Choice Review

The second volume from the Women and Geography Study Group of the Institute of British Geographers, this collection consists of 21 uniformly well written original articles. In their first collection, Geography and Gender: An Introduction to Feminist Geography (CH, Apr '85), the authors presented an overview of strong emerging feminist consciousness and theory within the field of geography. Here, feminist theory and substantive data from geography and other disciplines (most noticeably anthropology and development economies) are used to document the value of studying the geography of gender in the Third World. The chapter by editors Townsend and Momsen promises to be as important for feminist geography and related disciplines as Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo's ``Women, culture and society: a theoretical overview'' (in Women, Culture, and Society, CH, Sep '74) was for the development of feminist anthropology. Demographic, economic, political, health and nutrition, and sociocultural aspects (including gender constructions and female-male differences in work and other life opportunities) of development projects are examined with regard to their effect on women's lives. These projects have been undertaken or are planned for one of 17 Third World countries. The collection is rich with data and interpretation. The bibliography is generally good, but there are some references missing (e.g., the source for data on Peruvian women). The volume will be of exceptional value to anthropologists, sociologists, planners, economists, political scientists, and women studies scholars, as well as geographers. Public and academic libraries at all levels.-S.-E. Jacobs, University of Washington