Product Description

This text introduces students of human geography to the fundamental concept of place, marrying everyday uses of the term with the complex theoretical debates that have grown up around it.

• A short introduction to one of the most fundamental concepts in human geography.
  
• Marries everyday uses of the term "place" with the more complex theoretical debates that have grown up around it.
  
• Makes the debates intelligible to students, using familiar stories as a way into more abstract ideas.
  
• Excerpts and discusses key papers on place by Doreen Massey and David Harvey.
  
• Considers empirical examples of ways in which the concept of place has been used in research.
  
• Teaching and learning aids include an annotated bibliography, lists of key readings and texts, a survey of web resources, suggested pedagogical resources and possible student projects.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89168 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

Review
"This is a truly wonderful book. It is short but not trite or superficial. It is in depth without being dense. It is timely without ignoring classic issues and debates. There is a clear pedagogy here, which is often missing in texts, and it is well written by an outstanding geographer, and so I predict this book will sell very well indeed." Michael Brown, University of Washington

"The idea of place lies at the heart of most significant geographical issues, yet place can often be a difficult and highly contested notion. There is no more authoritative writer on place than Tim Cresswell, and here he presents a formidable multifaceted introduction...which should be read by every student of human geography." Paul Cloke, Bristol University

From the Back Cover
Place is one of the most fundamental concepts in human geography. This short introduction marries familiar everyday uses of the term with the more complex theoretical debates that have grown up around it.

This text makes debates about intelligible to students, using illustrations from the news, popular culture, and everyday life as a way into more abstract ideas. It traces the development of the concept of place from the 1950s through its subsequent appropriation by cultural geography and the linking of place to politics. Substantial parts of exemplary papers by Doreen Massey and David Harvey are included as a focus for discussion, and the author also considers empirical examples of ways in which the concept of place has been mobilised in research.

Teaching and learning aids include an annotated bibliography, lists of key readings and texts, a survey of web resources, and suggestions for pedagogical resources and student projects.

About the Author
Tim Cresswell is Professor in Social and Cultural Geography at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He is the author of In Place / Out of Place (1996) and The Tramp in America (2001). He is also the co–editor of Mobilizing Place. Placing Mobility (2003) and Engaging Film (2002).

Customer Reviews

What a wonderful book
With the re-emergence of "place" as a key variable in our economic lifes - industrial clusters, learning regions, creative milieu - this book is much needed. It gives a well-researched overview over the geneology of "place" by drawing from a wide range of academic disciplines and eras.

The book is well written, in depth-yet short and very much to the point. A gift.