Product Description
This is an advanced, full length, physical geography of Africa, written by a distinguished international team of scholars. The first group of chapters identify pan-African patterns in the physical environment and those physical attributes that are distinctive to Africa. In the second group of chapters topics such as geomorphology, biogeography, environmental change and hydrology are considered within the context of the major biomes. The final chapters explore topical issues such as soil erosion, desertification, biodiversification and depletion, and conservation and development. ... Read more

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Thirteen/WNET and National Geographic Television have joined forces to create a television event for Fall 2001 - Africa: Land of the Sun - and 8-hour film series showing the majesty and wonder of this remarkable land. The series will be shot on location by some of the world's best filmmakers, and will be produced in a theatrical style to underscore the epic nature of Africa's history, the splendor of it's landscapes, and the beauty and power inherent in these portraits of places, people, and animals. Scientific evidence suggests that the first humans emerged on the continent of Africa. There, our ancestors learned to stand upright, find food, and survive against predators. They developed languages and cultures and migrated to settle all the habitable land of African and eventually the entire world. Despite this primal connection, Africa remains a mysterious land; a place associated with famine, slavery, frightening diseases, and incomprehensible tribalism. An equally common image is that of a giant safari park. For millions of African-Americans, Africa is a distant homeland, placed beyond the bounds of memory by the breach of slavery.This series and its companion book will capture the geographic life story of Africa - how life evolved and flourished there, adopting a unique and complex vibrancy over time in response to the environment. This is an ecological portrait of Africa, its peoples, flora, and fauna. The series will show, for the first time, a consolidated image of Africa by presenting its diverse regions and complex history within the context of its geography - its natural wonders and ecological challenges. In doing so, the series tells one of the greatest stories on earth: the story of human evolution and human survival against remarkable odds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Slow shipping, but quality book
This book would have cost me triple at my campus bookstore, so I decided to use Amazon to order this book! The quality of the book was great (even better than the new ones in the bookstore), but it did not come with a dust jacket like it stated in the description. Also there was no need to spend that extra money for quick shipping, because the book took FOREVER to get to my house...I ordered it before classes started and was delayed in reading chapters due to the late shipping. Book was great, but due to the time in shipping I would think twice about ordering from Amazon or this seller again (especially if it was a textbook for school ).

A satisfactory book
I liked this book well enough. I was looking for a book with more pictures when I purchased it, so I was a little disappointed. However there are beautiful pictures and enjoyable writing.

Forensic Buff
I really enjoy this book best of all on Africa.It includes everything andthe pictures are terrific.If you want to read a book on Africa, I recommend this one.

A concise yet comprehensive look at a fascinating continent
"Africa" is the companion volume to the recent PBS series of the same name, and like the series, is organized into eight parts, each one focusing on a particular geographical region of the continent.In clear, concise language, John Reader gives us the historical and geographical background of each area, the current economic and social structure, and the problems affecting the particular region.The photographs are mind-blowing; they are so gorgeous that they almost dominate the excellent text.The one disappointment, for one who has also seen the PBS series, is that the book doesn't follow the individual stories of people in depth as the PBS production did; however, no one who hasn't seen the TV production will miss it, and it in no way detracts from the overall value of the book.This is one book about the "dark continent" that does the continent, and its people, proud.

Outstanding introduction to Africa
This is an excellent book for anyone who might find Reader's earlier book "A Biography of the Continent" too much of a good thing."Africa" explores many of the same themes and issues, but the information is arranged differently and there are more illustrations; this book is aimed at the educated lay-reader.Still it is an important and outstanding book.Reader is a good writer and his research and grasp of a myriad of disciplines related to his subject is impressive.

