Product Description
Over 30 years after a rural urbanization programme was implemented in two economically lagging states in Malaysia, they have remained in the backwater of development. The growth centre strategy applied has served more to reinforce the polarization effect, widening the gaps between the more developed and less developed regions.This monograph is a product of an empirical study which reflects on the problems and experience in introducing a regional plan based on a non-spatial economic theory with an outcome much in contrast to its intended spatial objective. Agricultural commodity-based surplus created has ?jumped space? in favour of outside urban regions with comparative and competitive advantages ... Read more

Product Description
This title provides new and up-to-date information on nature conservation issues in Malaysia. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Geographical Journal, published by Royal Geographical Society on July 1, 1994. The length of the article is 552 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The View from Within: Geographical Essays on Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Author: Jonathan Rigg
Publication: The Geographical Journal (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1994
Publisher: Royal Geographical Society
Volume: v160Issue: n2Page: p201(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Malaysia has come a long way from its colonial roots that saw the country languishing in the economic backwaters upon independence in 1957. The fledgling country had to learn how to build a nation that could stand tall in the eyes of the world. Today, at the dawn of the 21st century, Malaysia has carved a name for itself among the peoples and nations of the world. These are days of reckoning. Never before has Malaysia encountered a host of endless challenges at the dawn of a new century. Malaysia's transformation from an obscure nation to a rapidly industrializing nation that thrives on national unity, racial harmony, economic aspirations, political maturity, and social prosperity is remarkable.

However, there are still many challenges Malaysia will have to face as the new century is arguably different from the previous one. The wave of globalization, the liberalization of markets and industries, the advent of information and communications technologies, the new paradigm of knowledge economy, and a maturing society in terms of political and social sophistication provide opportunities and challenges for the nation. Malaysia and its people cannot afford to be complacent. The Malaysian government has thus formulated various policies and programmes to achieve Vision 2020. Besides offering an excellent overview of Malaysia in the 21st Century, this book also looks at the many challenges the nation will have to embrace, the government's strategies to propel the nation forward, and the private sector's initiatives towards releasing common goals. ... Read more

Product Description
The best guide to Southeast Asia, completely updated

Jungle treks, smoldering volcanos, and white-sand beaches
Colorful bazaars, crafts villages, reliable jewelers and electronics stores--and where to get clothes made to order
Wondrous golden palaces and ancient temple complexes

Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget

Memorable accommodations, from beachside bungalows to luxurious mountaintop villas and swank urban palaces
Stylish Pacific Rim cuisine, high tea in Singapore, tasty local delicacies from cafés, noodle stands, and hawker centers

Fresh, thorough, practical--from writers you can trust

Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands
All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents

58 pages of maps, vacation itineraries, and more

Important Contacts A to Z; Smart Travel Tips; Fodor's Choice; What's Where; Pleasures & Pastimes; New & Noteworthy; complete index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Asia on Internet Time
I love the Rough Guides, Moon Guides, and Lonely Planet. The only problemis, they often assume you're going for 3 weeks or 6 months. I can seldomget away for more than 8-10 days at a time. Fodor's doesn't just dump a lotof destination info on you. They help you prioritize by listing"must-see" sights and presenting multiple alternative itinerariesfor trips of different lengths, etc.

Last December, Fodor's SE Asia guidehelped me figure out that the Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore odyssey we wantedjust wouldn't fit comfortably into 10 days. So we postponed that trip untilsomeday when we have at least 2 or 3 weeks. Instead, we simply flew intoBangkok and immediately booked a 3-day Phnom Penh/Angkor tour. In all, wedid 3 days each in Cambodia and Bangkok and 4 days in Tokyo. It was afabulous trip.

This time I'm using Fodor's Japan, together with the Moonand Rough Guides (and of course the Internet), to plan a 10-day solo tripto Hokkaido. From Fodor's I get the highlights, along with a good idea ofwhat I can expect to fit into 10 days. From the other two I get obscure(but equally important!) details, such as the fact that the little farmingtown of Furano (not mentioned in Fodor's) gets a lot of Japanese touristsbecause it was the setting for the long-running TV drama Kita no Kuni Kara(From the North Country). I've only seen a few early episodes of that show,but it's enough that now I want to see Furano too.

To sum up, I useFodor's as my starting point, then read other guides to get extra details.I've done 2 Asia trips this way, and I'll be doing the 3rd one very soon.

A concise and easy-to-use guide
As Fodors does like no one else, this pleasing digestible guidebook gives practical information to the traveller for an incredibly large and diverse region.A great starting point for trip planning in southeast Asia. ... Read more

Product Description
Ever since independence, Malaysia has achieved steady economic growth. While there have been several periods where the country had experienced economic dislocations of various sorts, such as the recession of the mid-1980s and the financial crisis of 1997, Malaysia has been able to come out of them much better, wiser and ready to pursue and continue its economic path. Politically, the country is one of the most stable democratic countries in East Asia. While there will always be debate as to the extent of democratic practice in the country, its stability is of an overriding concern to the political leadership. Except for the May 1969 racial riots, Malaysia has achieved uninterrupted peace and stability. However, as the country moves into the 21st century, with the society becoming much more sophisticated and with the challenge of globalisation, Malaysia finds itself in a transition.

