The Soul of Soil: A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers, 4th Edition

I have not finished the book yet, but it seems to be an excellent source of information on soil. I always have done well with growing things, but I did not realize how important soil health is for today's world. I took a course in basic horticulture at Solano College which has a great program! If we do not work on having healthy soil in our yards and on commercial farms, our soil could become depleted of nutrients and healthy critters like worms and microscopic "animals". Should that happen, the world's breadbasket could be at risk. The world needs both plants and animals for our sustenance. Remember the Dust Bowl? It could be worse. Artificial chemicals kill the microscopic life in our soil. Organic farming can be a solution. This book will give us ideas on how to make this happen. There is a lot of population to be fed! Worth the money!

The author does an amazing job balancing the technical with the practical. He does discuss some very technical aspects of soil science but does it in such a way that you never once think your sitting in a chemistry class. For the average gardener, this will probably be as technical as you'll ever want to get. If you are a budding soil scientist, this book will provide a gentle introduction to the topic that will prepare you for more advanced study. A truly multifaceted treatise on the art and science of soil buildin​g and maintenance.

This is truly a good book. It is short, simply written, and very informative. However, it is a little technical for the average Gardner. I personally picked-up this book to gain general knowledge about soil, and I found everything I asked for and more. Nevertheless, there were things that I felt were not explained enough, but that's not the fault of the author because I am neither a master gardner nor a farmer. In the begging of the book it almost seemed like the author was one of the environmentalist extremists, however as I continued reading I found the author to be a responsible writer with no extremism. As a matter of fact, on several occasions the author offered advise to non-organic farmers. Overall, a great book and coming from my non-farmer background I would give it 4 stars.

Should be required reading to live on earth.

I am a farmer.I utilized this book a great deal this past growing season, from quoting a beautiful explanation of what sustainable agriculture is, understanding compost application rates, reading the health of a field by the weeds present, to the instructions for on-farm compost making.There are also a number of great tables contained in this book, which I'm sure I will reference time and time again.The language is clear, not too technical for a generalist to understand, yet with enough information to be worth the time reading.While I couldn't recommend this for someone on their first foray into gardening, I feel that it is a must read for any aspiring farmer.

Great info but a very dry read.

I had purchased "Start with the Soil" by the same author and loved it. I thought this book would be a more advanced version but this is not the case. It was actually written before and reworked in a different format to become "Start with the Soil". This is the reason I gave it a lower rating. Although there are some differences, I would say if you are interested in a home size garden or landscape, this book is really not the better choice even thought the other is no longer in print. That said, the information contained is invaluable and something anyone who loves working the soil should really understand--which ever version you end up purchasing.

I haven't put this book down since it arrived in the mail. The book itself was wrapped in a thick plastic cover and is in great condition. A very good read so far, I'm finding it to have in depth coverage of the microbe activity and nutrient exchange process that occurs in soil. So very happy I made this purchase. Would happily purchase more literature or products from this seller, thanks so much!

Very good book providing all the answers i needed about how to condition the soil in my garden for all the different things l need to grow for my biodynamic vegetable garden to my lawns and the work l do for other people in my business restoring houses.Excellant.

excellent book.

Give you really want you need to know.For pro!

This is a must have book for any serious organic gardener. Teaching all about soil composition and microbial life.

Great quality