Geography Summer Reading Suggestions

[xiaoman]

Does anyone have recommendations of seminal geography texts as summer reading for those of us with little geography background going into programs this fall? I'm thinking mostly on the human geography side, but I'd be interested in any suggestions.

[rising_star]

It would help if you narrowed it down a bit more. Is there a specific area of human geography you want to read more about? I'm posting a general list off the top of my head...

Capital by Marx; Limits to Capital by Harvey

Uneven Development by Smith

The Right to the City by Don Mitchell

The Colonial Present by Derek Gregory

Lawn People by Paul Robbins

Anything by Mark Monmonier (he's a cartographer but it's important to understand maps regardless of what your specific work in geography is)

Justice, Nature, and the Geography of Difference by Harvey

Anything by Ellen Churchill Semple or Carl Sauer (because it's a classic)

Theory of Development by Richard Peet with Elaine Hartwick

Production of Space by Henri Lefebvre

Power/Knowledge or Discipline and Punish by Foucault

Gramsci

Political Economy of Soil Erosion in Developing Countries by Blaikie (foundational text in political ecology)

Resurrecting the Granary of Rome by Diana Davis

City of Quartz, Ecology of Fear, or Planet of Slums by Mike Davis

On the Plaza by Setha Low

Growing up Global by Cindi Katz

For Space by Doreen Massey

Orientalism by Said

Work on food by Julie Guthman or E. Melanie DuPuy

Uncommon Ground by William Cronon

The list would probably be better if I were looking at my bookshelf. Alas. There are a lot of classics in geography but this could definitely be narrowed if you posted more about what you're looking for.

[xiaoman]

Wow, thanks for the list. My focus is mostly on environment and natural hazrds.

[rising_star]

Then you should read cultural ecology and political ecology. A good place to start is Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction by Paul Robbins. You might also try googling for syllabi (undergraduate and graduate) to see what they have on the reading list.