Soil: Reflections on the Basis of our Existence

Håkan Wallander is a professor in Soil Biology and the reader is guided through the fascinating world below ground. The book has a free form and the author mixes scientific facts with personal stories from active research experiences and everyday life. The main focus is to make the reader aware of the vast biodiversity that exists in the soil, and to describe the important processes provided by the soil organisms. Reflections are made on how dependent we are on living soils, and how vulnerable the soil is if managed in a wrong way. The importance of soils as carbon sinks and reflections about the possible influence of soils for taste and quality of food and wine is also covered. The book is illustrated with photographs and every picture has a legend that stands on its own. In this way the reader will have an easy way into the book, and the main aim is to gain new readers to a subject that is immensely important, but not very attractive to laypersons.

It is well known that the soil beneath our feet is one of the most critical components for life on our planet. And yet it holds secrets that would surprise even the most avid gardener.

Håkan Wallander, Professor of Soil Biology at Lund University, takes us on a journey through this hidden and multifaceted world, sharing his intimate knowledge of soil acquired during years of research and visits to the rainforests of South America, Africa’s deserts and North America’s glaciers, interwoven with observations from his homeland, Sweden.

Through words and pictures, Wallander brings to life the biological and chemical processes that shape and form the soil. He explains the critical role of bacteria and fungi in soil fertility, interspersing personal reflections with scientific argument and illuminating his subject with fascinating insights. What, for instance, makes a fine wine explode on our taste buds like an Olympic fireworks display?

This is a book like no other. One that makes the soil a little easier – and infinitely more exciting – to understand.