Glacier: Nature and Culture, by Peter G. Knight. London: Reaktion Books, 2019. 223 pp. $24.95 (paperback). ISBN: 978-1-78914-134-4.

摘要

Peter Knight is a reader in geography at Keele Universityin the English Midlands and has published papers andbooks dealing with glacial geomorphology and geology;in fact, I contributed to one of his books. However, thisbook is decidedly much more than a textbook on glaciers, and as Knight states at the beginning of chapter 1,“Precisely defined for the scientist, a metaphor and anicon for the poet, glaciers for each of us have their ownplace in our view of the world.” This book is part of“The Earth” series, which has the goal of bringingtogether science, art, and religion. Although it dealswith many aspects that would be included ina textbook on glacial processes, this book also includeschapters on a variety of ways in which glaciers (and icesheets) have influenced poets and artists as well as howthey are perceived by members of First Nations. Glaciersand ice sheets not only have a present-day impact but, inmany areas, the past influence of large expanded icesheets is present in terms of both landforms and glaciallyderived sediments. Even in those areas of the world wellremoved from their past presence, these changes are alsoevident in terms of major changes in climate and sealevel. The volume is lavishly illustrated by many colorimages of glaciers and ice fields from around the world,including several satellite images.