Dirt

The Erosion of Civilizations

By: David R. Montgomery

Narrated by: Tim Lundeen

Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Dirt, soil, call it what you want, it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are, and have long been, using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations.

A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, Dirt traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil?as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.

©2012 David R. Montgomery (P)2018 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Eye opening and detailed

If you’re discovering regenerative agriculture, Dirt is a must-read title for you. Full of well documented and supported information about the foundational role our soil plays in the success or failure of civilization. It spans the whole of civilization and proposes solutions for our modern times and on into the future.

Revelatory

A couple of years ago, I started to understand what I think I first heard Derrick Jensen say in an interview a long time ago. Something about how to live sustainably, or in balance or reciprocity with the environment, we have to start with the land.

I think I first started to figure out what this meant after reading Dick Manning's Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, And Promise Of The American Prairie, Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization and James Scott's book, Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States.

The most profound realization I got from these books is that human beings can't eat grass, but, unfortunately, grass is pretty much all that grows naturally in the arid plains of the Midwest and the rest of the bread baskets of the world. Industrial agriculture is only able to squeeze corn, wheat, and soybeans out of these lands because farmers pour huge amounts of fossil fuel based pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on these cash crops. Also, irrigation. And, government subsidies. This makes ridiculous, at least in my mind, any claim that vegan, and even just all-plant based diets, are a viable long-term solution to food shortages around the planet given the current global population. There's nothing vegan about industrial monocrop dead-zone agriculture.

Anyway, this book is an amazing companion to the aforementioned Manning titles and really drives home the Jensen point about everything starts with the land, i.e. the soil.

I learned so much from this book, but perhaps the most remarkable piece came in Montgomery's analysis of the American Civil War in which he argues that erosion of southern plantation soils, and thus their drop in productivity, was a contributing factor that lead to the war. This was mind blowing to me.

A must read to understand the life cycle of civilizations and how to preserve our society

Might be a bit long, and when the tenth civilization dies you sort of know the mechanisms already. Thank god he had found some good but very harsh examples of the opposite.

That said. Everything you learnt in school about the death of the Roman Empire, the Greeks and even today’s USA is not about what you have been taught.

It’s a must read if you think the current climate crisis is a problem. It’s actually much worse and history keeps repeating. With or without global warming.

Read it, I got a very new perspective on these things.

A history lesson in agriculture and colonization

I knew it was going to cover a lot of history, and I would say 95% of it's content is that. Just a touch about soil science. No real solution offer, just a few ideas that are very centered around society having a change of heart and seeing soul conservation as more important that short term economic gain.

Highly recommended if you care about your food

As a farmer soil is my bread and butter, it is the source of life all around us. This book is a fascinating study of how soil and civilizations are tied and what lessons we need to learn from history before we become history.

I will say there are a couple things in the book that are off such as “no-till” farming mean at least 30% of the residue remains. No-till means NO tillage period, it is challenging to do initially but it is vital to maintain soil structure created by the plants and microorganisms. We have Ben 100% no-till for 20 years and will never go back for anything.

Essential info, needed condensing

"Dirt" is essential information for anyone interested in a sustainable civilization on (literally) the Earth. Without understanding the earth beneath our feet we risk our own extinction. However, the author does have a style wherein he says something, then says it again, and then summarizes again. Kept wanting to edit and tighten the text; on the other hand, makes for good background while engaged in physical work with only occasional use of the jump back button.

Slow to start but...

As a fan of civilations and history the connection to soil was an enlightning link. The book was a bit repeatative in the beginning but I listened thru to get to the good stuff.

Great book for anyone wanting to learn about soil

Love this book! This book goes into fascinating detail of soils importance to societies.

A retelling of history from the viewpoint of soil

This was a refreshing review of the history of many cultures and the common causes of soil loss with a few exceptions. It contains many lessons for farmers or gardeners.

Crucial Information

This book delivers some of if not the most important information of our time. History is important. And If we can’t learn from our ecological mistakes as a society, then we face a long hard road ahead.