Gould, Peter

Peter Gould, a prominent, award-winning geographer who admits to having a low threshold for boredom, offers a collection of essays that reflect his eclectic research and provocative thinking. The topics range widely and include the diffusion of AIDS, mental maps, development themes in Africa, postmodernism, and the practices of teaching and writing. Becoming a Geographer expands on Gould's influential ideas and contributions to the field. His thoughts are especially valuable for what geography offers the world of learning and its capacity to help resolve urgent problems of the day.

This book discloses the geographic dimensions of the AIDS pandemic. It provides a lucid description of the HIV, its origins, and the extent to which it has now permeated our lives. The author shows how the virus jumps from city to city, creating regional epicenters from which it spreads into surrounding area.--[book cover].

The Chernobyl catastrophe has become a key reference point in current debates concerning the future of nuclear energy and, more generally, the protection and contamination of the environment. "Fire in the Rain" tells the story of this disaster and the consequent trail of political reactions.