The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives ed. by James G. Ashbaugh (review)

Abstract

The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives James G. Ashbaugh, ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1997 Reviewed by G e r a l d E. T y n e r California State University, Northridge T his is the first new text on the Pacific Northwest in several de­ cades, and it comes at an opportune time. This region has undergone dramatic changes and growth in recent years, and is destined to un­ dergo even more. This book provides solid background to those changes, clearly describes the region’s growth, and gives the reader a glimpse of the future. The text contains 487 pages (including index), and is divided into 16 chapters. The first chapter on the Historical Geography of the region is followed by four chapters on the Physical Environment (Landforms, Climate, Vegetation, Soils), five on Natural Resources (Fishing, Forests, Regional Water Resources, Energy Resources, Mining), five on Economic Geography (The Economy, Manufactur­ ing, Agriculture, Tourism and Recreation, Urban Systems), and concludes with a chapter on the Northwest and the Pacific Rim. Each chapter is divided into a number of sub-sections, and each chapter has a listing of references or selected readings. Included are a total of 150 TYNER: Review of The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives 151 31 maps, 41 photographs, and 89 tables/charts/diagrams which are tied to and help illustrate the related text materials. According to the preface, future editions will include chapters on “soils, transporta­ tion, manufacturing, minerals, service industries and the relationship of the Pacific Northwest to British Columbia.” Worthy of special note is the consistency of form and writing style in each chapter, and the avoidance of unnecessary jargon. There also are several important structural and organizational practices. For example, in addition to identifying and discussing the various physi­ cal characteristics (climate, vegetation, landforms) of the region, the authors also describe the processes that produce or contribute to those conditions. For students, particularly those without a strong geogra­ phy background, this will be particularly helpful. Another important practice is defining geographical (or other unfamiliar) terms as they are used in the text. Useful too is the inclusion of historical back­ ground as an introduction to most chapters, which although brief, gives perspective to the topic and to the changes that have occurred. The text also has the advantage of giving teachers the option of using a selection of chapters and/or rearranging the chapters without weak­ ening the text. Although probably best suited for introductory classes, the text provides topics that could be expanded in more advanced/special­ ized classes; and while its focus is the Pacific Northwest, the relationship of this region to the U.S., North America, and the world is discussed in several chapters. These relations focus on current is­ sues, regulations, and policies. One “mild” criticism is the quality of some maps. Several have been reprinted from other sources, and while they provide the basic data desired, they are not always easily read. Others contain data not necessarily useful to the specific topic. Some of the choropleth maps also suffer from too many shades of gray, which become difficult to differentiate. 152 APCG YEARBOOK • VOLUME 59 • 1997 Editor James Ashbaugh must be given special credit for putting together a well-designed and easily read text. It should serve well as an introductory text for both geography and non-geography majors; and it can provide a starting point for more advanced investigation into many of the topics presented in the text. And although the au­ thors make “no claim for comprehensiveness,” this text does provide the most thorough and well-written overview of the Pacific North­ west available. ...