BURNING LANDS AND SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS: The Story of the Tropics

There is a fast tour of the torrid belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn with brief descriptions of the varied geography of the tropical countries, their peoples and animals. ""Nowhere on earth is there greater diversity in climate, geography and cultures."" Riffling through the many and excellent black and white photographs proves the author's point in just the pictures. There is a little of everything in the brisk text: history; present economy; and adaptation to climate and terrain for the countries that range from those in Africa around the earth to the South American heat zone. The final chapter discusses the outlook for the future as many of the more primitive peoples found in this territory face their emergence as independent nations in the 20th century.