The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture (Culture of the Land) [Paperback]

Albert Howard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Culture of the Land | Publication Date: January 12, 2007

During his years as a scientist working for the British government in India, Sir Albert Howard conceived of and refined the principles of organic agriculture. Howard's The Soil and Health became a seminal and inspirational text in the organic movement soon after its publication in 1945. The Soil and Health argues that industrial agriculture, emergent in Howard's era and dominant today, disrupts the delicate balance of nature and irrevocably robs the soil of its fertility. Howard's classic treatise links the burgeoning health crises facing crops, livestock, and humanity to this radical degradation of the Earth's soil. His message -- that we must respect and restore the health of the soil for the benefit of future generations -- still resonates among those who are concerned about the effects of chemically enhanced agriculture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""This is one of the great classics of the organic farming movement. This legacy ought to be better remembered and understood." --Wes Jackson, author of Becoming Native to This Place" --

""Howard realized decades ago that chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and pesticides deplete the soil, which leads to public health problems, including disease and environmental destruction... Thankfully, the University Press of Kentucky has recently reprinted Howard's 'The Soil and Health.' Originally published in 1945, the book largely inspired out modern-day organic movement. The time has come to re-think Howard's words, especially in light of recent research showing what's in organically grown food might matter as much as the missing synthetic pesticide and herbicide residues." -- Melinda Hemmelgarn, Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune" --

""A no-jargon, no-ostentation, no-fooling-around book that is as relevant as it was when it was first published in 1947. If some of us can take from it that the basic concepts or organic agriculture are timeless -- simple and "organic" -- then this reprint has done its job." --Claus Sproll, Lilipoh" --

From the Publisher

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY WENDELL BERRY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (January 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813191718
• ISBN-13: 978-0813191713
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Soil Science
  • #40 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Agronomy
  • #71 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Sustainable Agriculture

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Early Book on Organic Agriculture, April 4, 2007

By 

Benjamin I. Ylvisaker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture (Culture of the Land) (Paperback)

The Soil and Health is a wonderful book that is equal parts agricultural science and environmental advocacy, with just a dash of kooky Nature worship thrown in. Howard was a conventionally trained agricultural scientist in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century who was employed by the British government to bring modern industrial agriculture, based on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to Britain's tropical colonies. Soon, though, he realized the value of more traditional agricultural practices from India and China, especially in keeping the microbial, fungal and invertebrate life in the soil healthy.

If you believe in the value of organic agriculture, it is somewhat sad to see how little has changed since 1945. Howard confidently predicts in his book that organic methods based on compost would soon sweep the globe. Things have changed some, though. We can now buy "organic" labeled products in most markets in America, and I believe that more people have an appreciation for the importance of treating the earth well. This book does an excellent job of establishing and reinforcing that appreciation.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Agriculturally Literate, August 10, 2009

By 

Daniel McBride - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture (Culture of the Land) (Paperback)

As a long time reader of Wendell Berry, I have been fascinated to read this book that Berry claims to have influenced his thinking to such a great extent. Sir Albert Howard is a wonderful science writer, able to lucidly explain complicated biological processes and marshall all of his observations in the service of a coherent argument about our relationship to nature. I see deep truth in this book, and an approach to scientific thinking that never loses site of our unavoidable ignorance or our ultimately spiritual destiny.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why does soil matter? Read this first, March 2, 2009

By 

Siri Erickson-Brown (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture (Culture of the Land) (Paperback)

Jared Diamond and others have written about how civilizations have destroyed themselves by exploiting their soils. Sir Albert Howard said the same thing, but he said it 100 years ago. Howard was the father of the modern organic, holistic farming movement. This book is incredibly readable and will change how you think about food, soil, and the fate of civilization.