Book Review: I Used to Know That: Geography by Will Williams

 

Ah, Geography! I have such fond memories from school about it! Course I always wanted to travel the world, so I was interested in learning about new places and the earth we live on If you don't remember your lessons from school, this is another excellent primer from Readers Digest Books!

Synopsis: Do you know which countries border Afghanistan? 

Or the difference between Micronesia and Melanesia? 

And that 51 member states existed in 1945 at the founding of the UN and 192 exist today? 

It's hard to know everything about geography, that amazing science that explains the interaction of diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the Earth's surface. However, I Used to Know That: Geography explores both the physical and human aspects of the world in short order. Inside you'll find:

The physical world: rivers and coasts, tectonics, climate and weather, global issues

The human world: world population growth, settlements and how they happened, industry and energy, and development

Countries by continent maps, complete with capital cities and population counts

Maps and a "tree" illustration, showing all branches of geography

With its "a-ha!" facts, useful illustrations, and interesting sidebars, I Used to Know That: Geography offers answers to common geography questions and gives you all you need to know to start a provocative conversation at your next party.


About the Author: Will Williams always knew that places would be important in his life. After a good state school education at King Edward's, Lichfield, (England) he went on to Hertford College, Oxford, where he read Geography. Though secretly harboring a desire to be a stuntman, he is currently entrenched as the Head of Geography at St Paul's School, London. The place he calls home, though, is near the banks of the Garonne in South West France, with his wife Christelle and daughter Fleuve. 


For more information on the Blackboard Series of Books, please visit http://rdtradepublishing.com and http://www.rd.com/ebooks/


Review: This is NOT a complicated resource, but one that can be used by kids of all ages, and by their parents, when helping them with their homework! While some things might change (population of a country), using its' capital city does not, so tables with that info can be pretty handy to kids. Also included is a table with state capitals.


If you home school your kids, this book could even be a primer for teaching them, as it covers so many areas and topics! Even if you don't you might want to supplement your kids education with lessons from the book. For example, is there is a local Asian festival, you can talk about the different countries that make up Asia, how China developed many things we still use today, and about the geography of the land. Then when you take them to the festival, they will be better informed and make less assumptions, and ask intelligent questions. AND you will be the parent who helped reinforce their child's education! A win-win situation!


The book also includes boxes called Geo Gems, with trivia facts that will help you astound and win at Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy! There are also global maps in each section being discussed, so your child can see where on the Earth you are talking about!


I highly recommend this book, along with the rest of the series, and I think a set of them would be a brilliant baby shower or adoption gift! 





Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from FSB Associates, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.