The book, most originating from a conference in 2004, consists of ten chapters on a range of topics in sustainable agriculture, mostly written from the standpoints of the social and geographical disciplines. The biophysical factors in sustainability – for example how a farmed soil might be defined as sustainable in terms of its organisms and processes – are not covered. Chapter 1 sets the scene, comparing definitions and contrasting, with examples, what are termed sustainable and industrialized agriculture. I would have welcomed more critical dissection here and elsewhere of the various definitions, possibly by reference to agricultural systems that have already collapsed, and to the likely reasons for their unsustainable behaviour. Some of the remaining chapters deal with general issues, such as farm animals and rural sustainability (which I found informative as a non-specialist in this area), while others are highly specific, presenting cases from mostly England, but also Ireland and Canada. The cases include alternative food networks, reasons why farmers quit organic schemes, and the link between farming and landscape where the aesthetic by-products of farming may be more valuable than the products. In general, the writing is clear, though admittedly jargon in Chapter 2, for instance, might discourage some readers. As a whole, the book provides useful reference material, and will be valuable for this as an addition to a library, but in this reader's opinion, the geographical and social aspects of sustainable agriculture would benefit from a much more quantitative and less anecdotal approach than is generally given here.