North Carolina: People and Environments

Notable North Carolinians comment on North Carolina: People and Environments (2ndEd):

'(this) book examines a myriad of social, economic and environmental issues, covering examples of the conditions of employment, health care, education, voting behavior, and many other issues of interest here in North Carolina. The book . . has a compilation of data that would be very useful on matters relating to the state's geography from environmental hazards such as floods, water shortages, hurricanes, etc.'
Michael F. Easley, Governor, State of North Carolina

'This is a wonderful source of information on North Carolina geography'
Molly Corbett Broad, President, The University of North Carolina

'I am extremely impressed with the way you have captured the regions of North Carolina and the pictures and graphics accompanying those regions . . . . (The book) is beautifully done, and it will be a valuable source of information for years to come.'
Ran Coble, Executive Director, North Carolina Center for Public Policy
Research, Inc.

' . . . a highly useful volume. It is a book worthy of people interested in the future of the state.'
William Friday, President Emeritus, The University of North Carolina

'As a North Carolina native I was eager to peruse the geography text on my
home state. . . .North Carolina: People and Environments is an excellent
resource for teachers wanting background information about the Tar Heel
state. The charts, photos, and diagrams do an excellent job of exposing
the reader to information. The text is written in an easy to follow style; one
for which eight grade teachers might offer the text to proficient readers
in their classes to further explore topics not addressed in the middle
schoolers' book. As an individual from Caswell County, . . .I explored the book to see if
less developed counties like my own got a fair representation. . . I was not
disappointed by the information I obtained, especially considering that
most of the information was from the 2000 Census. I would imagine that as other
readers give the text their own "county test," they will be pleasantly
surprised and impressed by the author's thoroughness in covering the 100
counties. In my opinion, the best part of North Carolina: People and Environments is
its extensive collection of maps. The detail contained within the road
maps is proof enough that time and care was taken to provide accurate pieces of
information, and, because regions of our state are broken down into
subregions, readers can get a better look at all the microcosms that join
together to make our state a great place to live and an interesting
subject to learn more about.'

Patrick Vernon, Social Studies Teacher, reviewed in the North Carolina
Geographic Alliance Newsletter, Volume 14, No. 1 (Spring, 2003), p. 8

The author's have masterfully depicted North Carolina's cultural and natural landscapes in 602 pages. North Carolina: People and Environments, Second Edition is a geography book, and as such makes ample use of the primary tool of geographers: maps. More than 250 maps (31 in color) explore the physical, cultural, social, economic and political geography of the state. But the book is much more than maps. Also included are almost 400 photographs, of which 234 are in color, which give an excellent visual portrait of the state's geography. The book is divided into 13 chapters. The first three are devoted to physical environments: Chapter 1. Physical Environments; Chapter 2. Weather and Climate; Chapter 3. Soils, Natural Vegetation, Soils, and Wildlife. The next four detail human environments. Chapter 4. A Changing Mosaic of People; Chapter 5. Primary Activities (agriculture, forestry and mining); Chapter 6. Secondary and Tertiary Activities: Manufacturing and Services; Chapter 7. Social Capital: Earning Power, Health, Education, and Civic Justices, and Chapter 8. A Fragile Environment. The final five chapters focus upon the major regions of the state and individual counties. Chapter 9 looks at the emergence and nature of North Carolina's regions. Chapter 10 provides a detailed inventory of Tidewater region; Chapter 11 surveys the Coastal Plain; while Chapter 12 reviews the Piedmont. The mountains are examined in Chapter 13. For a more detailed account of the chapter and book contents, please visit www.geo.appstate.edu. The volume also includes about 30 'boxes' that accentuate such topics as barrier islands formation, kudzu, nuclear power, El Nino, and the prison system. The author's have created a thorough analysis of North Carolina. It seems that no subject is left untouched. If something exists in North Carolina, it is likely to be discussed, or at least mentioned, in this well-documented volume. Because of its magnitude of coverage, the book could be used in a variety of ways. For the general public, it would make a great reference source; for college and university classes on North Carolina, it would serve well as the principal text. For students in middle and high school, particularly those in advanced classes, the book would make a fine textbook. Professionals in planning, political organizations and the media would all find an abundance of information that would justify having a copy of this book on their personal bookshelves. And, finally, the volume would also look good as a coffee table book. Although the book is about North Carolina, it could be used to help understand geography as a field of study because the authors discuss and explain topics and concepts important to geography. In some instances it appears that they have used North Carolina as a case study to help us learn meaningful geographic concepts. Libraries throughout the state and the country, need to acquire this book for their general collections. It is a gem that has been polished much since the first edition of several years ago.

