"The more I work in the Social Studies field the more convinced I become that geography is the foundation of all. When I begin work on a new area--Something I have been called upon to do rather frequently in my adult life. I invariably start with the best Geography I can find. This takes precedence over everything else, even history, because I need to ground myself in the fundamentals which have governed and in a sense limited human development. If I were a young man with any talent for expressing myself, and If I wanted to make myself indispensable to my country, I would devote 8-10 years to the real mastery of one of the earth's major regions. I would learn languages, the religion, the culture, the value systems, the history, the nationalisms, and above all else--the Geography. When this was completed, I would be in a position to write about that region, and I would be invaluable to my Nation, for I would be the bridge of understanding to the alien culture. We have seen how crucial such bridges can be. "