----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Saturday, March 21, 1998, the New York Times in its 'Arts & Ideas" section had a terrific article by Patricia Cohen on the state of geography, "Geography Redux: Where You Live is What You Are. Why do Some Peoples Surpass Others? Scholars Find New Insights In a Discipline Long Discarded." The illustrations were priceless. Country descriptions written as if they were real estate ads: "America. All modern coveniences. 2 Ocean vus (the Atlantic and Pacific) amber waves of grain...friendly neighbors. Saudi Arabia. $$$ave on heating bills. Built-in oil supply, sandy stretches galore, sun-drenched living room. etc. etc. The article describes the disappearance of geography from the academic scene, and it reappearance today: "Yet after decades of neglect, geography is being rediscovered. The study of how location affects the way people live is not only drawing in new students, it is also attracting the attention of scholars in other fields. Historians, economists and political scientists are using it to explain everything from why some nations are rich and others poor, to why Brazil and Nigeria are rising as regional powers... The article ends with the following thought: "So geography is not destiny any more than genetics or culture is. But after years of neglect, it offers a useful reminder: Location matters." The article is worth reading in its entirety, either in your local library periodical collection or perhaps online. Enjoy! Alice Hudson Map Division, NYPl [log in to unmask]