Soil Science Simplified

by Neal S. Eash, William F. Bennett, Milo I. Harpstead

This book is the quintessential tool for understanding our greatest natural resource. For the teacher or student of earth science, agriculture, or land management; for the farmer with a thousand acres; or for the gardener with one precious plot, Soil Science Simplified offers a thorough and very readable look at soil--its formation, components, chemistry, fertility, and erosion. From the complexities of how water, temperature, and soil fertility affect the life of plants to the technical aspects of soil classification, engineering, surveying, and management, all of soil science is clearly laid out in this new edition.
The authors have expanded their discussions of soil water, temperature, and engineering and have updated their account of soil classification. With an eye to readers here and abroad and to the variety of applications for their book, they use both English and metric units of measurement.

Genres: Science, School

196 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Ava-Rose Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on audio book as some extra QE prep while I’m doing other stuff and it is pretty good! Glosses over a few things but gives a nice overview of major topics, biogeochemistry, food webs, texture, physics, pH, structure, very broad overview of taxonomy. I enjoyed listening!

[Leah Markum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soil science can be a difficult subject, and is one of those subjects that seem minimal from a distance but intimidatingly complex and jargon-heavy up close. Soil Science Simplified makes the transition of overgeneralizing naivety to in-depth working knowledge painless. The 229 actual reading pages are broken into chapters that slowly integrate. By the time one reads the applied soil science chapters, the basic soil science flash with recognition and weave together logically. Many textbooks don't do this or are too surreptitious for average student to detect.

Subheadings with common sense topics slice chapters into segments that should welcome even non-science nerds. If that isn't enough, there are dozens of ink diagrams to illustrate most concepts that aren't intuitive. In fact, I'm sure I could have scanned only the illustrations and still be happy with how much I learned. The authors seemingly magically explained whole chapters on soil formation and soil taxonomy--arguably the most jargon-rich, and technically advanced subjects--without losing me.

This is an ideal book for someone who wants to learn soil science but not on the technical level of a student majoring in a physical science, or someone who wants a lighter introduction to the subject before diving into heavier material.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the authors (Aga Razvi) is on the faculty at UW-Stevens Point.

I was particularly interested in the chapters on soil biological properties, soil water, and soil fertility.

Worth reading more than once.

[Monique]

a must for anyone studying soil composition who didnt major in science. Love it - invaluable!