially useful given the previously noted inconsistency in quality across chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The broad organization of the text into “The Basics” (Part One) and “Global Issues” (Part Two) and the sequencing of the chapters in Part One are logical. Part Two, on the other hand, can come across as a set of issues put together in no particular order. Greater effort to align the discussion within Part Two’s chapters to the basic themes elaborated in Part One might have improved the book’s organization. While the standalone quality of the chapters on global issues ensures modularity, it also serves as a dent in the book’s logical organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text’s interface is remarkably simple: just plain, narrative text (with references). There are no images, charts, or boxes; rather, case studies serve as illustration. While one might fault the textbook for not having a “catchy” appearance, its simple presentation ensures minimal distraction for the reader. Indeed, the accessible and conversational, yet informative and interesting, narrative style serves to distinguish the text from other introductory IR textbooks.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no major presentation errors in the book. Minor errors are rare (I caught two). Aside from these exceedingly rare instances, the book has undergone a thorough editing and proofing process, thereby minimizing distraction from the content.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book makes an effort to include a diversity of perspectives in IR, reflecting the theoretical and empirical diversity that the field is striving toward. In its relatively short chapters, it manages to introduce readers to both traditional and critical perspectives. Examples are drawn from different parts of the world. Despite these efforts, there remains much scope for further diversity: even as case illustrations from the Global South are present, Western examples still form the majority. The Eurocentric nature of the first chapter (albeit, with a degree of self-awareness from the author) can be transformed to offer a more global perspective as the book’s foundational stone. The book could have also strived for—and consequently benefitted from—greater diversity among the chapter authors, who are overwhelmingly from the West.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is currently the sole open-access textbook in the field of IR, and promises to expose significant numbers of prospective students of IR to an informed, academic introduction to and assessment of the field. While no basic textbook could possibly cover the vast and diverse landscape that is IR, this text makes a sincere attempt to balance breadth and depth. Future editions of the book would benefit from further diversifying the set of authors; including more contemporary, pressing global issues (such as, for example, the rise of China); and streamlining the structure of individual chapters to follow a common, pedagogically effective standard.","created_at":"2020-12-06T18:20:17.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-06T18:20:17.000-06:00"},{"id":4467,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Allendoerfer","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"The George Washington University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a very wide and comprehensive set of topics in a concise way.  There are many topics that I don't typically cover in an Intro to IR course but that I could see being interesting to students (e.g. technology, food) and the short chapters mean the students could quickly gain insights into those topics.  However, compared to other introduction to International Relations textbooks, the treatment of conflict and explanations of war is not as comprehensive as I would need for an Introduction to IR course.  I think as an overview of the discipline the book would work well, but would likely need supplemental material - especially with respect to interstate war and international political economy - to fully flesh out an Intro to IR course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and error-free.  I also think it does a good job being unbiased.  I especially appreciate the efforts to highlight ways the discipline of IR is traditionally taught from a Western perspective, why that is problematic, and to point out differing perspectives.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I believe the book is very relevant and up-to-date but not in a way that would make it obsolete.  The treatment of the various topics integrates both historical and contemporary cases in a way that makes it relevant without too tied to the publication date.  I think the aspects that are current could easily be updated without a complete overhaul of the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I appreciate the readability of the book.  The author avoids jargon and presents the ideas in a way that I think undergraduates would find compelling and accessible.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, the book's flow is consistent.  I do wish there was a more explicit organizing principle or thread throughout the book that you often find in introductory textbooks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can stand alone. It will be easy to assign single chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is logical and given the modularity of the text, instructors who adopt the book could easily change the order if needed for their purposes.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that I noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As mentioned above, I appreciate that the book acknowledges the ways that IR as a discipline traditionally takes a Western approach.  The author takes many steps towards pointing that out and incorporating different perspectives.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this book will work well alongside other materials.  I believe the accessibility will be refreshing for undergraduate students new to the field of IR and I appreciate the different perspectives the book brings with various authors.  Because the chapters can each stand alone, I think it's a great resource for instructors to be able to assign one or a few chapters to supplement other materials in the course.","created_at":"2020-12-17T08:53:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-17T08:53:35.000-06:00"},{"id":33485,"first_name":"Hakseon","last_name":"Lee","position":"Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is pretty much comprehensive. \r\n\r\nPossibly, below stuffs can be added: democratic peace theory, capitalist peace theory, domestic audience costs, power transition theory, etc.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Yes, they provide accurate information and I could not find misinformation.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Highly relevant, but, of course, the most recent IR events (e.g., the evolution of US foreign policy during the Trump and the Biden Administrations, etc.) are not covered. \r\n\r\nIn an intro IR class, instructors may assign readings from Foreign Affairs or Foreign Policy to cover the most recent events in IR. Thus, not necessarily a critical issue.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Mostly yes, materials are clearly written. \r\n\r\nPossibly, a glossary can be provided at the end of book so that students can refer to definitions of main terms easily.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It's an edited textbook written by multiple authors, and not necessarily perfectly consistent in depicting/describing historical events or explaining theories. \r\n\r\nStill, I believe it's highly consistent, and any small discrepancy across authors would not generate any confusion to students. Actually, students would even appreciate the fact that IR scholars may have distinctive views/perspectives on historical/current events in IR.