Beyond the tourist cliche of island dreams

The Contemporary Caribbean aims to provide an economic, political, social and environmental overview of the region for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Given the region's diversity, the book is organised by topic and does not attempt a country-by-country survey. Nevertheless, boxed material addresses specific, national examples.

Most are short case studies, although important ideas, such as family land and sex tourism, are also discussed. The text focuses on the insular, especially Anglophone, Caribbean, although Cuba and Haiti feature strongly.

The book has three main parts. "Foundations of the Caribbean" has chapters on the region's physical geography and the flows of population that have created its unique character. "Rural and urban bases of the contemporary Caribbean" considers relationships between populations and environments, addressing agriculture, natural hazards and their management, social conditions, housing and urban systems. Finally, "Global restructuring and the Caribbean" covers industrialisation and development, offshore services, globalisation, tourism and its impact, and domestic and international politics.

The book has more than 100 figures, 35 plates and 40 tables. Each chapter is accompanied by an extensive reference list but no suggestions for further reading. A comprehensive index can be used to synthesise information about particular countries.

I already use The Contemporary Caribbean in a year-three human geography course on "The Caribbean and the making of the modern world". Many chapters offer a helpful grounding for students unfamiliar with the region beyond tourist clichés.

Some aspects of the Caribbean are not covered - there is little about identity, religion or the cultural geographies of the region, issues that are considered in Introduction to the Pan-Caribbean (edited by Tracey Skelton, 2004), which I also use. Beyond geography, the book will prove valuable for politics and economics courses or any course with a significant Caribbean component, along with development studies. To this end, the book succeeds in providing a substantive and holistic introduction to this part of the world.

David Lambert is lecturer in human geography, Royal Holloway, University of London.