Soil and Culture (PDF)

From the reviews

The lent ritual "Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return" takes a totally different meaning in this remarkable book. In spite of its crucial importance, the set of scientific disciplines covered by the name "soil science" does not benefit from the public recognition it should have. Although physics and biology fire the imagination of artists, no one considers soil science as a source of decisive insights into our earthly existence. No one, that is, apart from the billions of people for whom the soil possesses a life-and-death salience. This unique gathering of ethnographic materials, state-of-the-art scientific research, and original art forms, arrives just at the moment when the whole planet is rediscovering what it means to say that we are earthlings. (Bruno Latour, Sciences Po, Professor at "Sciences Po Paris" (School of Political Sciences) University, Paris, France)

“Soil and culture, a collection of essays by a variety of authors, fills this gap by illustrating the full suite of ways in which soils affect human society. … compiling fascinating information or providing deep insight. Soil and art is one of the book’s main themes. … gives a face to what that means, and shows how a blending of the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities can provide deep insights into humanity’s relationship with nature. It is a lovely book.” (Joshua Schimel, Nature Geoscience, Vol. 301 (3), 2010)

"The hard-bound, multi-authored, 28-chapter book addresses social, cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic aspects of world soils. Thematic topics are amply illustrated by visuals (124 photographs in vivid colors), graphs (22), tables (9) and numerous references (900). All authors and co-authors, component and world class professionals, have compiled and synthesized the available knowledge on this important topic.[...] This book highlights another important, but until recently little recognized function of soil: its