Writes of Passage explores the interplay between a system of "othering" which travelers bring to a place, and the "real" geographical difference they discover upon arrival. Exposing the tensions between the imaginary and real, Duncan and Gregory and a team of leading international contributors focus primarily upon travelers from the 18th and 19th Centuries to pin down the imaginary within the context of imperial power. The contributors focus on travel to three main regions: Africa, South Asia...

Ruddiman's textbook presents an overview of the record of early human effects on landscapes and climate, from the beginnings of agriculture development through to the Industrial Revolution, moving into present day.