Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil [Paperback]

Daniel Hillel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520080807 | ISBN-13: 978-0520080805 | Publication Date: September 30, 1992

As the crucible of life, the source and final resting place of everything that grows, soil inspires reverence not only in the peasant who derives his daily bread from it, but also in the scientist who contemplates its meaning as the place where life and death meet and exchange vital energies. Out of the Earth is the culmination of the author's long career in conservation. This history of man's use and misuse of soil and water combines a description of the complex inner processes that form soil with a lyrical assertion of its powers and significance.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Can the loss of soil fertility so affect a civilization that it ceases to exist? Yes, says Hillel, professor of soil physics at the University of Massachusetts. In this readable and easily accessible book, he begins by exploring ancient cultures to show that, far from being modern afflictions only, destructive farming practices and deforestation have been occurring with regularity for thousands of years. From Sumeria to Australia to China to America, Hillel impressively documents his thesis with example after example. More than a scholarly accounting, this book is passionate in its defense of the earth and the need for wise stewardship of its resources. Recommended.
- Randy Dykhuis, OCLC, Dublin, Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"Daniel Hillel is a master at presenting complex scientific concepts in a dynamic, lively style. He also demonstrates unusual mastery in articulating the historical framework of the present crisis, providing a perspective on the peaks and valleys of the long-standing relationship between the soil and man."--Shawki Barghouti, Chief of Agriculture Production and Services, The World Bank

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (September 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520080807
• ISBN-13: 978-0520080805
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Agronomy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING, July 26, 2008

By 

Arielle Malek "readsalot" (santa monica, california) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil (Paperback)

This book is amazing, inspiring, wonderful. I was so uninterested in the topic of soil before I took a required class in which this book was mentioned. The author, Hillel, discusses the earth from many different points of view, mythological, anthropological, philosophical, ecological, and, of course, scientific. He tells us why the fertile crescent is no longer fertile and about similar destruction we're wreaking on our own bread basket lands right now... Surprisingly, this is an easy book to read. I read many parts of it outloud to friends. Now when I walk I am aware of the life teeming under each step I take...

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Out of the Earth, January 17, 2000

By 

Byron E. Butchart (Charlottesville, VA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil (Paperback)

This is a very well written study of the intersection of soil and civilization: Mankind's effect on the life-supporting soil around them, and the usually terminal effect of the degraded soil upon mankind. Hillel has a wonderful voice and solid credentials. As Santana said, remember your history or pay the price.