GRIGOR P. POP (2012), DEPRESIUNEA TRANSILVANIEI

Book Review<br />

<strong>GRIGOR</strong> P. <strong>POP</strong> (<strong>2012</strong>),<br />

<strong>DEPRESIUNEA</strong> <strong>TRANSILVANIEI</strong><br />

Editura Presa Universitara Clujeana, Cluj Napoca, ISBN 978-973-595-438-3, 289 pages, 14 figures, 2 tabels,<br />

foreword, reference, abstract in English language, afterword<br />

When someone wants to find an<br />

iconic figure for Romanian human and<br />

regional geography, without any doubt, the<br />

name of Ph.D. Professor Grigor P. Pop, is<br />

one of the leading figure of this domain.<br />

With an outstanding tenacity the author of<br />

the book follows his lifetime goal, to search,<br />

how few know how to do, the beautiful field<br />

of regional geography.<br />

The present volume, published by<br />

“Presa Universitara Clujeana” Publishing<br />

House, is a continuation of several regional<br />

geography books of the author and a<br />

continuation of the ideas of regional<br />

geography school from Babes Bolyai<br />

University. The experience of the author is<br />

proved by the way in which he arranged his<br />

ideas, materialized as books, during the<br />

years. As it is logic, he started with a general<br />

analysis materialized in the book “Carpatii si<br />

Subcarpatii Romaniei (Editura Presa<br />

Universitara Clujeană, Cluj Napoca, 2000),<br />

followed by “Dealurile si Campiile<br />

Romaniei” and finally, the recent book,<br />

“Depresiunea Transilvaniei”. It is a logic<br />

approach which lead the reader, from the general approach, to a more and more detailed analysis<br />

of the field area, proving the intimate knowledge between the author and the study area. The fact<br />

that two of his fundamental books (Carpatii si Subcarpatii Romaniei and Depresiunea<br />

Transilvaniei) were republisher, the first in 2006 and the second in <strong>2012</strong>, prove the intimate link<br />

between the author and the two geographic areas. The author is one of the rare autor who remains<br />

attached to his study areas, despite the fact that he published a book dealing with it, this relation<br />

being a rare attribute of a real and genuine dedicated geographer.<br />

The book is structured in two main chapters (chapter A. General Characteristics and<br />

chapter B. The Regionalization of the Transylvanian Depression) each chapter having several subchapters.<br />

The first chapter, is dedicated to the general features of the Transylvanian Depression in<br />

terms of geological, structural, physical characteristics as well as human-geographical features. As<br />

the author himself admits, “…I tried not to intervene within the physical geography component,<br />

which were kept, with few exceptions as in the previous form” (p. 289). The main difference,<br />

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Book Review 355<br />

compared to the first edition, is related to the human components, the author tried to update the<br />

main human geography components (population, settlements, agriculture, industry, means of<br />

communication), to the data of 2010.<br />

The bulk of the book is dedicated to the Regionalization of Transylvanian Depression, (p. 33 -<br />

262) each main sub-division of the study area being separately analyzed both from physical and<br />

human aspects. One of the most important features of this chapter is related to the fact that the author<br />

successfully manages to link the analyzed Peripheral Units (p. 37 - 126) to the Carpathian, creating<br />

thus a logical causal explanation of a much larger geographical space.<br />

Probably the most important feature of the book, viewed as a whole, is given by the fact<br />

that it is perfectly balanced in terms of different geographic components. The analysis of physical<br />

components are perfectly linked to the human components, among them being a fluent<br />

penetration, the reader having the impression of fluency, the detail elements being perfectly<br />

integrated within different components. The analysis manner filtered by these scientific<br />

approaches reflects both originality and realism and also a very deep knowledge of geographical<br />

scientific literature. But the essence of this book is given by the experience of the author, the way<br />

in which he was able to filter, to integrate and to synthesize the data, the result being a scientific<br />

book with a unique individuality.<br />

The graphic of the book is simple but very clear, easy to read and to interpret, the<br />

reader having the opportunity to “anchor” different units, with the help of the maps, into o<br />

coherent visual matrix.<br />

The very comprehensive English language summary (p. 264 - 277) turn the book into a<br />

very usefull instrument for all those interested to find geographic information about this part of<br />

Romania and also integrate the book into international scientific circuit.<br />

Lector. univ. dr. Stelian NISTOR<br />

University of Oradea