Dr. Tom Ross, Professor of Geography at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, reviewed in The Fayetteville Observer, Sunday, October 5, 2003

'It is difficult to imagine a book that is at once more enjoyable to browse and more broadly informative than this substantial work. Its portrayal of the state ranges from the origins and characteristics of kudzu to the functions of green buffer zones to a review of the state's major causes of mortality. Practically every page contains one or more illustrations-there are 861 in all. The tables and figures use as much data from the 2000 Census as was available in November 2001. The book's arrangement is designed to facilitate study of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Five Themes of Geography.

The authors are current or retired professors of geography at Appalachian State University. The first edition, published in 1986, was half the size of the current one. A recent work to which this one might be compared is The North Carolina Atlas ( University of North Carolina Press , 2000). Its length is 462 pages (about 25% shorter than the present volume) and its text pages are less dense. The North Carolina Atlas consists of 18 thematic chapters (topics include crime, higher education, and transportation), each focusing on the state as a whole. The present volume begins with several thematic chapters, but almost half is devoted to sections describing the physical, economic, and population geography of the state's four primary regions. This volume, therefore, provides much more information and analysis at the regional, state geographic region, county, and local levels.

The sections on the four primary regions-Tidewater, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountain-are carefully structured. First, the authors explain the history and nature of development; then they review the important features of the natural landscape and discuss the region's issues regarding the human/natural interface (in the Coastal Plains, for instance, they discuss preservation vs. exploitation of wetlands and rivers). There are concise but detailed accounts of the historical development, current conditions, and demographic profiles of each state geographic region (for the Coastal Plains, these are the Roanoke, Ring city, and Sandhills regions). The section concludes with a summary that projects what the future might hold for the region's land and people.

Numerous boxes explain, with text and diagrams, concepts such as how acid rain is created and deposited on forests in North Carolina's mountains and its effect on soil, water, and humans. The book's reference value is enhanced by an 11-page bibliography and several indices. It should be noted, however, that the text contains several errors in punctuation, spelling, and word usage. These mistakes, while distracting, do not hinder the book's effectiveness. Many of the photographs do not have specific dates, which would have been useful for reference purposes.

The authors have ably and thoroughly achieved their purpose: "assessing the contemporary geography of the state and projecting its future prospects." This important work meets information needs for a variety of readers: public school students and teachers; college students in areas such as geography, recreation management, and social sciences education; people serving on local boards and commissions; those who wish to be informed citizens and voters; and, indeed, all who want to understand more about their home state. Because of its clear arrangement, good indexing, plethora of factual information, and instructional orientation, it belongs in the reference collection of all libraries in the state.'

Ellen Starr Stilling, Appalachian State University,
Reviewed North Carolina Libraries,
Spring 2004, Vol. 62, No. 1, p. 68

'Geographers would love to have a volume like this for every state. The
authors have created a reference work for North Carolina that is
monumental in scope and detail. An abbreviated first edition of this work appeared in
1986. After North Carolina's population mushroomed from 6.6 million (in
1990) to nearly 8.2 million in 2001, an increase of 21%, the authors expanded
and updated their earlier work, producing a much improved version. The Preface
acknowledges that the second edition has doubled in size and grown
exponentially in detail. They have visualized "state environments on all
geographic levels" by including over 800 illustrative maps and
photographs, many in full color. The volume is intended not only for use as a textbook,
which role it serves admirably, but as a subregional reference work for
any one interested in "understanding all aspects of land, life, and livelihood".

