Review: North Carolina: People and Environments, 2nd Edition
Glenn Ellen Starr Stilling, Appalachian State University, reviewed North Carolina Libraries, Spring 2004, Vol 62, No. 1, p. 68
'It is difficult to imagine a book that is at once more enjoyable to browse and more broadly informative than this substantial work. Its portrayal of the state ranges from the origins and characteristics of kudzu to the functions of green buffer zones to a review of the state's major causes of mortality. Practically every page contains one or more illustrations-there are 861 in all. The tables and figures use as much data from the 2000 Census as was available in November 2001. The book's arrangement is designed to facilitate study of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Five Themes of Geography.
The authors are current or retired professors of geography at Appalachian State University. The first edition, published in 1986, was half the size of the current one. A recent work to which this one might be compared is The North Carolina Atlas ( University of North Carolina Press , 2000). Its length is 462 pages (about 25% shorter than the present volume) and its text pages are less dense. The North Carolina Atlas consists of 18 thematic chapters (topics include crime, higher education, and transportation), each focusing on the state as a whole. The present volume begins with several thematic chapters, but almost half is devoted to sections describing the physical, economic, and population geography of the state's four primary regions. This volume, therefore, provides much more information and analysis at the regional, state geographic region, county, and local levels.
The sections on the four primary regions-Tidewater, Coastal Plain, Piedmont , and Mountain-are carefully structured. First, the authors explain the history and nature of development; then they review the important features of the natural landscape and discuss the region's issues regarding the human/natural interface (in the Coastal Plains, for instance, they discuss preservation vs. exploitation of wetlands and rivers). There are concise but detailed accounts of the historical development, current conditions, and demographic profiles of each state geographic region (for the Coastal Plains, these are the Roanoke , Ring city, and Sandhills regions). The section concludes with a summary that projects what the future might hold for the region's land and people.
Numerous boxes explain, with text and diagrams, concepts such as how acid rain is created and deposited on forests in North Carolina's mountains and its effect on soil, water, and humans. The book's reference value is enhanced by an 11-page bibliography and several indices. It should be noted, however, that the text contains several errors in punctuation, spelling, and word usage. These mistakes, while distracting, do not hinder the book's effectiveness. Many of the photographs do not have specific dates, which would have been useful for reference purposes.
The authors have ably and thoroughly achieved their purpose: "assessing the contemporary geography of the state and projecting its future prospects." This important work meets information needs for a variety of readers: public school students and teachers; college students in areas such as geography, recreation management, and social sciences education; people serving on local boards and commissions; those who wish to be informed citizens and voters; and, indeed, all who want to understand more about their home state. Because of its clear arrangement, good indexing, plethora of factual information, and instructional orientation, it belongs in the reference collection of all libraries in the state.'
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