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Soils and their Management: A Sino-European Perspective , eds E. Maltby & T. Wollersen. xi+394 pp. Barking: Elsevier Applied Science (1989). £48.00 (hard covers). ISBN 1 85166 427 0.

The subtitle of this book is 'A practical guide to the use and management of soils' and it is written in a simple form with practically no unexplained jargon. It is very useful for the general public who wish to engage in arguments about the environment, as well as for farmers, advisors and agricultural scientists. Indeed it would be a good textbook for schools that wish their pupils to understand the land on which and by which we live. The book is divided into two sections. The first deals with general properties of soils covering the growth of plants, the growth of roots, soil texture, soil structure, soil organic matter, water in soils, soil colour and aeration. The second section discusses soil husbandry in practice, with chapters on problems related to soil compaction, soil structure and crop nutrition, land quality and land use, land restoration, physical examination of soils in the field, and good soil husbandry. There are appendices giving a list of complementary books, metric units and conversions to other units and a glossary of terms. There is a useful index. The whole is well produced with clear Figures and only a few spelling mistakes.