The authors have structured the book to "provide an analytic framework
that allows citizens of the state to see where current public policy needs fine
tuning, if not changing" as a way of improving statewide and local quality
of life and protecting North Carolina's fragile natural heritage. . . .
North Carolina's physical environments are considered in thick detail in
the book's first section. Climate, weather, hazards such as hurricanes, which
have weighed heavy on the state in the last decades, are considered in
easily grasped global and temporal contexts. The geology, geomorphology, soil,
hydrology, flora, and fauna follow in similar vein, each in turn
well-illustrated with excellent maps, photographs, data tables, diagrams,
and enrichment boxes, such as one on El Nino. In addition to the copious
illustrations that accompany the text in the first three chapters, pages 61
to 76 include numerous color plates of maps and photographs that further
illustrate the concepts and provide a sense of place.

North Carolina's human geography is considered next. Included are chapters
on demography, again with copious illustrations that place the state's
population context across time and space. For example, the state's age and
gender characteristics from 1980 to 1990 are compared to the national data
in a two-page layout (pp. 94-95). The next chapters consider North Carolina's
primary economic activities of agriculture, fishing, and forestry (mining
is considered with geology in the first section). Each topic is well
illustrated with maps, photographs, and data, so that anyone requiring detailed
information on poultry or sweet potatoes can find it by browsing. . . .
The section on primary economic activities is also followed by 18 pages of
excellent color plates, which include photographs, data graphs, maps, and
boxes.

The next chapters explore the state's secondary and tertiary economic
activities. For example, the furniture industry, one of the state's most
important manufacturing endeavors, is explored from the local to the
international levels. Much more is covered, as well, ranging from
employment data to the value of international exports, the rural/urban character of
the state, and quality of life indices, including income, health, education
and crime statistics. Again, the already heavily illustrated section is
followed by a large selection of well-captioned color plates.
North Carolina's fragile natural environment is considered in Chapter 8
from historical and regulatory viewpoints. The foundation for this section was
presented in the first three chapters, which allows the authors to go
right to the heart of the state's natural environmental concerns beginning with
water quality issues and continuing through atmospheric and land
degradation issues.

The final 252 pages consider North Carolina's regional geography in detail
from perspectives varying between the primary regions of Mountains,
Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Tidewater to specific economic and regulatory divisions
regions such as those of the Department of Transportation, those of the
Division of Environment, and the Governmental Planning Agency Regions. The
level of illustrative excellence vis á vis maps, photographs, data tables,
and graphs and color plates remain consistent throughout this section.

One of the things that I especially admire about this volume as a
reference source is it Place Index. For example, there are eighteen pages listed
where one can go to find what has been written or displayed on a map or in a
table about New Hanover County. The other counties receive similar comprehensive
treatment as do the cities, many towns and over 600 other places and
features. This gives the book a gazetteer quality that enhances its
usefulness as a reference volume.

There are a few minor flaws in the volume. The Subject Index could have
been more complete. There are four indices, one for authors, which is of less
interest to the student or reference user that a more thorough Subject
Index would be. Also included are the People, Agencies, and Organizations Index
and the Place Index. However, when I tried to look up all references to sweet
potatoes, they were not listed, nor were other subjects that users might
need to find quickly. Another flaw is in the printing of Color Plate 1.14. It
looks as if the four forest types, marshes and water layers were not included.
Aside from these minor complaints, North Carolina: People and
Environments, second edition, is a tremendous achievement and an important collection of geographic information about our rapidly changing state. It will make a
wonderful text for a North Carolina Geography course, which is, of course,
one of the author's intents. If students cannot find just the right bit of
information about the state within the 559 pages of text, they can refer
to its extensive bibliography.

Elizabeth Hines, Professor of Geography, University of North Carolina at
Wilmington; reviewed in the Southeastern Geographer, Vol. XXXXIII, No. 1,
May 2003, pp. 151-153.

(Editorial Note: Dr. Hines (and others) may find sweet potato referenced on page 581 in the Subject Index, under agriculture field crops)