Here is a unique natural history of the soil that sustains us, as well as a memoir of one man's connection to it. An elegant, thoughtful, and playful writer, William Bryant Logan considers dirt in all its aspects, from backyard gardening to the evolution of the planet, from the creation and decomposition of soil to the sweet smell of a properly mixed compost heap.

Logan notices that in the refuse in the bed of a long-unused truck parked in the middle of New York City, a miniature forest emerges - a remarkable demonstration of the principle that wherever there is decay and repose there begins to be soil. He contrasts Thomas Jefferson's and John Adams's attitudes toward agriculture, noting that while Jefferson was the more visionary agrarian, Adams was in fact the more successful farmer, and he includes the latter's recipes for compost.

Logan draws the connections between dust storms and dust bunnies, between cosmic dust and the stuff on our windowsills. He tells the story of St. Phocas, the patron saint of gardening, who took care when he was martyred to make sure his body was composted. And he pursues everyone's childhood fantasy of digging a hole to China.

1. Logan combines science, philosophy, and history with a quirky curiosity about why the universe works the way it does.