In this highly original book, Robert Dodgshon suggests that in order to understand change we first need to understand the geographical circumstances under which society finds change difficult. Secondly, he shows how society's use of space is a powerful source of this inertia, and the different sources of geographical inertia are explored. By examining this inertia we learn that society has long steered change around such spaces. This is an important and innovative book and will be of interest to a range of geographers, historians and social theorists.