Physical Geography by K. Siddhartha – review

Book – Physical Geography
Author – K. Siddhartha
Publisher – Kitab Mahal
First Published – 2017
Pages – 868
Ideal for – Geography students, competitive exam aspirants and IAS aspirants with Geography as an elective subject

The students who have geography selected as their optional subject in UPSC mains can certainly take advantage of this fine book on physical geography by K. Siddhartha, Moreover, this is also an ideal book for undergraduate and graduate students who have to study physical geography. Divided into three major sections, the book deals with topics of earth, atmosphere and oceans differently than seen in most of the books hitherto. I will tell about the features of the book that will help the readers decide why do they need the book and how useful it might be for them.

Basic Construct of the Chapters:
As a geography student (BA and MA), I had the opportunity to study various books on Geography (including Physical Geography). Based on my observations, I will certainly say that the manner in which K. Siddhartha has constructed his chapters in this book is unique and instantly beneficial for the students. It is something like the following:

Content
Model Questions
Model Answers (if needed)
Important Terms
References, websites and links

All the sections are designed to ensure that students learn what is being taught. The language is comprehensive and written in a way that the book has a score that works with every level – undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and for various competitive examinations.

Illustration:
The book is not only based on written content but also on the illustrations that have been designed to aid the understanding of the students. Representative images, illustrations, diagrams, data, graphs and many other forms of illustrations are there to make sure students learn the necessary concepts and theories and facts very well. Though this is not new for a Physical Geography Book, still, the book has got a certain edge because of the execution and perfect synchronisation between the content and the illustrations.

Relatively New Sections:
For example, the details of the various international summits and conferences have been presented in a module – International Response to Climate Change, Chapter 43, pp. 642-53. It is updated, contemporary and something without which the concept of this chapter was in vain! Because the book is published only in 2017 before various editions surfaced, it is bound to be undergoing various cycles of revisions to keep itself contemporary and ‘recent’ for the benefit of students and IAS aspirants because questions asked have no ‘time-limits’ in the terms of calendars!

Overall Assesment:
Physical Geography by K. Siddhartha has 868 pages and I believe, based on my own study, it won’t take more than a month to a casual student and more than two weeks for a sharp mind to digest the book thoroughly. So, if you are willing to understand physical geography, whether for your examination needs or your curriculum demands it, this is a book that you need to have on your study table!

It deals with the core concepts of Physical Geography in a subtle manner which explains the necessary concept without taking so much of time and leaving no room for confusion and ‘comprehension gap’ on the pages. It is simple enough for a student of BA second year and it is vast enough for senior preparing for UPSC mains!

You can get a copy of the book from Amazon by following the link below which opens in a new tab on Amazon India website:

Get the book – Amazon India – buy now

review and comments by Shikhar (UPSC aspirant, MA in Geography)