Books : Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth
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by: William Bryant Logan
List Price: $14.95Amazon.com's Price: $10.17 You Save: $4.78 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 631.49
EAN: 9780393329476
ISBN: 039332947X
Label: W. W. Norton
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: November 06, 2006
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Sales Rank: 136200
Studio: W. W. Norton
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
'A gleeful, poetic book…. Like the best natural histories, Dirt is a kind of prayer.'—Los Angeles Times Book Review
'You are about to read a lot about dirt, which no one knows very much about.' So begins the cult classic that brings mystery and magic to 'that stuff that won't come off your collar.'
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Saint Phocas, Darwin, and Virgil parade through this thought-provoking work, taking their place next to the dung beetle, the compost heap, dowsing, historical farming, and the microscopic biota that till the soil. With fresh eyes and heartfelt reverence, William Bryant Logan variously observes, 'There is glamour to the study of rock'; 'The most mysterious place on Earth is right beneath our feet'; and 'Dirt is the gift of each to all.'
Whether Logan is traversing the far reaches of the cosmos or plowing through our planet's crust, his delightful, elegant, and surprisingly soulful meditations greatly enrich our concept of 'dirt,' that substance from which we all arise and to which we all must return.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - A Dark Gem of a Book
A well-written and researched tribute to the mysterious medium that provides the foundation for life on earth. A series of short stories that paint a colorful picture of how soil evolved with the earth.
Rating: - up and clean
certainly not "DOWN AND DIRTY". highly recommended, very informative
and it makes one appreciative of the earth (dirt)...
Rating: - Exciting and Provocative!
A galaxy of stars! Dirt is unique, unlike any other book I've read. (Bill Logan tends to write books like that -- his new one, Oak: The Frame of Civilization, is also unlike anything I've read, including Dirt.) The essay format works well. Logan's writing is cogent, witty, at times poignant; his imagination is fantastic. Rousing and satisfying my curiosity, he asks intriguing questions, and in seeking answers follows paths I would not have thought of but am glad to be led down by such a brilliant, ... Read More
Rating: - Inspires passion for regeneration through soil.
I feel in love with this book. Bought it as a gift and had much trouble giving it up. What a beautiful testimony to the earthly process of life and death in which we all participate. Logan's cross-disciplinary commentary was heartfelt and informative. I have told everyone I know to read it. It is magnificent.
Rating: - Liked it so much it's my #1 Christmas gift to others.
Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan is an enlightening and heartening read for anyone who studies the earth in science or daily living. Although a few of the factoids are not quite correct (watch that logarithmic scale!), this book is full of fascinating science of the soil, surrounded by heartfelt prose. Logan makes earth-centered philosophy accessible to anyone who has ever had a gut feeling that the land is good. The religion of the soil he presents is unobtrusive, yet all ... Read More
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