Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners | 
 enlarge | Author: James B. Nardi
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 219897
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0226568520
Dewey Decimal Number: 578.757
EAN: 9780226568522
ASIN: 0226568520
Publication Date: October 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Book and cover in mint condition
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Product Description
Leonardo da Vinci once mused that “we know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot,” an observation that is as apt today as it was five hundred years ago. The biological world under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated, yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth, there lives trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes, hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of their location and size, many of these creatures are as unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the bottom of the ocean.
Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred color illustrations and masterfully-rendered black and white drawings throughout, Life in the Soil invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig in and discover the diverse community of creatures living in the dirt below us. Biologist and acclaimed natural history artist James B. Nardi begins with an introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth, and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by taxon, Life in the Soil covers everything from slime molds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems in conserving the worlds above and below ground.
A unique and illustrative introduction to the many unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape our environment aboveground, Life in the Soil will inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.
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| Customer Reviews:
a great look below the surface October 11, 2008
As a gardener, I really appreciated this look at the very complex world of the soil. Very few gardening sources go beyond describing the soil environment as wet/dry, clay/sand, acid/alkali. This instead is a window into the extremely mysterious and complex and lively world that our plants live in. Some of the creatures described are better than science fiction. It makes a great read and a great reference book. I wish I had time to carry out all the observations it suggests.
I have one editorial quibble - the book has very good illustrations, but the way they are called out in the text frequently doesn't really reflect what the illustrations show. Perhaps a further edition can fix this.
Beyond this, I've been recommending this book to every gardener I know.
Useful and interesting book July 30, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
We enjoyed this comprehensive and well written summary of the many organisms found in soils. It is full of fascinating information about soil organisms, is written for the layman, and includes several nice experiments which would be fun to do with children.
Great Book June 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It has useful information and pictures. For example, when walking my dog I came across a salamander like I never saw before. I found it in the book, both a picture, and its preferred habitat.
Essential Reading for Gardeners, Farmers, Military Officers, Environmentalists, and more March 30, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Like many other things about the soil, this book has far more relevance than it first appears. On the surface, it is a fine reference work about the soil and the living things in it. Good soil will have bacteria and fungi by the millions in every square foot, not to mention plant material and worms, insects, spiders, and other critters. Nardi discusses at length what it takes to make a crumbly loam that will soak in water, resist erosion, and provide the nutrients that crops need. If you're interested in studying wildlife without traveling further than your local backyard or park, Nardi also gives the basics of how to study the animals of the soil. He includes a section on soil problems, including preventing erosion and salinization, and how to maximize the benefit of any fertilizer that is applied. He emphasizes that pesticides can often do more harm than good. In a time of rising prices for fertilizer and pesticides, it is good to know that paying attention to your soil can bring dividends that chemicals won't. Highly recommended for gardeners, farmers, and environmentalists.
Nardi is low-key about the economic importance of his work, and says nothing about politics. He's not out to promote a cause; he's explaining what productive soil is, where it comes from, and how to keep it that way. The fact is, though, that soil degradation is a root cause of an astonishing number of conflicts around the world today. Nardi says nothing about Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Somalia, or Sudan, but all of these countries have extremely degraded soil. I know of no book more important than Nardi's for persons interested in reducing poverty worldwide to have on their bookshelf. Ditto for anyone, whether in the military or not, who wants to promote peace. Studying a bucket of soil from a local farm can tell you more than anything else about why violence erupts again and again in some parts of the world. Solving soil problems before they get to the disaster stage can also play a major role in preventing conflict and upheaval--and the U.S. needs to look at its own soil in this context.
Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturlalists and Gardeners February 8, 2008
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a most fascinating and useful book - full of unexpected tidbits - information and explanations which are very well presented, very readable and extremely well Illustrated. I recommend it highly!
Sheila
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