Awards

• Short-listed for Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize 2018

Overview

For centuries, agricultural practices have eroded the soil that farming depends on, stripping it of the organic matter vital to its productivity. Now conventional agriculture is threatening disaster for the world's growing population. In Growing a Revolution, geologist David R. Montgomery travels the world, meeting farmers at the forefront of an agricultural movement to restore soil health. From Kansas to Ghana, he sees why adopting the three tenets of conservation agriculture—ditching the plow, planting cover crops, and growing a diversity of crops—is the solution. When farmers restore fertility to the land, this helps feed the world, cool the planet, reduce pollution, and return profitability to family farms.

Full Product Details

9780393356090

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Reviews

Loved the book! Ambitious and thought-provoking. A fascinating, thoughtful, and hopeful adventure. -- Diana Wall, past president of the Ecological Society of America and director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University From Plato to FDR, from George Washington to Gabe Brown, Montgomery shows how all roads lead to the soil-and the potential it holds to redress some of our greatest challenges in the twenty-first century. -- Woody Tasch, founder of Slow Money and author of Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing As If Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered Growing a Revolution presents a clear-eyed examination of a solution to the challenges we face in feeding the world. A joy to read with the bounce and flow of a great biography. I couldn't recommend it more. -- Jerry Harrison, keyboardist and guitarist, Talking Heads Being a long time `doom bat' regarding the fate of the natural world, Growing a Revolution gave me hope that there is a real possibility of revolutionizing agriculture with the result of growing more food, employing people, and putting carbon back into the ground. -- Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia Montgomery has written another classic. Growing a Revolution is one of the most important books ever written-an engaging and revealing service to human society and our planet. -- Amir Kassam, professor of agriculture, policy and development, University of Reading, UK In the past couple of years, an awful lot of smart people have started talking very seriously about the state of the planet's soil. If you want to understand what's at stake, and learn about the exciting possibilities, this book is a fine starting point. -- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy Montgomery has the rare talent of making complex scientific topics not only understandable but truly fascinating. Growing a Revolution is both exceptionally enlightening and tremendously enjoyable. Highly recommended reading. -- Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Defending Beef and Righteous Porkchop Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful. -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day A wonderful read on how to make soil rich and prosperous! -- Estella B. Leopold, author of Stories from the Leopold Shack: Sand County Revisited This is a Sand County Almanac of agriculture, a Walden Pond of loam and tilth, a paradigm-bending journey into the principles that guide the life beneath our feet and thus the life that nourishes us. -- Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism In his reader-friendly style, Montgomery describes the environmental crossroads at which we stand, and shows us not only the devastation, but the potential solution, that exists right beneath our feet. -- Hope Jahren, author of Lab Girl

How can humanity feed its burgeoning billions when one-third of agricultural soil is degraded? Pondering that question propelled geologist David Montgomery on a three-decade, six-continent survey of farmland. The insights gleaned add nuance to his pointed critiques of agrotechnology and organic farming, but it's the findings on rapid soil restoration that compel. -- Nature Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful. -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day David Montgomery... is one of our most eloquent and precise earth science communicators... [He] has a knack for opening our minds to large, critically important questions. -- New Scientist A wise and grounded book - restored soils are the solution. -- Jules N. Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK Growing a Revolution presents a clear-eyed examination of a solution to the challenges we face in feeding the world. A joy to read with the bounce and flow of a great biography. I couldn't recommend it more. -- Jerry Harrison, keyboardist and guitarist, Talking Heads Montgomery has written another classic. Growing a Revolution is one of the most important books ever written-an engaging and revealing service to human society and our planet. -- Amir Kassam, professor of agriculture, policy and development, University of Reading, UK This is a such an important book... thanks to those who told me to read it... Everyone interested in what we should eat and how we should farm should read it. -- James Rebanks

A wise and grounded book - restored soils are the solution. -- Jules N. Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK David Montgomery... is one of our most eloquent and precise earth science communicators... [He] has a knack for opening our minds to large, critically important questions. -- New Scientist Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful. -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day How can humanity feed its burgeoning billions when one-third of agricultural soil is degraded? Pondering that question propelled geologist David Montgomery on a three-decade, six-continent survey of farmland. The insights gleaned add nuance to his pointed -- Nature

"""How can humanity feed its burgeoning billions when one-third of agricultural soil is degraded? Pondering that question propelled geologist David Montgomery on a three-decade, six-continent survey of farmland. The insights gleaned add nuance to his pointed critiques of agrotechnology and organic farming, but it's the findings on rapid soil restoration that compel."" -- Nature ""Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful."" -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day ""David Montgomery... is one of our most eloquent and precise earth science communicators... [He] has a knack for opening our minds to large, critically important questions."" -- New Scientist ""A wise and grounded book — restored soils are the solution."" -- Jules N. Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK ""Growing a Revolution presents a clear-eyed examination of a solution to the challenges we face in feeding the world. A joy to read with the bounce and flow of a great biography. I couldn’t recommend it more."" -- Jerry Harrison, keyboardist and guitarist, Talking Heads ""Montgomery has written another classic. Growing a Revolution is one of the most important books ever written—an engaging and revealing service to human society and our planet."" -- Amir Kassam, professor of agriculture, policy and development, University of Reading, UK ""This is a such an important book... thanks to those who told me to read it... Everyone interested in what we should eat and how we should farm should read it."" -- James Rebanks"

Author Information

David R. Montgomery is a professor at the University of Washington and a 2008 MacArthur Fellow.

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