Earth shapers : how we mapped and mastered the world, from the Panama Canal to the Baltic Way / Maxim Samson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Samson, Maxim, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human geography--History.

Human geography.

Human ecology--History.

Human ecology.

Physical Description:

344 pages : maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2025.

Summary:

Mountains, meridians, rivers, and borders—these are some of the features that divide the world on our maps and in our minds. But geography is far less set in stone than we might believe, and, as Maxim Samson’s Earth Shapers contends, in our relatively short time on this planet, humans have become experts at fundamentally reshaping our surroundings. From the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca’s “great road,” and Mozambique’s colonial railways to a Saudi Arabian smart city, and from Korea’s sacred Baekdu-daegan mountain range and the Great Green Wall in Africa to the streets of Chicago, Samson explores how we mold the world around us. And how, as we etch our needs onto the natural landscape, we alter the course of history. These fascinating stories of connectivity show that in our desire to make geographical connections, humans have broken through boundaries of all kinds, conquered treacherous terrain, and carved up landscapes. We crave linkages, and though we do not always pay attention to the in-between, these pathways—these ways of “earth shaping,” in Samson’s words—are key to understanding our relationship with the planet we call home.

Contents:

Introduction

Order: The Qhapaq Nan

Extraction: Mozambique 's railways

Convenience: The Panama Canal

Reimagination: THE LINE

Resistance: The Baltic Way

Restoration: The Great Green Wall

Co-option: Chicago's ridges and waterways

Vitality: The Baekdu-daegan

Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780226844749

0226844749

OCLC:

1502708208