The story is told by geography:Savanna, Desert, Rain Forest, Mountains, Sahel, Great Lakes, Coast, Southern Africa.Being a "companion" to the PBS/NGS TV series there is some (but not much) focus on the people who appeared in the television documentaries.Mostly Reader tells the stories behind the story; his history of Africa is as much about the environmental, geographical, and physiological as merely chronological.For example, Reader tells why bananas and plantains are so important in African history; what makes camels so invaluable in the Sahara, how sickle cells and malaria are related, even the advantages and disadvantages of walking upright.Of course there is some in-this-year-such-and-such happened, but that is kept to a minimum.This "Africa" is not only an outstanding introduction to Africa, it should also be of interest to any Africanist.

The photographs by Michael Lewis are good enough to be a book of their own; they combine with Reader's well organized and informative text to make "Africa" an excellent portrait of the continent.Reader's "Biography of the Continent" is also highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
The Changing Geography of Africa is intended for use in schools and colleges. A thematic approach has been adopted in which the various fields of economic activity that make up the continent's resources are examined, followed by a chapter dealing with the factors that lie behind the present crisis in Africa. The book reflects Africa as it is today, how it has developed, and how recent changes in other parts of the world have affected it. It contains a wealth of examples, statistics, maps, diagrams, and photos. This thoroughly updated Second Edition takes account of recent social, economic, and political changes. ... Read more

Product Description
Should Africa work toward a single currency?Can the European Union be a model for African nations?The goal of a common African currency has long been a pillar of African unity, a symbol of the strength that its backers hope will emerge from efforts to integrate the continent.A common currency could increase economic stability, provide greater insulation for central banks from pressures to provide monetary financing, and lower transactions costs.But there are many pitfalls along the road to achieving those goals.In The Monetary Geography of Africa, Paul Masson and Catherine Pattillo analyze the current situation and prospects for further integration.

Since the beginning of decolonization some fifty years ago, African nations have suffered setbacks preventing them from enjoying the benefits of economic development.With time, the continent's leaders have increasingly recognized the need to change inward-looking and state-dominated economic policies.Now a stronger consensus favors regional cooperation and outward-looking and efficient policies, as well as a move to make leaders accountable for their shortcomings.In July 2002 a summit of African leaders took a major step by heralding a new and invigorated African Union (replacing the Organization of African Unity), together with a comprehensive plan to bring about economic and political integration.

Another sign of this new consensus has been the formulation of regional integration initiatives across the continent, including those geared to monetary unions, or groupings of countries sharing a common currency and central bank.But obstacles to implementation may prevent some from going forward fully or, if they do, prevent them from producing gains of economic welfare.Difficulties include asymmetries among countries especially in their terms of trade and fiscal discipline.Lack of fiscal discipline could ruin plans to create a regional central bank that would lead to a stable currency and low inflation.

The authors maintain that the goal of creating a single African currency is not feasible or desirable, but that existing monetary unions, such as the CFA franc zone in western and central Africa, offer a base on which to build.More important for the continent's well-being is to attack the more fundamental problems of corruption and governance. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London, University PressPublication date: 1920Subjects: Africa -- Description and travelEurope -- Description and travelNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
CROSS REF DEV STUDIES Both Africa and the Middle East have sought alternatives to Western models of development. The last twenty-five years have seen political independence for the states of Africa and increased economic dependence on external aid. The Middle East, resource rich and water poor, continues economically robust but politically unstable. In both regions, widespread poverty continues as does the involvement of the West.
Clearly illustrated with basic maps of the countries discussed, The Changing Geography of Africa and the Middle East presents a systematic review of twenty-five years of development. The book will prove an invaluable guide to the physical, economic, social and political environments of contemporary Africa and the Middle East.
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Customer Reviews (1)

