The Power of Geography
With the Power of Geography, Tim Marshall examines 9 regions of the world (plus space) that have faced a recent geopolitical conflict of some form in recent years. He breaks down each region with a geographical description of its land and resources and then shows how geographic features have influenced that area's development. He then summarizes the full history of the territory and connects it all to the issues the area is facing in the current day. Marshall literally gives a worldview to each of these 10 regions and shrinks down the vastness of history into comprehensible ideas.
If you teach any type of World History (Ancient History, APHUG, Global Studies etc.) and you've struggled to make connections between history and current events - pick up this book! I would see most teachers utilizing this book as a reference book - taking some time to review a chapter when they're framing out a new unit for students.
For the rest of us, this book is excellent at providing some historical context to the headlines we read or listen to on the news.
Trying to make sense of the recent crisis in Ethiopia and the Tigray region? This book provides that context.
Wondering why China keeps popping up around the world? This book discusses China's intrusions and the reasoning behind their forays into Africa, the Caribbean, and Australia
Question why Elon Musk keeps trying to jet himself into space? Yep, this book discusses that also.
Basically, you need to check out the Power of Geography. It's a fantastic book for history teachers, but it's also really helpful for those of us just trying to make sense of the world right now.
