In the best tradition of clipped reference-book writing, Segal packs an astonishing array of information into a mere 170 pages of text and maps. He traces the history of human migration from its East African origins, surveys voluntary migration by era and by region, then does the same for involuntary migration, focuses in on some major diasporas (Chinese, Jewish, etc.), and concludes with a catch-all section which covers such subjects as tourism, labor remittances, and the brain-drain.
The Atlas's strength lies in its synoptic approach, looking at all times and places. This puts each specific migration into perspective and provides a context. For example, it provides a listing of "emigrants as a percentage of sending-country populations" which shows that no less than thirty countries send over 10 percent of their population abroad. Segal uncovers some very consequential patterns: "The population explosion of the twentieth century," he observes, "has not been matched by a corresponding growth in international migration." But perhaps the most surprising sentence in the book comes in the section on tourism: "International tourism dwarfs international migration in volume and expenditures," accounting for two-thirds to three-quarters of all world travel by volume.
If you can't find the hundred dollars to buy this book, do find an hour to browse through it at a library, preferably near a photostat machine.
