Croatia (Modern World Nations (Hardcover))

Charles F. Gritzner is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography at South Dakota State University in Brookings. In 2010, he retired from teaching after a 50-year career during which he taught more than 70 different courses. Dr. Gritzner has served as both president and executive director of the National Council for Geographic Education and received the Council's highest honor, the George J. Miller Award for Distinguished Service to Geographic Education, as well as numerous other national teaching, service, and research recognitions from the NCGE, the Association of American Geographers, and other organizations.

Grade 7-10-Pavlovic clearly takes great pride in his country's assets, especially its natural beauty, but he does not gloss over its problems as he takes readers "on a book tour" of his homeland. He begins with a detailed chapter on physical geography followed by one that sketches Croatian history from prehistoric times to the present. Other chapters cover the government and economy, the people and culture, and the regions. Geographical terms such as "karst topography," "pyrophytic vegetation," and "alluvial soils" are explained within the text. However, the plethora of unfamiliar and, for Americans, seemingly unpronounceable place names, so many of which do not appear on either of the two maps, may overwhelm most readers, especially in the chapter on regions and cities. It is indeed curious that this series, with its emphasis on geography, does not include more maps. The full-color photographs are merely adequate. While the author makes some good points about the country's physical setting, its culture, and future challenges, this title's overall encyclopedic style will probably limit its use to reports. Robert Cooper's Croatia (Benchmark, 2000) has its own problems but its profusion of photographs and shorter subtopics should entice more students to read the book, or at least sections of it.
Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign
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