It appears that what have been done before may no longer be acceptable nor relevant to a Malaysian public that has grown to be much more aware and better informed. As such, Malaysia faces the future with the necessity to meet the challenges head on. Regionally and internationally, things are equally complex. While the world has changed tremendously, practice appears to remain the same. This book is made up of personal views expressed and observed by a Malaysian on many pertinent issues, both domestic in nature and international perspectives that impinge on Malaysia. As Malaysia becomes a much more important player in the region and the world, its views, must be understood and heard. ... Read more

Product Description
Nature and Nation explores the relations between people and forests in Peninsular Malaysia where the planet's richest terrestrial eco-system met head-on with the fastest pace of economic transformation experienced in the tropical world. It engages the interplay of history, culture, science, economics and politics to provide a holistic interpretation of the continuing relevance of forests to state and society in the moist tropics.

Malaysia has long been singled out for emulation by developing nations, an accolade contradicted in recent years by concerns over its capital-, rather than poverty-driven forest depletion. The Malaysian case supports the call for re-appraisal of entrenched prescriptions for development that go beyond material needs. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a thematic contemporary human geography of the ASEAN countries and essentially has been written to fulfil two objectives. First, to present an up-to-date statement covering some of the changes that are currently affecting the countries of the area, and second, to provide an account that gives greater detailed discussion than would normally be found in a general, regional geography. It is for this reason that a thematic approach has been adpoted. In addition, and arising from the objectives that have been set and the approach selected, the book focuses only on the countries of ASEAN, namely Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. ... Read more

Product Description
This travel book is part of a series inviting young readers to explore the six continents. Each title includes a survey of the country's history, geography, culture, government, industry, agriculture, place in the world and a suggestion of what the future may hold. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1993 members of the Malaysian Nature Society went to the exciting and little known are of Belum and Temengor in the State of Perak. This well illustrated book describes the expedition, and the geology, flora and fauna of the region. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 2; Original Published by: E. Stanford in 1908 in 626 pages; Subjects: Natural history; Australasia; Australia; New Zealand; Oceania; Southeast Asia; Pacific Area; Malaysia; Malaya; Oceanica; History / Australia & New Zealand; History / Asia / Southeast Asia; History / Oceania; Nature / General; Social Science / Anthropology / General; Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural; Travel / Australia & Oceania; ... Read more

Product Description
A colour guide to the underwater life of the world's four great coral seabeds, where the warm limpid water is home to an extraordinary range of highly-coloured species of all shapes and sizes. Photographs, identification artwork and biological tables illustrate the easily understood but scientifically accurate text to offer a complete guide to the flora and fauna of the loveliest seas on the planet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What are they talking about?
Nowadays many divers are producing dive guides to their favourite destinations. Some are really good and reflect the author's life-long knowledge of the area. Sadly, far too many are poorly written and should not have been published. Technical, reference books, however, are not for those who lack the requisite qualifications which must be coupled with expertise. Who knows what misinformation may be imparted - simply because the author did not posses a complete understanding of the subject.

This is another book from White Star Publishing of Italy. It is not, however, another diving guide. A quick glance at the contents reveals how this book seeks to explain the Coral Reef - from 500 million years ago to the present day, it's geography, biology and, of course, those all-important living creatures.

That is a pretty tall order. It is, therefore, only fair that we should examine the qualifications of the author in order in order to determine the credibility of the content. I was, therefore, expecting to find a short biography explaining when and where the author obtained his PhD or other equally impressive qualifications. Sadly there is no such information - not even a pen-picture or résumé about the person responsible for writing this technical tome. In fact, apart from the two instances (book cover and page 3) where Angelo Mojetta is credited with writing the text, he receives no further mention whatsoever. Nor is he credited with having taken any of the many excellent photographs - which also include images from NASA and Oxford Scientific Films.

In short, the reader is left with no idea whether this book is the work of someone who is an eminent expert in his field or an enthusiastic amateur - and that leaves a very large question mark over the entire content. Sadly, and equally unforgivable, the publishers have also omitted a bibliography. After all, the author was certainly not around 500 million years ago - so he must have obtained his information from somewhere.

All that said, this is a well-presented and highly technical book covering the evolution of Barrier Reefs and the way they are today. We just can't be certain the information is correct. The book is supported with plenty of maps, graphs and diagrams which are generally used to good effect. The final 45 pages are devoted to artistic impressions of various fishes, invertebrates and corals. Unfortunately, however, these are flawed - both in presentation and content. Having compared the fishes drawn and described in this book with those from other titles from this same publisher, I found the same pictures are used in those other titles - where the same fish are given different names!

My final comment is reserved for this publisher's somewhat original brand of "Italian-English" for which they are renowned. Because phrases are expressed differently from language to language, any "word by word" literal translation often looks very silly. This book opens with the following two sentences which speak for themselves and come complete with spelling mistakes (marked with "(sic)" each time) and lack of punctuation:

"In an ideal catalogue of the natural wonders on earth a prominent position must be reserved alongside the rain forests (sic), the Africa savanna (sic) and the ices of Antarctica for coral reefs. Warm crystal-clear waters inviting exploration, exuberant life manifesting itself in a myriad of forms and colours - these are the principal (sic) features of the extraordinary habitats peculiar to the tropical regions of our planet, incomparable aquatic environments in equilibrium between the sea and the land and prey to the forces of both."

If you would like to read more of the same - then this is the book for you. Personally, I think it a pity that such excellent photography is wasted on what is easily the hardest book I have ever tried to read and understand.

NM

What are they talking about?

A Visual Delight
I purchased this book recently in Sydney in preparation for an overseas diving vacation.It is a visual delight and something I continually review as it gives me great pleasure due to the amazing underwater photography. ... Read more