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Practical Pedology. By S. G. McRae. 253 pages. Chichester: Ellis Horwood Ltd. 1988. Price £35.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 85312 918 5.

This book derives from contributions to a Land Degradation and Public Policy Workshop hosted by the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University on 3-4 September 1985. There is a small section devoted to the biological and physical background but no detail of scientific evidence on these aspects. The book is concerned more with the social and policy aspects of land degradation. There are sections on social costs, legal factors and land tenure, economic issues, pressure groups, public agencies and policy formulation, ending with discussion of possibilities of more effective policies. Some sections end with a useful commentary on the papers delivered. The basis of the arguments concerns water erosion, wind erosion and salinization under Australian conditions and the book is obviously important for Australian scientists and policy makers, but the width of argument makes it useful reading for those in other countries where there is debate about pollution of the environment and the relation of agriculture to land use. As expected, the presentation is excellent.