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It's great to have two main parts (i.e., the basics and global issues, respectively), and 18 chapters can be easily covered in a semester by instructors' own class schedules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think each chapter is very well organized. Some chapters have too many subsections, but I found undergraduate students usually prefer short paragraphs with single terms/concepts to longer paragraphs with multiple terms/concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I don't think it has an interface issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No specific error I've found. \r\n\r\nSome authors are from the UK and they use British English, not American English. It's simply natural and not an issue at all.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I don't think it has culturally offensive parts. Still, some materials (e.g., religion, colonialism, etc.) could be better served if instructors provide/explain fundamental values of DEI in all human communities/societies as they cover culture issues in IR.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think it's pretty much well written and organized. It can be easily adopted as an Intro IR textbook in any English-speaking college/university in the world. \r\n\r\nOf course, it's not a perfect IR textbook, but there's no \"perfect\" textbook, either. Experienced instructors should be able to provide additional and supplementary readings (i.e., academic journal articles, relevant websites, etc.) via institutions' own library database that are free to students.","created_at":"2021-11-26T16:48:14.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-26T16:48:14.000-06:00"},{"id":33668,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Asaadi","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Part One of the text lays out the basic building blocks that one would expect to find in an introductory international relations textbook, and then in Part Two the authors compellingly explore these concepts across a wide range of relevant global issues.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and the analysis reflects in-depth consideration of the theories, concepts, and case studies presented.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and incorporates both canonical and contemporary case studies in its explication of the material. The text builds on foundational case studies and then applies this knowledge to the contemporary period.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and concise. The text is appropriate to a lower-division undergraduate level student.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Both the terminology and framework of the chapters is internally consistent. The organization of the text results in clarity and presents logically arranged ideas to support a comprehensive, cohesive portrait of the discipline for the introductory level.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters make effective use of section headings and the text is easily and readily divisible. Instructors using this text will find that it is flexible and that sections can be assigned at different points within the course. Chapters function effectively either as stand-alone treatments of their topics or as complements with other chapters. For instance, assigning one chapter from Part One of the text ('The Basics') along with one chapter from Part Two of the text ('Global Issues') would usefully blend the more theoretically, abstract discussion of topics in Part One with the more detailed, case-specific treatment in Part Two.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Related ideas are well-grouped and the presentation of topics is logical and clear.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text does not suffer from problems with navigation, image distortion, or other interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Sentence structure and grammar are excellent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The examples are cross-cultural in scope and the the text is culturally sensitive in treatment of its topics.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-01-27T14:26:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-01-27T14:26:51.000-06:00"},{"id":34532,"first_name":"Corina","last_name":"Ladd","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Many reviewers have noted that the book doesn't talk about war.  This is incorrect.  The chapter on protecting people is really about war and civil war presented in a novel way.  The chapter on Pax Americana is also about security.  There should be more discussion of the causes of wars and civil wars, however.   In addition,  the chapter on the making of the modern world suggests that the European colonies copied the European ideas of how to run a country.  This is a huge oversimplification of the system of colonization and the history of countries post-colonization.  In addition, the textbook does not talk about dictatorship and human rights violations, and the global response.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is inaccurate mostly because it's separate chapters allow each author to condense huge topics into a very short space","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"The 2016 free edition can be used as a textbook but the textbook has been updated, but the update is no longer free.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is extraordinarily free of jargon and the international relations vocabulary that is generally used in IR textbooks.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has a separate author but it does begin by making a connection to other chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is very short and can be assigned at different points within the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"While the first chapter downplays the harms done by colonization, the chapter on poverty discusses colonization as one of the causes of global poverty.  The chapter on food insecurity has a \"bottom up perspective\" that gives examples from everyday life in a number of countries and is designed to draw in readers rather than overwhelm them with global statistics.  It is more like a reader on International Relations topics and has chapter that are not in a number of standard texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As I have said in previous comments, the first chapter is quite insensitive, but others are much more inclusive.  The chapter on the internet and devices includes examples from many countries, giving students a wider perspective on the world.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Peter Vale's chapter with personal reflections on the field of IR would make a good starting chapter for a course in lieu of the 1st chapter of this book.","created_at":"2023-04-29T11:27:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-04-29T11:27:39.000-05:00"},{"id":34939,"first_name":"Yi Edward","last_name":"Yang","position":"Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is divided into two parts.  The first part introduces the readers to the conceptual and analytical building blocks of international relations.  The second part applies the above building blocks to discuss and assess relevant global issues.  Taken together, this text provides a comprehensive coverage of topics expected in a typical undergraduate introductory international relations/global politics offered in North American colleges/universities.  The free version of the text was last updated in 2016 – some major global development emerged since then, e.g., the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising tension between China and the United States, are not covered. The text lacks a glossary and an index due to cost as explained at the end of the text.  