The changing Geography of North Africa and The Middle East
I will submit it after recieving the book ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the political problems of the Middle East and North Africa have geographic roots, but material and ideas on spatial relationships in the region have, until now, remained scattered and piecemeal.In this original work, Drysdale and Blake examine the ways in which the geography and politics of the region are intertwined, and focus on the evolution and deficiencies of the contemporary political map. Organized around the themes of partition and integration, the discussion covers such timely issues as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Arab unity, the civil war in Lebanon, regional petroleum development, strategic straits, and the Iran-Iraq war.Throughout, this unique book is richly illustrated with specially drawn maps and diagrams. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook specifically studies the geography and environment of South Africa and the Southern African region and locates them within the broader context of the global environment. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Decent, but Packer made some bad choices
Scientist Craig Packer takes us into his world of African Wildlife. The book is written in a journal format, with entries covering such diverse topics as Packer's current studies into lions, a visit to Jane Goodall's chimp research site in Gombe, and hosting a conference of scientists in an effort to get a macro-perspective of the Serengeti. The book offers insight into the working conditions of the field scientist in a foreign country, which can be full of danger and obstacles.
The Good and the Bad:
The journal format relieved expectations of a traditional storyline, and I liked that. I also liked the holistic view of a scientist's life; we get to see everything from the research as it is being performed to inter-scientist squabbles to dealings with politics and bureaucracy, all enormous parts of Packer's life. The writing was run-of-the-mill, with an amateurish attempt at high-mindedness that rises above adequate only occasionally. A man on a journey across the world with three young women, leaving his wife behind, is necessarily on the spot, and he makes frequent references to his wife and never mentions anything about the physical characteristics of the three young women. I don't even know what color hair they had. And this is mixed up with the common problem of the author being a little self-centered with the writing at times. Packer is never shown to lose his temper (with one heroic exception), or lust after another woman, or act selfishly, or chicken out, and I just think that rings a little false. Maybe a lot false.
One particular thing that stuck out to me as a drawback was Packer's decision to intercut a flashback story about four students who were captured from Gombe by a military group, who held them as hostages. The story would have been fascinating if it were told all in one go; told in pieces of flashback, it is both confusing and anticlimactic.
One section of the book that I particularly liked was the description of a group of scientists coming together to create a computer model to predict the rhythms of life on the Serengeti.
What I learned:
Lion life is centered around related groups of females, who form a nucleus that is utilized by the current reigning group of allied males. Incoming males will kill the cubs of the males they've just displaced. In the Ngorongoro Crater, a plague induced by a biting fly wiped out ninety percent of the lions, resulting in a tradition of inbreeding since the sixties. It is difficult to get needed supplies in Tanzania, which is only just coming into its own as a capitalist country. The original group of chimps that Goodall worked with split into two groups, and then the larger group started going out on raids designed to kill individual males of the smaller group. They literally tore apart Goliath, the oddly bold chimp that allowed the process of habituation to begin, and eventually they annexed the entire range and two of three females from the smaller group (all six males were killed).

Following the lions, fighting the bugs
Field biologist Packer has been studying the primates at Gombe (Jane Goodall's territory) and the lions of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater for more than 20 years. Into Africais a present-tense daily diary of his 1991 trip to his old and present haunts. In it, he manages to describe an entire career of accomplishments and disappointments.

From the fatigue of long airline flights to the frustration of searching for lion worm medicine in third world pharmacies, or losing a day's water samples to an especially deep rut in the road, Packer exemplifies the dedication of scientists who brave the hardships and precarious politics of the third world to study Africa's great animals.

Introducing new research assistants to lion watching, Packer recalls his own early days - the long hours of boredom (lions mostly sleep) punctuated by moments of excitement and discovery. He leads us through the trials and errors of collecting parasite data and explains how research thus far has revealed why lions live in groups and why the wealthiest of lions - those in the food-rich Ngorongo Crater - suffer from inbreeding, much like the old royal families of Europe.

While describing the social lives and eating habits of lions, Packer invites us into every aspect of the researcher's life, including internal squabbles, money problems, dangerous night flights and vehicle breakdowns.

Then it's time for him to move on to Gombe, "the unhealthiest place in the world," which he approaches with a mixture of dread and anticipation. We soon learn that it's not only the hot, damp, parasite-rich environment that haunts his memories, but the kidnapping of four students during the 70's, a fate narrowly escaped by Packer and his wife who left Gombe to be de-wormed elsewhere.

