Geographical Thought: A Critical Introduction to Ideas in Geography

This new second edition of Geographical Thought remains a clear and accessible introduction to the key ideas and figures in human geography. A renewed focus on climate justice is layered throughout the book seguing into a new chapter on decolonising geography. Each of the chapters has been refreshed using the latest scholarship in the field, cutting-edge theory and contemporary case studies. From animal geographies to Black geographies, the current text is brimming with new theories, concepts and ideas. Across three distinctive parts ('Geographical Foundations', 'Geography at the Intersections' and 'Plural and Relational Geographies'), this book provides an essential introduction to the theories that have shaped the study of societies and space. Opening with an exploration of the founding concepts of human geography in the nineteenth-century academy, Nayak and Jeffrey examine the range of theoretical perspectives that have emerged within human geography over the last century from feminist and Marxist scholarship, through to postcolonial and non-representational theories. Each chapter contains insightful lines of argument that encourage readers towards independent thinking and critical evaluation. The supporting materials include a glossary, visual images, further reading suggestions and dialogue boxes. This book is an invaluable guide for students new to the discipline, seeking an introduction to the theories and ongoing debates, as well as those looking to deepen their understanding of human geography.

Table of Contents:
Lists of figures List of tables List of boxes Publisher’s acknowledgements Acknowledgements Part I Geographical Foundations Geographies of Empire Embracing Quantification Marxist Geographies Geographies of Experience Part II Geography at the Intersections Human Geography and the Cultural Turn Feminist Geographies Queer Geographies: Geographies of Sexuality Geography, ‘Race’ and the Environment Part III Plural and Relational Geographies Postmodern and Poststructuralist Geographies Postcolonial Geographies Critical Geopolitics: Geographies of War and Peace Decolonizing Geography: Black Geographies, Indigenous Knowledge and Southern Theory Emotions, Embodiment and Lived Geographies Glossary Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Anoop Nayak is Professor in Social and Cultural Geography at Newcastle University, UK. His research interests lie in youth transitions and social inequalities; geographies of race and ethnicity; and masculinities and social change. He has taught widely on geographical theory, race and modernity, as well as globalisation and social transformations. Alex Jeffrey is Professor of Political and Legal Geography at the University of Cambridge. He has researched the geographies of state formation after conflict, with a particular interest in the role of legal institutions and practices. He has written and taught on a wide range of related geographical fields, including geopolitics, citizenship and legal geography.

Review :
Reviews from the 1st Edition: "… it is excellent in parts, providing easy access to some major themes and moments in recent human geography .[…] what it covers it does so in ways from which many students will benefit." Professor Ron Johnston, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 2012 "The authors have done their homework. Even the chapters on older approaches like Marxism have a freshness, and Nayak and Jeffrey have not relied on previous textbook accounts when authoring their own. The duo also write well. […] [They] have produced an accomplished text that students will find accessible and lecturers most useful." Professor Noel Castree, Progress in Human Geography, 2013 "Nayak and Jeffrey have succeeded in breathing new life into a topic that too many students shy away from as dry or difficult. This book looks set to change all that." Professor Emeritus David Clarke, University of Swansea "Geographical Thought gives an ambitious overview of the state of affairs in Human Geography … this magisterial book … has resulted in a work that is anything but cold or humdrum. Filled to the brim with insights, clear conceptual definitions, useful references, elucidating boxes, illustrations and maps. Geographical Thought promises to become the defining textbook for every geographer interested in the reworkings of culture in contemporary Human Geography. And in my view, that should include everyone." Professor Ewald Engelen, University of Amsterdam "This book should become a core text for all students getting to grips with the flow of new ideas and theories in contemporary human geography. It is admirably clear, comprehensive and intellectually lively." Professor Alastair Bonnett, Newcastle University Reviews for the 2nd Edition: "An exceedingly well conceived and executed volume. I felt old reading it, so up-to-date and cutting edge were its topics, references, interpretations, and allusions. The writing sparkled, and the scene-setting introductions to each of the chapters from the many lives of David Bowie to the Stonewall riots were alone worth the price of admission. Majestic in its breadth of coverage, but always meticulously attentive to detail, historical and geographical. The book is the history of earth writing – geography – at its finest." Professor Trevor Barnes, University of British Columbia "Geographical Thought is a must-read introductory text that guides readers to understand why geographical knowledge has, does, and will continue to matter if we want to make sense of the world around us. Nayak and Jeffrey offer engaging and fresh perspectives on key concepts and theories, helping readers to see the world through a critical geographical lens." Professor James Esson, Queen Mary University of London "This exciting book offers the underpinning of geographical concepts and theories that are crucial for engaging with geographies, and understandings of spaces and the people that co-create them. Explorations of experience, differences and the powers are central to not only what re-constitutes geographical thinking, but also the resistances to dominant considerations of geographical knowledge. A core book for students of all levels to provide a central engagement with the discipline." Professor Kath Browne, University College Dublin "Now incorporating some of the latest disciplinary scholarship around the Anthropocene and decolonization, this second edition of Geographical Thought is an engaging, lucid, and well-written book that makes it clear to students exactly how geographical theorization can help them make sense of, and critically engage with, the worlds around them. This book is an empowering resource for all Geography students." Professor Tariq Jazeel, University College London