Sustainable Food Gardens: Myths and Solutions

by Robert Kourik, 486 pages, 8½x11, softcover. Don’t fear the thickness of this tome—it’s saving you from reading a 3-foot-tall stack of papers, 200 books, and 1000+ digital research documents on every possible aspect of gardening. Chapters like “Free Fertilizers,” “Root Dynamics” and “Conserving Resources” read like having a conversation with a wise friend. I enjoyed his sense of humor and honesty about the scientific process. Captioning the results of one study, he writes: “Why? Who knows? I certainly don’t.” The book’s subtitle alludes to its commitment to peer-reviewed results over anecdotes (even when we don’t understand them!) Kourik takes care to present methods like no-till or raised beds through their most basic pros and cons, so the reader can apply the knowledge regardless of the particular demands of site and climate. “You have to make the decision as to what mixture of plants, techniques, and hardware is best for you,” he advises. More than 450 illustrations! -RM