In Cultural Encounters with the Environment, a distinguished group of contributors offers a fresh and original view of contemporary geography. The authors explore the role of four traditional themes in the 'new cultural geography: ' the interplay between the evolution of particular biophysical niches and the activities of the culture groups that inhabit them; the diffusion of cultural traits; the establishment and definition of culture areas; and the distinctive mix of geographical characteristics that gives places their special character in relation to one another

Chapter 1 Introduction: Encounters with Environment and Place Part 2 Part I: Constructing Cultural Spaces Chapter 3 Domestic Architecture in Early Colonial Mexico: Material Culture as (Sub)Text Chapter 4 The Clash of Utopias: Sisterdale and the Six-Sided Struggle for the Texas Hill Country Chapter 5 The Struggle for Urban Public Spaces: Disposing of the Toronto Waterfront in the Nineteenth Century Chapter 6 Place Your Bets: Rates in Frontier Expansion in American History, 1650-1890 Part 7 Part II: Remaking the Environment Chapter 8 Wittfogel East and West: Changing Perspectives on Water Development in South Asia and the United States, 1670-2000 Chapter 9 Wetlands as Conserved Landscapes in the United States Chapter 10 Navigability of American Waters: Resolving Conflict through Applied Historical Geography Chapter 11 Environmental History: From the Conquest to the Rescue of Nature Part 12 Part III: Claiming Places Chapter 13 Place Metaphor and Milieu in Hemingway's Fiction Chapter 14 Cultural and Medical Geography: Evolution, Convergence, and Innovation Chapter 15 Language and Identity in Russia's National Homelands: Urban-Rural Contrasts Chapter 16 Sharing Sacred Space in the Holy Land Chapter 17 An Absence of Place: Expectation and Realization in the West Bank Chapter 18 Conclusion: Contemplating Enduring Themes and Future Trajectories Chapter 19 Epilogue: Each Particular Place: Culture and Geography Part 20 Index Part 21 About the Contributors