EXPLANATION IN GEOGRAPHY

“Explanation in Geography, ” the first book by David Harvey, is still the major text used on scientific methodology in geography. It is about the ways in which geographical understanding and knowledge can be acquired and the standards of rational argument and interference that are necessary to ensure that this process is reasonable. The author has sought to show that we can formulate criteria to judge whether or not an argument is sound, a technique properly used, or an explanation reasonable. The book also provides a series of spring-boards for future methodological analysis and some rough and ready guidelines for the conduct of empirical research in geography.

Geographers, who can obtain from reading this book only a small fraction of understanding and insight, will be benefited materially.