The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny and Globalization's Rough Landscape Book

I really wanted to like this book. I was very put off by Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat," and judging by the title - The Power of Place - I thought I would find the perfect rejoinder in this book.

(If you want a good rejoinder, read this PDF: )

All that said, I was supremely disappointed by the book. I can't say I learned anything from it. The most interesting parts of the books were the occasional maps; outside that, I don't think de Blij adds much to the debate.

And while I disagree with Friedman's premise (or at least find it highly misleading), at least he is a good writer. The Power of Place plods along at an uninspiring pace, jumping around from topic to topic before devolving into nothing more than a laundry list of all the reasons why it sucks to be a "local" rather than a "mobal" (or whatever he calls them).

A great idea for a book -- really weak execution. Quite unfortunate, given my interest in the 'power of place.'