The Nature and Properties of Soils

This is the 13th edition of a text that has been the standard in this field for 84 years. Its durability lies in its solid information; clear presentation; and graphics that are as rich as they are numerous. It is peppered with fascinating sidebars. You can dip into it as a reference and find just what you need (assuming you have a foundation in soil science). Even after I moved on to advanced coursework in soils, I found myself referring back to this. If you have been assigned a soils text for a class, do not go with the abridged version of this, Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. It is 1/2 the book for 3/4 of the price (and at discounters the books are priced identically). If you plan to continue studies in the natural sciences, you will want this unabridged version. It's indispensable.

My "Science of Soils" class at Stanford University (Autumn '01) used "The Nature and Properties of Soils" as our main textbook. It is clearly written, easy to read, and has lots of helpful figures (including graphs, diagrams, drawings, and black-and-white and color photos). The chapters are well organized, so that you can find exactly what you need to know. The authors include hundreds of websites for those who want more information, and make the book more readable by starting off each chapter with a quote and a "big picture" statement."The Nature and Properties of Soils" has a good mix of theoretical and practical information. Wherever possible, the authors do sample calculations and describe applications for agriculture, ecology, and engineering. They thoroughly cover every major topic in soil science, as well as delving into some more specialized ones (for example, symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies in plants).In conclusion, I've found this textbook to be both very information-rich and very readable, and highly recommend it. (The other day I caught my boyfriend, who's a materials engineer, reading it for fun... that's about the highest accolade any textbook can get!)

I had this text (by Buckman & Brady), for "Soil Science 200" back in 1965. This edition, now with Buckman and Weil still follows the basic design of the original work. I have come back to this book time and time again. My edition, though dated, is still a solid work. All major aspects of soil science and quite a bit of agronomy are presented extremely well. The writing is brisk but does not sacrifice content. This book will give you a solid foundation should you decide to pursue the subject further. There are numerous tables,charts, etc. An excellent resource.

As a student, this book has picked my interest in soils and related studies. This most updated version has many informative and helpful graphs, charts, pictures, and links to websites. In my two years of college education, this has been my favorite assigned text. It has some real meat to it, but it is presented in such a way that the novice can understand. It is one of the books that I will hang onto as I am sure it will come in handy down the road.