Geographic Leadership in an Upside-Down World marks the beginning of a lifetime investment. That investment is not in digital currency or stocks, but rather in the practical and enriching lessons that we uncover when examining different parts of the world. We will explore the world’s regions using broad brushstrokes to see if we can make better sense of the environment, society, and our place within all of it. Geography is the study of the Earth as home to human beings; but it is much more complex than that. According to Alexander B. Murphy (2018), geography is an academic study that explores:

• how the world is organized
• the environments and patterns that exist on the ground or that humans create in their minds
• the interconnections that exist between the physical and human environment
• the nature of places and regions

A class in world geography is like chasing after the horizon—you’ll never quite catch up. It doesn’t matter how long we make this book. There is simply too much to know about the world. What we advocate instead is finding ways to bridge knowledge and understanding. Knowledge can be compiled and regurgitated, like the facts that you memorize as you cram for an exam. Understanding, on the other hand, can be transferred to multiple situations, no matter the context. To get the most out of this book, you will be challenged to acquire both knowledge and understanding. Five years from now, it is our expectation that understanding will stick with you and benefit you the most. 

Our goal is to equip you with the leadership capabilities geography offers and society’s educational system too often deprives you of.  Hypothetically, we could drop any one of you in a completely different part of the world and you would be able to assess and solve problems relating to that place. We designed this course to cultivate three capabilities:

• Challenging Preconceptions.  Geography plays a crucial role examining the public’s presumptions about how the world works. As we explore each region, we will locate popular misconceptions in global affairs.  We will construct more holistic understandings through four types of thinking: (1) descriptive, (2) critical, (3) empathetic, and (4) pragmatic.
• Professional Development.  A robust foundation in world geography can prep students for a rapidly changing workforce that favors employees with expansive (rather than intensive) expertise and a willingness to adapt to changing conditions. 
• Search for Meaning.  According to geographer Yi Fu Tuan, life is a field trip.  The places we inhabit can tell us something meaningful about our relation to the environment.  In this book, we will explore how meaning manifests in places around the world and reflect on how that knowledge contributes toward our individual search for meaning.

Your guides on this journey are Thomas Larsen and Lisa Tabor, geographers who have had extensive experience teaching world geography and thinking about how it can be taught more effectively. Let’s start exploring!