These omissions however pose significant challenges to effective students learning.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text is in general accurate and free of errors.  However, the analytical angle is still very Western-centric.  One necessary expansion is to include non-Western international relations theories/frameworks/examples consistently throughout the text.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This text clearly needs major update to include new issues/cases since it was last published in 2016.  The structure of the text allows for relatively easy updates.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This text, although contributed by various authors, is written clearly, which makes it accessible to students in introductory courses.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The chapters, although written by multiple authors, are generally consistent in length and style. However, the is a lack of coherent presentation style/format across the chapters.  Some chapters were written in a very simple way which is fitting to students from non-political science/international relations backgrounds.  While others were written in more serious tones filled with more scholarly jargons – clearly meant for students majoring or minoring in political science/international affairs.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can be assigned alone.  Also, content with each chapter is organized by subheadings which allows parts of each chapter to be assigned.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is logical given how the authors approach the themes/topics.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"No interface issues, particularly since this text is free of any charts/graphs/images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn't find anything culturally offensive.  But as aforementioned, the text would benefit from more non-Western theories/frameworks/examples.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"A good barebone introductory international relations book that covers all the basics.  It is good for the students since it is free.  It does require the instructors to do a lot additional work to update issues/examples/cases and collect non-text content.","created_at":"2024-03-18T12:28:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-03-18T12:28:50.000-05:00"},{"id":35665,"first_name":"Huei-Jyun","last_name":"Ye","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Wabash College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers a wide range of topics, from international relations theory, international laws, to poverty, human rights, terrorism, and the environment. It offers a lot for instructors to build on. However, some topics that I typically cover in the introduction to international relations are missing in the book: conflict, foreign policy analysis, domestic politics of international relations, trade, and the international monetary system.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and clear.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is the 2017 free version. The author provides a link to the 2022 updated version, but only chapter 2 is free to download. I’d recommend the digital resources in the “extensive online area” on the 2022 website. The cases and examples illustrated in the book are still helpful, but instructors will have to provide the updated information on top of the textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is reader-friendly. As an introductory-level textbook, the content is clear, simple, and straightforward. There isn’t any jargon, as far as I noticed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Structurally, the chapters are consistent. Although this textbook does not highlight key terms (boldfaced) and provide definitions separately, I do not find inconsistent wording.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The length of each chapter is reasonable. There are also subheadings within each chapter that allow students to notice the shift in focus. Each chapter also does not contain a large amount of information, which makes it more flexible for instructors to assign one or multiple topics together.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"If students use the PDF version, I’d say the chapters in Part Two can be tied in a different order. For example, I’d put “Global Poverty and Wealth” and “Feeding the World” together rather than several chapters apart. However, this is not a big issue if students use the web version.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The PDF file – It’s okay to use it as a usual PDF for annotation, bookmarks, etc. However, I prefer the web version because it breaks down the chapters into different pages. Students may find “shorter readings” more acceptable and be intimidated by the long PDF. I would wish to have the chapter structure on the side of the web version so readers can jump to other sections from the menu. Right now, readers need to return to the table of contents to get an overview of the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I don’t notice any.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I don’t notice any.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is a good book for introductory-level courses that “introduce” what has happened in the world (and in history). This may be a good fit for Gen-Ed-style international relations courses. However, it does not provide an overarching analytical framework that teaches students “how” to understand or analyze international relations. For an intro-level class targeting political science majors, instructors might have to provide more in-depth content. Also, this book does not include any visuals (tables or figures) that typically help students understand the content.","created_at":"2025-11-07T13:52:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-11-07T13:52:12.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/international-relations?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:05:58.000-05:00"},{"id":838,"title":"Community Resilience to Climate Change: Theory, Research and Practice","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This reader is an Open Educational Resource, meant to accompany a graduate or higher-level undergraduate university course in climate change resilience, adaptation, and/or planning. While the material is geared toward students in urban and regional planning, it may also be of interest to students of urban studies, public health, geography, political science, sociology, risk management, and others. Each section of this volume includes (1) an introductory summary, (2) a reading list with full text articles, (3) student exercises meant to enhance understanding and facilitate in-class discussion, and (4) additional discussion prompts or activities for instructors to use in class. The format of materials is intended to convey key concepts, while leaving ample space for student exploration, discourse, and creativity. Lessons may culminate in an applied, imaginative final project, a sample framework of which is provided at the end of Section VI.","contributors":[{"id":5153,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Dana","middle_name":"E.","last_name":"Hellman","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Dana E. Hellman, Portland State University"},{"id":5154,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Vivek","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Shandas","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Vivek Shandas, Portland State University"}],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":817,"url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/25/","year":2020,"created_at":"2020-06-25T10:13:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-25T10:13:12.000-05:00","name":"Portland State University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":1466,"type":"PDF","url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/25/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2174,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/pdxopen/25/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":34971,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Fong","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides climate change research from all over the world and includes research from the very beginning of climate change research. Overall, the text provides a thorough analysis of the research findings, discusses their implications, and suggests avenues for future research. It covers various aspects of the study, including methodology, results, and potential limitations, making it a comprehensive discussion of the topic at hand.