Who Am I?: An Autobiography of Emotion, Mind, and Spirit (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)
In his "psychologically accurate portrait," well-published cultural geographer Tuan traces his life as a private individual, an academic, and a citizen of the world. Born into a diplomat's family in 1930s China, Tuan has been influenced by China and the many other places he has lived, including France, England, Australia, Berkeley, CA, Minnesota, and now Madison, WI. His autobiography blends vignettes of wartime China, 1950s Berkeley, and other academic settings with a sharply self-critical look into his own life and psyche. While Tuan is a highly successful scholar, he sees himself as eternally immature, lacking in courage and vitality, and timid in personal relationships. His slant is unique, probing into the details of his life as a naturalized Asian American, a European-trained scholar, and a quietly homosexual proponent of humanistic geography. As Tuan explores who he is, sometimes dealing himself achingly harsh treatment, he offers insights into what makes a cultural geographer and why this profession appeals to someone of his intellect and outlook. Recommended for larger public libraries.AD.E. Perushek, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, ILCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.