Growing a Revolution

Bringing Our Soil Back to Life

By: David R. Montgomery

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The problem of agriculture is as old as civilization. Throughout history, great societies that abused their land withered into poverty or disappeared entirely. Now we risk repeating this ancient story on a global scale due to ongoing soil degradation, a changing climate, and a rising population. But there is reason for hope. David R. Montgomery introduces us to farmers around the world at the heart of a brewing soil health revolution that could bring humanity's ailing soil back to life remarkably fast.

Growing a Revolution draws on visits to farms in the industrialized world and developing world to show that a new combination of farming practices can deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions to problems farmers face today. Montgomery explores why practices based on the principles of conservation agriculture help restore soil health and fertility. In addition, he discusses how these practices translate into farms that use less water, generate less pollution, and lower carbon emissions. Combining ancient wisdom with modern science, Growing a Revolution lays out a solid case for an inspiring vision where agriculture becomes the solution to environmental problems.

©2017 David R. Montgomery (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Montgomery's fascinating exposé of how our food is grown will convince readers that soil health should not remain an under-the-radar issue and that we all benefit from embracing a new philosophy of farming." ( Kirkus)

Great educational book!

I enjoyed the narrator. The book was well written. Lots of great ideas for sustainable agriculture. This book needs to be in our universities.

Very informative

Loved the book! The narrator was excellent. A read\listen to any and every one. A good perspective on history and farming

Wake Up Call

I don't care side of the isle your on. Soil health effects everyone. We all need to work together on this!

Regenerative agriculture for the future!

Excellent overview of the regenerative agriculture movement. Montgomery provides compelling and accessible support for rethinking the way we grow our own food and take care of the ecology that sustains human life. It is critical that this information reaches a broader audience to help consumers make informed common sense decisions about where their food comes from. The book is full of examples of leaders from around the world demonstrating through their own work that there is a better alternative, a model for agriculture that does not poison our ecosystems and degrade soil health but does the reverse. by improving soil health we can not only create a greater yield and profit but create a greater resilience in food security and our own health. Help spread the word!

Healthy soil life = healthy life for all.

Great resource book on how to build up your soil back to rich, nutrient complex soil that you need.

Practical Cheap Solutions

It amazes me how people look for complex solutions and dismiss cheap, at times, free ones. While it may not solve all the world's problems, this book provides a starting point for building a profitable rural economy, reduced chemical use and lowering carbon emissions.

Amazing data is reported well.

This information could save many farms, those farms' soils, and ecosystems containing those farms from the current standard practices of supplementing soils with deleterious additives. The data is in. Let us regenerate soils.

Note there is a regenerative organic certification being developed by the Rodale Institute with the NSF.

Imperative.

I hope that his ability to communicate so clearly on the topic allows for widespread understanding and adoption.

Good read, full of truths.

Hopefully farms adopt these practices. We desperately need them to. Human health depends on it. A bit repetitive, but needs to be to get the message to stick. Conservative farming. Diversity, Cover Crops and No till farming practices. Just finishe The Plant Paradox before this and it was amazing how the two books from different points of view both have the same message. We need better farming practices with less chemical inputs to make our food chain healthier.

A little dry. A little repetitive. 100% worth it.

I'm not sure there's a narrator out there that could make soil health sound particularly captivating, and however dry, the book's message has to be repetitive to get through to us. So, the narrator may sound a little dry and the book may seem to repeat a lot, but I think both are necessary evils to really push the importance of soil health in modern agriculture. Overall a great audio book. I think this book is enhanced in audio form, because you can gloss over every now and then when it's no your cup of tea (especially the more scientific jargon-y areas), but not lose interest. I'm not an active farmer, but hope to become one soon. No matter what, though, this book opened my eyes to the reality that is soil health, and that makes all the difference.