Tells the story of how humans have used their ingenuity throughout history to maintain soil fertility, after fixed settlement meant that the same fields were exploited year after year. The systems of the Chinese, the Incas, the Mayas and the Romans are all considered. Later chapters deal with the birth of the nitrogen fixation industry.
This book is unique and enjoyable read from a knowledgeable writer. Angewandte Chemie Leigh conveys a great deal of information in 220 pages of text, and does so in an easy-to-read, clear and accurate style. This is altogether a fine book. NATURE This is a story with epic sweep told with the sureness of a lifetime's scholarship. Guardian Unlimited (Life)