Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations

This book could never have been written without the support of Anne Biklé who, once again, put up with a dining room table covered with end-less revisions. Susan Rasmussen chased down obscure historical sources and proved an incredible library sleuth. Polly Freeman, Blake Edgar, and Edith Gladstone provided exceptional editorial input and guidance, and Sam Fleishman was a tremendous help in finding the manuscript a good home. Charles Kiblinger and Harvey Greenberg helped prepare the illus-trations. I am also grateful to the Whiteley Center at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratory for providing the perfect environ-ment to finish the manuscript. I am deeply indebted to the researchers whose work I have relied on in this synthesis and compiled at the end of the book for readers interested in finding the original sources. Naturally, I alone remain responsible for any inadvertent errors and oversights. Finally, in the interest of brevity and narrative I have chosen not to focus on the history and details of the work of the Natural Resources Conservation Ser-vice (formerly the Soil Conservation Service), even though its important work remains among the most underappreciated on the planet—and essential to our future.