Review by Choice Review
One cannot argue with the big picture in this book. Plants and people have evolved a mutually beneficial relationship with their respective microbiomes. Working with that ecological relationship makes more sense than subverting or ignoring it. Montgomery (geomorphology, Univ. of Washington), author of The Rocks Don't Lie (CH, Dec'12, 50-2085), and Bikle (biologist, environmentalist) have done a masterful job of interweaving the significance of soil health with its microbiome and human health with its microbiome. A healthy diet and a healthy soil promote well-being. Researchers in the field will feel a warm glow about this appreciative description of their science. However, Montgomery and Bikle oversimplified or ignored much prior work on the topic with which they had this eye-opening experience. To justify their thesis, they created a straw man of modern conventional agriculture and food production. Efficiency by farmers and responses to consumer wants, rather than conspiracy by chemical companies, have much to do with explaining current agricultural practices. Readers should approach this book by reflecting that intensive organic agriculture as Montgomery and Bikle practice it in their home garden has its own costs and limitations--particularly when it comes to the capacity to feed a global population. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers. --Mark Steven Coyne, University of Kentucky
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
According to the latest estimates from working microbiologists who track this kind of information, the teeming population of microbes living inside of us outnumbers our own cells by almost 10 to 1. As for those living in the soil and sea around us, the figure reaches into the thousands of trillions, taking up half of the weight of all life on Earth. This eye-opening new work from geologist and popular-science author Montgomery, coauthored with his biologist wife Biklé, is replete with many more astonishing facts such as these, including the momentous news that a revolution in microbiology is currently under way demonstrating just how critical these microbes are both to our own health and the health of the planet. While giving readers a thorough understanding of the many varieties and behaviors of microscopic creatures such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, the authors also add a personal dimension, describing how microorganisms helped their garden blossom and recounting Biklé's ordeal with cancer. A must for all fascinated by the workings of the body and for those concerned with health care and the environment.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the heart of this delightful book lies the simple belief that microbes have "shaped our past and how we treat them will shape our future in ways we are only beginning to understand." Montgomery (The Rocks Don't Lie), a MacArthur fellow and University of Washington geologist, and Biklé, an environmental planner, came to this conclusion after purchasing a home in Seattle and trying to plant a garden. The couple's attempt to rehabilitate desolate soil led them to explore the microenvironment beneath the ground. They discovered just how complex that ecosystem is, and how essential it is for the health and well-being of the larger ecosystems with which people have greater familiarity. The authors' growing appreciation of the role that soil microorganisms play led them to look into other critical functions that microbes perform. They focus most of their attention on the human gut and the symbiotic relationship humans have with the huge array of organisms living inside them, making the case that plants and humans have much in common. In addition to explaining how to cultivate both soil and intestinal flora, Montgomery and Biklé present an enjoyable summary of the history of microbiology, a thoughtful discussion of immunology, and a survey of agricultural practices. Illus. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Geologist Montgomery (geomorphology, Univ. of Washington, Seattle; The Rocks Don't Lie) and biologist Biklé share their personal accounts of transforming their yard into a lush garden after feeding the soil with organic matter. They also write about Biklé's battle with cancer, which propels them deeper into researching microbes. The authors argue that microbes are beneficial and powerful healers that can help infertile crops and battle chronic diseases. Additionally, eating certain foods helps to build healthy microbes. The authors demonstrate that humans and plants have more in common than many realize. A science background is not necessary for readers of this title as the authors do a fine job of explaining scientific terms and processes; they make the material exciting and intimate. VERDICT Recommended for general readers wishing to learn more about gardening, sustainability, and nutrition, as well as students and scholars of geology, microbiology, botany, the history of science, public health, agriculture, and nutrition.-Tina Chan, SUNY Oswego © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A geologist and a biologist and environmental planner chronicle the transformation of their desolate Seattle backyard into a fertile garden and how they learned about the importance of beneficial microbes in their newly revived soil. With lively and accessible prose, Montgomery (The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood, 2013, etc.) and Bikl lay the foundation for their narrative with a discussion about microbes: what they are as well as their remarkable adaptability and diversity and the role they play in the natural environmente.g., making half the world's oxygen. The authors lead readers through an eye-opening history of well-known individuals involved with the fascinating work of ferreting out the mysterious lives of these little critters, such as Louis Pasteur, and many others less well known to the nonscientific community. The authors' blending of science and history, combined with personal insights, keeps the balanced narrative moving at a rapid pace. Montgomery and Bikl also deftly integrate the dark story of American agriculture's co-option by the chemical industry. Attempting to solve the biological problem of low soil fertility with herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, corporations created a cycle of demand requiring farmers use more chemicals. The result has been depleted soil with fewer microbes and an unsustainable food production system. The authors explore the overuse of antibiotics and their effect on the human biome, livestock, and infectious diseases. Bikl describes her bout with cancer and the resulting changes she made to her garden and dietary habits. The authors ably help lay readers knit together the multiple threads of this complex and intriguing story, and a glossary provides a solid a foundation when grappling with unfamiliar terms such as "commensal" or dysbiosis." A must-read for avid gardeners, those interested in bolstering our precarious food supply, or anyone remotely concerned about their health and the soil under their feet. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