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate as it includes research that shows robust methodology. The text is presented accurately and responsibly. The text acknowledges limitations and exposes potential limitations for transparency. The text references previous studies from many years to support its claims and contextualize the findings. This demonstrates an attempt to align the research with existing knowledge in the field.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant as it addresses methodological considerations and limitations in measuring multiple aspects of climate change. The research is up to date as of 2020 and includes some research from that year. The text includes numerous studies from 2019 from all over the world.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written at a college level reading level, perhaps masters level. The text details complex concepts and communicates them clearly and effectively. The text includes detailed explanations of concepts to support reader comprehension. The text does include numerous instances of very technical terminology with the complex science of climate change, but the text does a good job of providing context for understanding to help make the text accessible for the reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent and uses appropriate terminology throughout to ensure coherence and clarity. While the book is composed of articles written by various authors, the organization of the articles in sections unites the articles into topics.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The articles are organized into sections to provide the reader with groups of articles. The book could be used for individual articles or sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very organized text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues or navigation problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors present.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book provides exploration of urban and rural environments all over the world and the effects of climate change.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, the text provides a comprehensive and insightful discussion of the evolving nature and science of climate change. Additionally, the historical exploration of urban climate studies and policy responses adds depth to the discussion, highlighting the long-standing relationship between cities and climate dynamics.\r\n\r\nThe text maintains clarity through its logical structure, consistent terminology, and in-depth explanations. It effectively transitions between discussing current challenges and historical antecedents, providing a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter.\r\n\r\nMoreover, the text's emphasis on the need for integrating historical perspectives into contemporary discussions about climate resilience and policy underscores the importance of contextualizing current efforts within a broader historical framework.\r\n\r\nOverall, the text offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between cities, rural, and other environments and climate change, making it a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners working in the field of sustainability and climate resilience.","created_at":"2024-04-01T01:46:51.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-01T01:46:51.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/community-resilience-to-climate-change-theory-research-and-practice-hellman?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:06:53.000-05:00"},{"id":870,"title":"Introduction to Human Geography","edition_statement":"2nd Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2018,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Geography is a diverse discipline that has some sort of connection to most every other academic discipline. This connection is the spatial perspective, which essentially means if a phenomenon can be mapped, it has some kind of relationship to geography. Studying the entire world is a fascinating subject, and geographical knowledge is fundamental to a competent understanding of our world. In this chapter, you will learn what geography is as well as some of the fundamental concepts that underpin the discipline. These fundamental terms and concepts will be interwoven throughout the text, so a sound understanding of these topics is critical as you delve deeper into the chapters that follow.","contributors":[{"id":5213,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Ph.D","first_name":"David","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Dorrell","location":"Georgia Gwinnett College","background_text":"David Dorrell"},{"id":5214,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":"Ph.D","first_name":"Joseph","middle_name":"P.","last_name":"Henderson","location":"Georgia Gwinnett College","background_text":"Joseph P. Henderson"}],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":849,"url":"https://web.ung.edu/media/university-press/human-geography.pdf?t=1589910836516","year":2019,"created_at":"2020-07-05T13:35:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-01-19T14:02:41.000-06:00","name":"University of North Georgia Press"}],"formats":[{"id":1523,"type":"PDF","url":"https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/geo-textbooks/2/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2291,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Human-Geography-David-Dorrell/dp/1940771609/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=introduction+to+human+geography+david+dorrell\u0026qid=1554992806\u0026s=gateway\u0026sr=8-1-spell","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2292,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/geo-textbooks/2/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":6,"reviews":[{"id":5083,"first_name":"TUBA","last_name":"KAYAARASI","position":"INSTRUCTOR","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There are thirteen chapters. Each chapter focuses on a subdiscipline of human geography. However the chapters are not as comprehensive as a regular human geography textbook. Most of the relevant theory for each subdiscipline of human geography is covered, but  postmodern geographic theory is missing.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There are no major errors that I noticed. It looks unbias. It presents multiple perspectives.  However it does not use enough information from different sources.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most data that is used for each chapter is up-to-date. The text can be easily updated as the editions change. However it might be difficult to update maps and images.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written with a clear language. It is easy to follow the content. Even if English is not the first language of a student, the theory and concepts can be understood easily.