The market is the central institution of the global economy, driving the development that has so dramatically improved living standards for many of the world's people over the past two centuries. But the market has also helped to keep many other people in poverty, and it has played a major role in the ongoing degradation of the environment. In Economic Geography: An Institutional Approach, Roger Hayter and Jerry Patchell offer a comprehensive introduction to the study of economic activity in place and across space, centred on the interplay of the economic, social, and political institutions that do so much to determine the quality of life in a particular place: from its economic efficiency to the degree of social equity it enjoys and its position in what is now a global economic system. Perfect for courses in economic geography, the text provides both a solid foundation in the location dynamics of value chains and a perspective that recognizes the interdependence of places, institutions, activities, and ways of life around the world.

Roger Hayter's profile page

Jerry Patchell's profile page

Dr Roger Hayter is professor and chair in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University. Dr Hayter has written numerous papers and books. He was given the Award for Scholarly Distinction by the Canadian Association of Geographers in 1999, and served as Editor of The Canadian Geographer from 2006 to 2008.

Dr Jerry Patchell is associate professor in the Social Science Division at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He hasn't written as many papers or books as Roger, but he isn't as old either.

"The readability of this book far exceeds anything that I have used in my course. The themes of place and space are front and centre throughout. . . . I also liked the balanced approach, [drawing on] both the classical material and more recent approaches to the study of spatial economic systems and development." --Brian Lorch, Lakehead University

"The treatment of non-profits is the best I have seen in an economic geography textbook, and the discussion of network economies as a kind of scale economy is both consistent with a larger body of now neglected work in geography and refreshing. This chapter would provide an additional segue for GIS-focused students." --Jeff Boggs, Brock University