Dirt cover art

Dirt

The Erosion of Civilizations

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Dirt

By: David R. Montgomery
Narrated by: Tim Lundeen
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About this listen

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 audiobook 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.

Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

©2012 David R. Montgomery (P)2024 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
Agricultural & Food Sciences Earth Sciences Science Ancient History Colonial Period Latin American Capitalism

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All stars
Most relevant  
Educational but not enthralling, worth a listen.
It backs up other books on this subject rather than hitting new ground

Educational

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A critical revision highlighting a genuine issue creeping up on humanity.
If we don't heed this books warnings we will get what we deserve.

important work

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great book carefully explaining and debating different farming methods throughout human history. and the effect that these have on soil fertility, erosion and production feasibility .

extremely informative

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An amazing insight into what is actually important, this knowledge should be taught in schools and should be the basis for the environmental movement moving forward

A book everyone needs to read

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A good read but like most western books only covers farming and civilisations and gives the impression that farming and agriculture only started with Europe and the the
Levant. Missing out per-diagnostic Africa and Egypt.

Like most books miss out African history of farming

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