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is arranged in a way that is consistent. Chapters are introduced with chapter outlines and student learning outcomes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into various chapters. Each chapter has subtitles with small reading sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure of the book is very well organized. The order of the chapters are logical, follows one another. It helps connect one topic to another.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There is good amount of images inserted in to the text. Images are small but easy to read. Images make content easy to understand.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"English is my second language. It is hard for me to evaluate the grammatical mistakes. I have noticed no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Most chapters are written with great cultural sensitivity. Examples that are provided are inclusive of a variety of backgrounds. However the book could include a chapter on cultural geography that focuses on issues of identity, such as gender and sexuality. Also there could be more cultural examples from various parts of the world. Most of the examples that are provided are from North America.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is an average quality textbook for an open resource. The book is formatted in a way that it is easy to read for first year college course. The content is easy to follow for students who do not have prior knowledge on the topic.","created_at":"2021-06-13T08:20:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-13T08:20:58.000-05:00"},{"id":5111,"first_name":"Dimitar","last_name":"Dimitrov","position":"Geography Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a comprehensive introduction to the traditional topics in human geography and covers all areas and concepts appropriately. Each chapter starts with Student Learning Outcomes and Chapter Outline sections, and ends up with two very helpful to the students sections – Key Terms Defined and Works Consulted and Further Reading. Most of the chapters have also Summary sections. The text is illustrated with maps, tables and figures, but the use of these illustrative materials should be more balanced between the chapters. Chapter 5 The Geography of Language for example, contains only one map, whereas in the following chapter (about religions) the reading material is supported with 13 maps. Some of the maps are from 2015 and need updating.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn’t find any inaccurate information. The text is unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is up to date. Due to the constantly changing subject matter of human geography the examples, the maps, and the figures in all of the chapters should be updated every three or four years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clearly written and easily understandable even for students who are encountering the basics of human geography for the first time.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent in terms of structure, terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are arranged by topics, and each chapter is organized into smaller reading sections that can be easily assigned for individual or group work. Most of the chapters include short introductions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized in 13 chapters, each one covering a specific topic. The flow is traditional for human geography texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn’t find any interface issues. Also, the textbook is easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors when reviewing the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t find any offensive language or culturally insensitive issues. All of the races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds are addressed with respect.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook entirely meets my expectations for an OER in the field of human geography.","created_at":"2021-06-16T16:07:46.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-16T16:07:46.000-05:00"},{"id":5141,"first_name":"Margaret","last_name":"Stephens","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Community College of Philadelphia","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides comprehensive coverage suitable for an introductory human/cultural geography course. The Student Learning Outcomes, Chapter Outlines, maps, tables and graphs are useful guides for reading online or in print. The supplemental resources/further reading sections (Works Consulted and Further Reading) are helpful for students or instructors who want to delve more deeply. At the end of each chapter, Key Terms Defined offers easy reference and a good way for students to build vocabulary and facility with terminology. It would be helpful to include a comprehensive glossary at the end of the book, along with a full index. Sample Questions, exercises and slides accompany each chapter. Instructors can use them as they are or revise as they see fit.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and avoids value judgments and bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and up to date. It includes a sufficient amount of comparative information from a broad spectrum of regions and cultures, something that many texts do not provide. The organizational structure facilitates incorporating new and timely information without requiring major revision to the text. Research, data and examples from current events can be added as appropriate.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, concise, free of unnecessary jargon and suitable for an introductory course. Terminology from the discipline is defined and introduced in context, often using illustrative examples. The language is not complicated, overly academic or excessively wordy.  For courses that are more rigorous are for majors, instructors may wish to provide additional readings from research or professional publications.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are consistent in language, structure, organization and flow. It appears to be edited well for internal consistency.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sequence of topics and chapter structure readily allow for course material to be presented in different order or modular units. The text avoids excessive self-references. While the text illuminates connections among fundamental geographic concepts, the information in each chapter is presented so that it does not require reading in sequence.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topic sequence is logical. Further, it can be adapted easily for courses that present information in a different order or thematic arrangement.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface or navigation issues of concern. As one would expect, there may be slight differences in page numbers and display of graphics depending on the format selected (e.g. PDF vs Word, online or print).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No obvious grammatical errors were detected.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text presents information in a culturally sensitive way. It does not convey value judgment or questionable cultural comparisons. It offers a variety of examples featuring different races, ethnicities and backgrounds. The text could include links to supplementary resources to expand these further.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a sound, suitable choice for introductory human geography courses. It presents the basic information that instructors can supplement easily if they choose to cover specific topics in more depth. A few areas that might be included or expanded as the materials are revised: gender and identity; examples or features about research methods, current research and careers related to geography; references to multimedia on geographic topics.","created_at":"2021-06-24T09:09:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-24T09:09:50.000-05:00"},{"id":33634,"first_name":"Serena","last_name":"St. Clair","position":"Adjunct Faculty (formerly full time faculty-retired)","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Human Geography is a dynamic subject because of the changes the world experiences in culture, climate, communication, and politics.  