While describing the exciting discoveries made at Gombe from its earliest days, he also recalls the fate of a researcher who died in a fall and remembers the treacheries and heroisms of some of the African workers. And then he drinks some water. The next entries are a haze of illness, fear and, pushed by time constraints, work.

The diary ends with a conference of scientists pooling their data to try and decide how to best use the resources of the Serengeti National Park. So much knowledge coming together serves to show how much still has to be learned and how every change in the ecosystem affects every other aspect - land, animals, people.

The diary format suits Packer. The immediacy is exciting and allows the reader to see the day-to-day work, hampered and occasionally aided, by serendipity and disaster. Packer is so well-organized that this close-up view never detracts from the big picture.

An insightful look at wildlife research in East Africa
This book was recommended by another client on a recent safari trip to Tanzania. Her description of the author's unsentimental descriptions of the challenges involved in collecting and transporting various 'samples' intrigued me. I really enjoyed the book--particularly the sections on lions in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The blurb on the back cover which comments that the book may be the best antidote to 'Out of Africa' hit the nail on the head.
I thoroughly enjoyed Packer's descriptions of time spent in the field, observing and tracking lions. He also does a good job contrasting his everyday life in Minnesota with life in the Serengeti and Gombe Parks.
If you're interested in a 'real' picture of a researcher's life in the field, lions or baboons, or descriptions of the Serengeti, you won't be disappointed.

Day by day account of wildlife research in East Africa
"Into Africa" is a detailed and interesting account of wildlife research in two national parks in Eastern Africa (lions in Serengeti and chimpanzees in Gombe).Packer writes what most readers would expect to see in such a book (i.e., about animal behavior and scientific theories that try to explain it), but he also tells us about the day-to-day life of a wildlife biologist working in Africa (budgeting, traveling, provisioning, working with local and international staff, and avoiding both animal and human danger).

Super book on Tanzania and wildlife
Wow! This well-written book covers, in narrative style, with humor, a recent 52-day field research expedition by the author to the Tanzanian Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater to study lions, and to Gombe (of Goodall fame) to study chimps and baboons. In frequent flashbacks he reviews his past field expeditions and what they discovered -- new theories about why lions, chimps and baboons form the type of social structures they do. He also covers the struggles and hopes of the wildlife parks, and the difficulty of trying to reconcile the needs, wants, and contributions of: the researchers, the people living in the area, the government, the tourists, the poachers, and the foreign hunters -- all on the limited funds available.
He throws in a lot of information on the species he studies, and builds this information into a theory about how all species -- perhaps even man -- are motivated to either cooperate or compete with each other. Packer also includes his commentaries and anecdotes about his fellow researchers, camp employees, local residents, local and national government officials, and the history of the area.
Packer does an especially thorough job of analyzing how the species' survival is affected by men, disease, inbreeding, other species, and their own species' behavior patterns.
The liner notes include recommendations of this book from the renowned George Schaller and Cynthia Moss. The reviews here by Booklist and Kirkus are accurate.
That said, I do have some minor quibbles with the book. There is no index, and the table of contents is only chronological according to the "diary" format of the book. If the reader wants to review the material -- however excellent -- on lion infanticide or chimpanzee wars, the reader has to leaf through the entire book to find it.
Likewise, there is no list of suggested further reading or sources, and no glossary. While Packer does define the Swahili terms he uses, he does so ONCE, in text. When one reads that "Tony Sinclair is the real mzee" on page 244, one has to remember the definition from page 52 [mzee is literally "old man" -- a term of honor and respect].
Packard also seems to dwell on the negative and random man-on-man violence -- for instance, a lengthy report on the 1975 kidnapping of four researchers from Gombe by Zairian rebels, camp thieves, and assaults on tourists. Grouping these incidents occurring over 20 years in one narrative makes them seem more pervasive than they are.
This is an EXCELLENT book for anyone interested in African wildlife or animal behavior in general. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more