Dirt, soil, call it what you want - it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations" explores the compelling idea that we are - and have long been - using up Earth's soil.Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, "Dirt" traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil - as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 1. Good Old Dirt 2. Skin of the Earth 3. Rivers of Life 4. Graveyard of Empires 5. Let Them Eat Colonies 6. Westward Hoe 7. Dust Blow 8. Dirty Business 9. Islands in Time 10. Life Span of Civilizations Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author

David R. Montgomery, Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, is author of King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon.

Reviews

It takes 500 years to create one inch of topsoil-it takes much less time to deplete the nutrients in soil or to strip soil of protective vegetation. Once that happens, wind and rain erode the topsoil so that, within a few generations, the land is unable to support cultivation. Montgomery (earth & space sciences, Univ. of Washington; King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon) examines the role soil use has played in many civilizations throughout history-Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, China, the Roman Empire, Central America, imperial Europe, and the American Colonies and West. He explores how the overcultivation of soil and its subsequent erosion may have been factors in the decline of many of these civilizations and certainly contributed to America's Dust Bowl conditions in the 1930s. Montgomery concludes by suggesting that no-till and organic farming techniques can be used to prevent future soil catastrophes. For its unique perspective, sound research, and compelling narrative, this book is recommended to public and academic libraries.-Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll. Lib., Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

"Anyone interested in environmental issues should read this book... Entertains and stimulates thought."--Times Higher Ed Sup (Thes) "Fascinating insights into what be our most precious natural resource and gives important pointers toward sustainable land management."--Bioscience "How societies fare in the long run depends on how they treat their soils. Simple. Concise. You are your dirt."--Hobby Farms "Sobering... A timely text that will no doubt stimulate the discussion of this issue, and its potential solutions, for years to come."--Environment & History "Strengthen[s] appreciation for how important the soil is to our existence."--Great Plains Research

Montgomery (King of Fish), a geomorphologist who studies how landscapes change through time, argues persuasively that soil is humanity's most essential natural resource and essentially linked to modern civilization's survival. He traces the history of agriculture, showing that when humans exhausted the soil in the past, their societies collapsed, or they moved on. But moving on is not an option for future generations, he warns: there isn't enough land. In the U.S., mechanized agriculture has eroded an alarming amount of agricultural land, and in the developing world, degraded soil is a principal cause of poverty. We are running out of soil, and agriculture will soon be unable to support the world's growing population. Chemical fertilizers, which are made with lots of cheap oil, are not the solution. Nor are genetically modified seeds, which have not produced larger harvests or reduced the need for pesticides. Montgomery proposes an agricultural revolution based on soil conservation. Instead of tilling the land and making it vulnerable to erosion, we should put organic matter back into the ground, simulating natural conditions. His book, though sometimes redundant, makes a convincing case for the need to respect and conserve the world's limited supply of soil. Illus. not seen by PW. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.