For those willing to spend a bit of time, there is a fascinating interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation which will be available online later tonight HERE:

To understand many of the triumphs, tragedies and conflicts in the world, geopolitical analyst Robert Kaplan says to look no further than a map. In his book The Revenge Of Geography, Kaplan argues that geography is central to understanding the history and future of world affairs.

There are summaries of the other segments on that page. The first part on Libya, etc, was VERY interesting and well worth listening, as well as the author listed above.