As someone who has been teaching this course for several decades and used at least six different texts (including subsequent editions), the topics in this course continue to evolve.  Intro to Human Geography provides all the traditional topics typically covered in textbooks for this subject/course.  It is a challenge to keep all the material relevant and current. \r\n\r\nThere is an omission of \"Gender\"  in Chapter Seven that has become a standard in most texts when discussing Identity: \r\n Ethnicity and Race.  Chapter 12: Human Settlements addresses Urban topics but does not address Urban Planning with a more comprehensive foundation for students who may choose land use or urban planning for further study or careers.  Chapter Ten: Agriculture discusses many aspects of food access to communities but did not mention in the chapter or under \"Key Terms Defined\" the idea of a \"food desert\" which is an important concept to understand as a Geographer.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Dorrell et. al, text was accurate in that it leads the reader through all the important topics that make up the basics in the study of Human Geography.  They cover the basic concepts consistent with the subject.  The chapters are all relatively short (20-25 pages of content) therefore the depth of ideas is not present in the text.  The information provided was accurate and learning outcomes are consistent with other HG textbooks.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the challenge for writing a textbook in this subject is the ever changing nature of the human-environment experience.  The world, from a geographical standpoint, is a dynamic system. This textbook covers the basic framework for HG which hasn't changed for several decades, however, the living examples of geographical concepts will need to be illustrated by accompanying lessons, assignments, instructor lectures, and current event/media. \r\n\r\n The last chapter on the environment was the only chapter that was sorely inadequate in what it introduced. It was half the length of every other chapter in the book.  While not a physical geography course, all human-environment interaction (one of the five themes of Human Geography) has an impact and relationship with the planet.  This was a missed opportunity to put into context the physical implications from the twelve chapters prior.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook is written with a combined matter-of-fact and conversational style.  I found the book to be very accessible and think for an introductory class it has a good tone to engage students with this subject.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each textbook chapter follows the same format listing: Student Learning Outcomes, Chapter Outline, and then numbered subtopics under the main focus of the chapter.  At the conclusion of each chapter, they provide a Summary, Key Terms Defined, Works Consulted and Further Reading and Endnotes.  The chapters are all about the same length with the exception of the final chapter (13) titled \"Environment and Resources\".  This chapter was eleven pages of content for a topic that is critical to this academic study. \r\n\r\nEach chapter ends with a section \"Key Terms Defined\".  There was inconsistency on the length and scope of these key terms.  Some chapters had as few as a half page, while others had 2-3 pages of terms. It appeared as if the author was indicating that key terms were left out of the text but still relevant to the chapter topic.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book was well organized.  The chapters are relatively short and cover key concepts to this subject.  The consistency of \"Key Terms\" and \"Works Consulted and Further Reading\" could be a launch point for students to do research and go deeper in their learning process.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook is very consistent in its sequence of topics with other Human Geography textbooks I've used over the past two decades.  There were maps presented in each chapter to illustrate the topic.  However, there were not many images/pictures which help engage students in the seeing the topic of the chapter in real life.  I understand copyright access can limit these options when developing an OER, therefore it offers the instructors of this course the job of finding other ways to create these connections","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"None noted.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"I found a handful of grammatical, format, and spelling errors in the book which could easily be corrected.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There are several ways to assess this book's cultural competence.  All the chapter topics were approached in a relatively unbiased presentation.  There were occasional informal comments from the author but not as commentary on cultural bias. The chapters that directly addressed culture (Chapters 3,4,6,7,12)  provided basic structures of how these topics are viewed through the perspective of geographers. There were a few places in these book chapters where there could have been more forthright discussion about the cultural conflicts and shifts that have been happening in different places in the world and our country, e.g Chapter 3: Migration:  More discussion needed on influence of migration on local/regional cultures; Chapter 7: Civil Rights/Black Lives Matter, Indigenous -Reservation Issues, could have been used as examples of the role of place, resource access, political boundaries; Ch. 6, section 6.4 \"Religious Conflict\" could emphasize the role of \"Place and Location\" in the situations they only briefly mention.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"As a Human Geography professor who is using this book for an online class, I think this book offers me and the students an excellent opportunity to learn together and apply the concepts presented in real time context.  The book covers the basics of this subject, and it challenges me to build learning activities that bring them to life in the current world.  I believe that the primary learning outcome for Human Geography is to support the development of \"systems thinkers\".  To me, that means that for every chapter/topic we read about, I want students to \"SEE\" how this looks right now on the planet.  I use current events, videos such as: YouTube, Ted Talks, documentaries,  News Publications, and other Library resources to have students interpret world events through the newly acquired lens of a geographer.  I often use the following quote to frame our learning in this class.  \"Everything is related to everything else. But near things are more related than distant things.\" This is considered \"the first law of Geography\" and was introduced by Waldo R. Tobler in 1969.  I believe you can apply this idea to almost anything we study in this course knowing that the meaning of this statement will change over time.","created_at":"2022-01-02T11:56:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-01-02T11:56:13.000-06:00"},{"id":34036,"first_name":"Patrick","last_name":"Kennelly","position":"GIS Program Director","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive textbook that covers the topics typical to a course in Human Geography at the college level. It is organized into the following chapters:\r\n1.\tPopulation and Health\r\n2.\tMigration\r\n3.\tFolk Culture and Popular Culture\r\n4.\tGeography of Language\r\n5.\tReligion\r\n6.\tEthnicity and Race\r\n7.\tPolitical Geography\r\n8.\tDevelopment and Wealth\r\n9.\tIndustry\r\n10.\tHuman Settlements\r\n11.