Soils and Societies

John R. McNeill

ISBN 10: 1874267545 / ISBN 13: 9781874267546

Published by White Horse Press, GB, 2010

About this Item

Described in "Nature" as 'a delight for the soil aficionado', this multi-authored collection examines the complex interrelations between societies in different parts of the world and the soils they relied on from the perspectives of geomorphology, archaeology, pedology and history. The geographical spread includes Mesoamerica, Africa, Europe, Australia, India and Easter Island. Few things are more important to human survival than the fertility of the soils from which so much of our food comes. Yet few aspects of the relationship between human society and the environment get so little attention. This book explores some of the enormous variety in the ways that people have worked with, thought about, damaged and restored soils. It also shows some of the ways in which soils, their properties and their histories have influenced human affairs. Soils are the substrate of all human society: from the palaeolithic to the present, their history is our history.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781874267546

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Soils and Societies
• Publisher: White Horse Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1874267545
• ISBN 13: 9781874267546
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: New
• Weight: 563 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Described in Nature as 'a delight for the soil aficionado', this multi-authored collection examines the complex interrelations between societies in different parts of the world and the soils they relied on from the perspectives of geomorphology, archaeology, pedology and history. The geographical spread includes Mesoamerica, Africa, Europe, Australia, India and Easter Island. Few things are more important to human survival than the fertility of the soils from which so much of our food comes. Yet few aspects of the relationship between human society and the environment get so little attention. This book explores some of the enormous variety in the ways that people have worked with, thought about, damaged and restored soils. It also shows some of the ways in which soils, their properties and their histories have influenced human affairs. Soils are the substrate of all human society: from the palaeolithic to the present, their history is our history

About the Author

J.R. McNeill Professor of Environmental History at Georgetown University. Verena Winiwarter is Professor of Environmental History at the Institute of Social Ecology, University of Vienna