Know Soil, Know Life
Click the image below for a pdf preview of the book! .
Think of all the things we need most for daily living: food, clothing, shelter, water. Have you ever considered how each of them, in turn, depends on soil—that without soil, in fact, there would be no life?
Targeted to high schoolers and college students in introductory courses, this 206-page book tells the story of soil through engaging, accessible language and hundreds of full-color photos and illustrations. It begins with a chapter that challenges readers to view soil not as inert “dirt”, but as living material that carries out critical functions for the environment and for people.
Know Soil Know Life then takes readers through a traditional sequence of soil science topics, including soil chemistry, biology, and classification, before drawing a direct line between people and soils once again. In chapter 8, “Soil and Society,” the authors describe the impact of soil on human endeavors ranging from art to warfare. The chapter also details soil’s role in the collapse of past civilizations, such as the Easter Islanders, and modern-day concerns like desertification and deforestation. The book concludes with a chapter on the soil science careers available in research, land management, education, and environmental consulting—careers that many of today’s soil scientists didn’t learn about until they were almost through school.
Know Soil Know Life authors are all members of the Soil Science Society of America’s K-12 education committee: a group of college professors, professional soil scientists, and educators who’ve devoted themselves to sharing soil science as widely as possible.
206 Pages. Softcover. 2012. SSSA. Item: B60991. View Table of Contents (PDF). Member price $32 Non-Member Price $40
Soil! Get the Inside Scoop
Soil! Get the Inside Scoop will get kids excited about the living world of soil! Written for kids in grades 3-6, this 36-page, full-color book explores how soil is part of our life—the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses we live in, and more. Along the way, readers learn about different kinds of soil and meet the scientists who work with soil every day.
The book features sections explaining how dirt is different from soil, how soils form, soil particle size, living organisms in soil, soil types, and how soil connects everything together
36 Pages. Softcover. 2008. SSSA. Item: B60913. View an excerpt (PDF). Member and Non-Member Price $20