\tEnvironment and Resources\r\nThese also follow the typical topics covered in Advanced Placement Human Geography and college courses in Cultural Geography. Comparing it to non-OER resources, this book groups Agriculture and Rural Landscapes and Urban Geography into the Human Settlements chapter, and touches on Globalization in the Industry and Development and Wealth chapters. Each chapter is further subdivided into sections for more detailed organization, and these sections appear in a clickable Table of Content at the beginning of the book for quick reference.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content accurate and free of errors, but I have not yet used this textbook for teaching a course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It seems like the text is written in such a way as to make updates relatively easy and straightforward. The big topics here seem to be consistent in most human geography textbooks over the years, and they serve as the foundation for this book. Supporting materials including text examples, maps, diagrams, etc. should be relatively straightforward to revise with future revisions.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the materials to be clearly written. I like that the authors bold new terminology on first use and associate these bolded terms with a clear explanation or definition. They also have a section called “Key Terms Defined” at the end of chapters to further reinforce the terminology that students studying human geography will need to use.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I found the materials to be consistent and useful. Chapters begin with a list of student learning outcomes followed by a chapter outline that is presented as a numbered list with the chapter number before the decimal, and the section after the decimal. For example:\r\nCHAPTER 2 OUTLINE\r\n2.1 Introduction\r\n2.2 Thinking About Population\r\n2.3 Population and Development\r\n2.4 Population is Dynamic\r\n2.5 The Demographic Transition\r\n2.6 Measuring the Impact of Population\r\n2.7 Future Population\r\n2.8 Geography of Health\r\n2.9 Summary\r\n2.10 Key Terms Defined\r\n2.11 Works Consulted and Further Reading\r\n2.12 Endnotes\r\nThese are good for quick reference, and to assess the relative weight the authors assign various topics, such as population versus health in this case. As indicated in the outline, chapters end with a summary, glossary of terms defined in the chapter, works consulted/further readings and endnotes. The only of these that was a bit inconsistent was the summary section, which in some chapters goes by “conclusions” but in other chapters is not included at all.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With well-organized chapters and sections within chapters, I think this book allows instructors to easily divide out portions based on their needs. Each chapter also seems to stand up pretty easily on its own for instructors wishing to present the material in a different order when compared to the chapter sequence in this book.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I thought that topics were presented in a logical and clear fashion. For example, the chapter on Political Geography begins by explaining how politics is organized spatially, discusses how states cooperate, stresses the importance of boundaries and the types of disputes that arise, and talks about the election process as a geographic phenomenon. This seems like a logical flow of discussion that touches on the most important points of political geography.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook can be downloaded from this URL https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/geo-textbooks/2/ (also given above). It can be saved as a 57 Mb PDF file and used as a traditional textbook. Additionally, the authors have provided a MS Word file, sample questions, exercises, Powerpoint slide decks for each chapter, and the 1st edition of the book for download. \r\n\r\nInside the book the authors provide internal links from the Table of Contents into each chapter and section. Additionally, hyperlinks are included in the PDF to external websites, and most but not all of the links I checked worked. There are some especially good links in the endnotes for students or instructors especially interested in a topic.\r\n\r\nThe authors also include a nicely formatted and consistent “Author | Source | License” citation for their graphs, images, maps etc. It’s nice to see that many of these are licensed with the Creative Commons or in the public domain. I would have liked the “Source” to also be a clickable link so that readers can further explore such images, graphs or maps as they work through the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t notice any grammatical errors for the portions of this book that I read in detail.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t find anything culturally insensitive or offensive in this book, and thought that the authors made good efforts to include examples from underrepresented cultures.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-09-08T15:03:32.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-09-08T15:03:32.000-05:00"},{"id":35248,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Kozar","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an undergraduate textbook in human geography this book is pretty comprehensive.  The chapters are similar to and follow the same order that the most well known human geography textbooks utilize.  Keeping consistent with mainstream human geography textbooks will allow for a seamless transition to an open source option in terms of lesson plans, lecture material, and assignments.  I appreciate the effort not to confuse chapter content with “cute” or “catchy” names.  Everything that is expected in a human geography book is represented, although I would prefer to see a standalone chapter on urban geography given its importance to the human landscape in the 21st century (then including the rural landscape discussion with the chapter involving agriculture).  I would also like to see the resource and environment chapter greatly expanded - human impact on the environment and its resources is vital to understand human existence.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's content appears to be accurate and in-line with other similar textbooks - no glaring errors or omissions have been found.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant to the world of today, which is important for a book about human geography.  The historical background content will always remain relevant and the modern discussions and examples seem to be integrated in a way that could make updates fairly straightforward without dramatically altering the content and/or flow of the book.  What makes some human geography textbooks successful is the frequency at which new additions are available.  It was promising that there was a 2nd edition not long after the first edition but some time has passed and a new edition would certainly increase the appeal to adopt as a textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The material is clear and concise and avoids the use of academic jargon that often dissuades undergraduate students from reading a textbook.  The prose is welcoming and flows consistently from each section and chapter fairly seemlessly.  Some of the graphics, particularly the maps, could be clarified by providing a much larger image - some of the details are hard to decipher on a world map where some countries can be washed out if not represented well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent throughout by following the same pattern and useful structure that should be used with any introductory textbook.  Having learning outcomes, key terms and future readings for each chapter follows the similar pattern.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book's organization allows for the use of only certain chapters if you desire in a course that covers such a broad topic.  Nothing will be lost if you cannot cover all chapters in a semester-long human geography course.  Each chapter’s organization allows for the use of some sections and not others if your lesson plans only call for certain pieces within a given topic.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized and uses a consistent structure throughout so you know what to expect with each chapter.  The addition of bolded key terms and definitions at the end of each chapter is welcome - I often utilize key terms as an introductory quiz to new chapters.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book is provided in both a PDF and docx version which both are useful.  The PDF versions quick links for each section are nice for organization but are jumbled and not in the correct order - many are out of place and the order seems to follow from end to beginning in each chapter. An html version with hyperlinks would make the book even more accessible.  The inclusion of ancillary materials like sample questions, exercises, and powerpoint slides is similar to and on par with the most successful human geography textbooks on the market.  Powerpoint slides with just the graphics (maps, tables, etc.) would be nice to more easily integrate graphics in slide presentations not using the given powerpoint slides.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Although some errors may exist in the book, even the most highly edited books have errors, I did not find any glaring errors that would make the book less desirable or difficult to read.  For an open source book, I would say, job well done.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural relevance is essential in a human geography textbook, as you are talking about all aspects of human culture.  The book was relevant and I found nothing that would deter me from utilizing the textbook.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-09-15T13:41:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-09-15T13:41:55.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-human-geography-dorrell?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:20.000-05:00"},{"id":917,"title":"The Western World: Daily Readings on Geography","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"In essay format, this textbook considers examples of various sub-categories of Geography in combination with five regions of the Western World.","contributors":[{"id":5287,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Joel","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Quam","location":"College of DuPage","background_text":"Professor Joel Quam Professor, Geography, College of DuPage"},{"id":5288,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Scott","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Campbell","location":"College of DuPage","background_text":"Dr. G. Scott Campbell Professor, Geography, College of DuPage"}],"subjects":[{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities?locale=es"},{"id":33,"name":"Literature, Rhetoric, and Poetry","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"PE1408","visible_textbooks_count":124,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/literature-rhetoric-and-poetry?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":896,"url":"https://cod.pressbooks.pub/","year":null,"created_at":"2020-10-04T14:27:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-10-04T14:33:04.000-05:00","name":"College of DuPage"}],"formats":[{"id":1812,"type":"PDF","url":"https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1813,"type":"Online","url":"https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1814,"type":"eBook","url":"https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1920,"type":"XML","url":"https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3.5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":33927,"first_name":"Caitlin","last_name":"Finlayson","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook includes a broad array of essays on each major world region and each core theme within World Regional Geography, but it's unclear how case studies were selected and some case studies overlook important ideas. In the case study on religion in the United States, for example, Muslims are barely mentioned. In the Latin American Culture section, a creole language that is spoken in the Netherlands Antilles is discussed. The chapter on European culture is exclusively about Christianity. It's quite neat to have fairly narrow essays to highlight examples of broader geographic topics, but without any context or discussion of why they were chosen (and why other topics were ignored) the reader might conclude that what's being discussed is most important. (And thus, what is left out isn't important.)","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book seems to be generally error-free and unbiased, but as mentioned, by focusing on a narrow set of topics, the reader might incorrectly conclude that concepts not discussed are unimportant.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I really like the \"Did You Know?\" callout boxes and think these would be beneficial to readers. I do think there might have been better topics for particular case studies (for example, the discussion of murder mysteries in Europe is interesting, but what about more relevant topics related to European nationalism? In the chapter on Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church is highlighted but what about Russian ethnic/cultural tension with Ukraine?)","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"At times, the writing style is a bit hard to understand and there are some grammatical errors (such as incomplete sentences) in the Preface that would benefit from a more thorough edit.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book seems to consistently present its goal of short essays on a variety of topics.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It would be very easy to assign these short essays to accompany a more formal World Regional Geography textbook.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is a little hard to follow. I would have loved more explanation in the introduction of the essays as to why these case studies were selected. In addition, because there are so many essays, it makes the textbook a little hard to navigate.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The menu navigation is a bit confusing. There are introductions to each realm followed by a lengthy list of essays but then followed by an overview of the region. It's unclear how the overview differs from the introduction and what the flow of the text is intended to be and at times the case studies overlap a bit with the chapter overviews.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"There are some incomplete sentences throughout the text and some grammatical errors (for example, \"Coastline provides access...\")","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"At times, the text makes generalizations or presents conclusions that would benefit from more support or a more culturally relevant approach. For example, the authors poke fun at the name Harry Hole, but this would be offensive to readers with this Norwegian last name.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I find this text to be a unique approach to World Regional Geography.","created_at":"2022-06-23T13:44:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-06-23T13:44:53.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-western-world-daily-readings-on-geography?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:14.000-05:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography.json?locale=es?page=1","total_pages":3,"total_count":21,"next":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography.json?locale=es?page=2"}}