Book excerpt: Totally revised and updated, the Third Edition of this bestselling textbook is the definitive introduction to the history, philosophy and methodology of human geography. The book is organized into five sections: an historical overview of the discipline and an explanation of its organization; an examination of geography from Antiquity to the early modern period; an analysis of paradigm shifts and the quantitative revolution; discussions of postivism, empiricism, structuration theory, realism and postmodernism; and finally an introduction to core themes and concepts in current geographical thought including space, place and feminism.