About book De Wraak Van De Geografie: Wat De Wereldkaart Ons Voorspelt Over Komende Conflicten En Het Gevecht Tegen Het Onvermijdelijke (2012)
This reads more like a college textbook prepared by inexperienced professor who locked himself up in the university library for two years or so. I was disappointed as I liked Kaplan's earlier books, based on his actual visits to locations which are not accessible for most of us. Kaplan does mention places he's visited, but any information or insight he acquired from these visits are not reflected in this book. He just summarises theories put forward by notable scholars in recent years, including William McNeil, Mahan, McKinder and Huntington. The whole book is almost like an extended bibliographical essay from a thesis or something. (I suspect that that is how this book started.) In that way, it may be useful to undergraduates studying subjects like International relations/Modern History/Diplomatic History. For anyone who has done such studies at postgrad level, this is a waste of time. I was highlighting some useful lines, but most of them were quotes from other historians! The whole notion of the Revenge of Geography is indeed puzzling. Geography is always intricately part of human affairs from the very beginning; it is how our abilities to tame the world, enhanced by new technology, that can change how we behave in the world. How states behave can be very complex - and here, Kaplan fails to talk about how internal social and economic progress might influence foreign affairs. Also, climate. What used to be a nice spot to settle may not be so desirable after the weather pattern has changed. He nearly touches some interesting insights by some scholars, but cannot explore them as that would make the book too long. In short, this book is without a clear focal point. I can just get what he's trying to say, that is, that the US should forget about Iraq and Afghanistan. The world is not quite flat, not yet, at least not when it comes to power, war and politics. As in ancient times, geography still strongly determines the faith of nations and their people. This book provides an understanding of some of the factors that affect and guide history. After reading this I see the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on a different light (is bound to happen, Russia needs a buffer from Europe and from Asia, from the routes that invaders such as the Cossacks, Napoleon, and Hitler have used in the past). China, also becomes less of an idea, and more of an entity with pressing needs. Values such as "freedom" and "truth" become naive to a large degree. What is the importance of truth when you surrounded by desert and hostile peoples? What is the significance of the freedom of the few when billions could go back into chaos? Kaplan does not concern himself with this and he shouldn't, this work deals with facts, huge, ancient, undeniable facts such as mountain ranges.
Do You like book De Wraak Van De Geografie: Wat De Wereldkaart Ons Voorspelt Over Komende Conflicten En Het Gevecht Tegen Het Onvermijdelijke (2012)?
I got the point by about page 40, but I couldn't stay interested beyond page 80.
—Bonnie
I liked the book especially the concept of shadow zones of a country.good work
—msmathews
