Follow Here To Purchase Earth's Landscape: An Encyclopedia of the World's Geographic Features [2 volumes]

Authors: Joyce A. Quinn and Susan L. Woodward
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
ISBN: 978-1-61069-445-2

“Earth’s Landscape presents descriptions of each continent and ocean, as well as many of the major physiographic regions of the landmasses and gulfs, seas, and straits of the oceans,” Joyce A. Quinn and Susan L. Woodward write in the introduction of their book.

This two-volume collection of eight hundred and seventy-seven page hardbounds targets individuals searching for information, history, content, and descriptions of the earth’s geography in encyclopedia format. With only a few sporadic black and white photographs, the book is a not a visual artwork of the compilation of earth’s beauty, oddities, and natural amazements depicted on its jacket cover.

Retired physical geography and mapping professor emerita author Quinn earned her MA from the University of Colorado and PhD from Arizona State University and has traveled the world extensively. Biogeographer Woodward is professor emerita of geography in Virginia, visiting South America and Africa in search of natural landscapes.

After an alphabetized table of contents, list of entries by geographical location, preface, introduction, and abbreviations used, the two books cover A to L and M to Z respectively. The second book ends with three appendices, a glossary, recommended resources, index, and the authors’ biographies.

With no maps offered, the majority of the book is the compilation of places on earth in alphabetical order. Each location includes a geological overview with subsections of geographic coordinates, description, geographic history, and protected areas within one to four pages. Often added are paragraphs on biota, environmental issues, other suggested book sources, and further readings along with table inserts, sidebar tidbits, and photographs.

Readers can research the Aconcagua, Cascade Mountains, English Channel, Indus River, Mojave Desert, Okavango Delta, Puget Sound, Strait of Gibraltar, Tierra del Fuego, and Wadden Sea to name a few.

One example would be the Hardangervidda, the largest mountain plateau in Europe that is located in south-central Norway. Containing many rivers, streams, and lakes, it has cirques and glaciers on its highest peaks. With a foundation of peneplained Precambrian granite and gneiss, over three hundred and sixty flowering plant species grow there. Wild reindeer, fox, and birds reside on the land, especially in its protected area.

The last hundred-plus pages contain appendices concentrating on the highest, lowest, and deepest places, six opposing viewpoints, and ten activities and discussion questions regarding volcanos, river flow, global climate change, shrinking polar ice, knowing the land, mapping, time travel, field trips, and the power of writing.

Best for students of earth sciences, the volumes are a resourceful tool for quick reference and information of the planet we call home.

Thanks to ABC-CLIO and Bookpleasures for furnishing this complimentary book set in exchange for a review based on the reader’s honest opinions.