"From this gritty and compelling state-of-our-earth report comes the inescapable truth that we are nothing if not dirty-minded. A brilliant and essential book."--Roger Swain, science editor of Horticulture magazine

"The relationship between soils and societies has been crucial for humankind for 10,000 years. David Montgomery brings a geomorphologist's eye and a world-historical vision to the subject, showing why it demands our attention."--J.R. McNeill, author of Something New Under the Sun

"In our cyber-charged age, it's easy to forget that all six billion of us stand on the thin skin of the earth. Humanity is agriculture and agriculture is soil, just as it has been for 10,000 years. David Montgomery--a competent digger of dirt and an engaging storyteller--shows how a close look at the soil can reveal a surprising amount about who we are and where we are headed."--Richard Manning, author of Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization