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Preface I have helped compile this book for one simple reason: to share with you the wealth of knowledge that geographic science provides society. It is my hope that by read- ing this book, you will discover the benefits of spatial thinking and reasoning. How will this book help you make these discoveries? First, the following pages will introduce you to the wonderful world of scien- tific geography—covering many of the diverse concepts and solutions that geog- raphy as a discipline brings to the table to help solve local and global problems. Second, once you understand how geographers look at the world, you will be able to apply spatial thinking and problem solving in everyday life. I want you to take the geographic concepts covered in this book and apply them to your own understanding of real-world problems, conflicts, and spatial conundrums. This is an ambitious endeavor hence, the first part of this book is a compen- dium of bite-sized essays broken down by theme. Written by renowned scholars in their respective subfields, as well as professional geographers, the essays are designed to be read in order for a cumulative, thorough understanding of geog- raphy as a discipline. However, because they are modular, you can return to these chapters, later, to quickly dive into particular topics. We start with an overview of maps and how they work. Maps are the main tool by which geographers visualize and explain the spatial phenomena they see. Moreover, we show that maps are anything but neutral. We then discuss the concept of regional geography—breaking the world down into major cultural regions. Though we are experiencing an era of rapid globaliz- ation, regional identity and differences still play a central role in cultural conflict—everywhere. Next, we take a look at physical geography. It is crucial to understand the nat- ural processes of the planet, not only to avoid the dangers of tectonic shifts, but also to understand how everything from climate change (which is very real!) to invasive species in U.S. waterways play a role in the biodiversity upon which humanity depends. Human geography covers topics that you might find in classes on political sci- ence, sociology, economics, and history. The amazing thing about human geog- raphy is that it unites these disparate topics by using spatial reasoning.