Gardening for the Earth and Soul is a book that provides both inspiration and practical information for the gardening novice and expert alike. In fact, the book is much like a garden itself. The gentle, earthy writing, the peaceful and joyous artwork, the potpourri of tidbits, stories, recipes, suggestions for children's activities, poems, and how-to information reminded me of a walk through a garden—so many smells and sights, new and familiar, so much beauty and life. At the same time, if the reader needs to stop walking and sit quietly to study more deeply a particular topic covered in this book, he may find himself wanting and needing more.

The book covers a very wide range of topics from the basics of composting, soil preparation, seed saving, transplanting and cultivation tips for the major food crops to pest control, season extension, food storage, lawn care, forest gardening, and community gardening (to name a few!). I found this range to be both enjoyable and worrisome. It is certainly fun to read this book as the subject matter changes regularly and sometimes unpredictably. Like a winding garden path, you never know what you'll encounter around the next bend. The disadvantage of this style is that it can be a little difficult to find particular information. In addition, I worry that this may not be a book for the absolute novice who has high hopes for a first garden. While many topics are covered, generally each topic is covered fairly superficially and there may not be enough information to equip the true novice. While the author lists some additional, more comprehensive resources, often the list is quite limited and does not include some well-respected and useful books. This may be due in part to the author's background and emphasis on permaculture techniques. However, the lack of hand-holding could be ideal for more experienced gardeners looking for new ideas, inspirations and techniques.

This book excels as a reminder to all of us of our connection to the soil, of our role as caretakers, and of a simpler way of being. Gaining the skills outlined in this book can be incredibly rewarding—the reader can gain a deeper, experiential understanding of the natural world upon which we all depend, and learn how to interact with the natural world in mutually beneficial, rather than harmful, ways. In addition, the book excels at inspiring gardeners to include children and other community members in their gardening activities. Gardening can often be a solo or familial activity, but has such a tremendous potential to positively affect many lives outside our comfortable boundaries.

The author promotes a permaculture method of soil preparation that requires digging the soil and then adding wetted newspaper and 1½ to 2 feet of straw. This is a time-tested, successful method, but is it sustainable? When we add straw, we are taking the nutrients (and future organic matter) from another soil in order to enrich our garden's soil, in effect robbing Peter to pay Paul. Since soil can only produce about a 1-inch layer of straw for itself each year, this method requires that you remove the straw (and its nutrients and organic matter potential) from an area of soil that is 18–24 times the area of your garden! While you may only need to do that once, it is in the spirit of this book to consider the environmental ramifications of the gardening methods you use.

Gardening for the Earth and Soil is an enriching book that covers a wide range of topics. For gardeners with some experience looking for new inspiration and a reminder to simplify and reconnect with the soil, the Earth and the wonder that is a garden, this book is a garden path you will enjoy experiencing.