Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to provide an introductory framework for a global understanding of social and cultural geography. It deals with the geography of the world s people, their places, their regions, and how people and societies connect with each other in social, religious, economic, and political systems that both build communities and span the world. It is local, regional, and is simultaneously historical, contemporary, and futuristic. The book will enable the readers to have a basic understanding of cultural geography both as an academic enterprise and as a way to understand the world around us. It will also enable them place the key elements of the world s human places and landscapes in their geographic and social scientific contexts.