Category: Reviews

Three quarters of known animal species are insects. From pollinators to pests, dinner to decomposers, insects are integral to healthy ecosystems. So, when there is a huge decline in populations, scientists get worried. And they should, because a lack of caterpillars means no baby birds. More importantly, from my point of view, no flies means

If you are a foodie, a fermentista or a gardener passionate about flavor, “Wildcrafted Vinegars” may be your next savory adventure. In his third book on fermentation (“The Wildcrafting Brewer” covers yeast fermentations and “Wildcrafted Fermentation” covers lactic acid ferments), Pascal Baudar takes us through the steps of making vinegar and flavoring it. His instructions

With uncomplicated prose and a distinct perspective, “Fresh Banana Leaves” interweaves a heartfelt narrative about an Indigenous scientist’s journey through academia, and the family and community that have taught her along the way, with a comprehensive primer about the importance of centering Indigenous voices in environmental science and policy. Author Jessica Hernandez is an environmental

Drawing on over 10 years of travel and research to document food on the brink of disappearing, BBC food journalist Dan Saladino created the captivating book “Eating to Extinction.” Divided into 10 sections of food types (including cereal, vegetable, cheese and alcohol), Saladino delves into the threats to food around the world. The emergent patterns

There are many ways people come to herbalism and become connected to the healing power of plants. Karen M. Rose, author of “The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine,” comes from a long line of “Roses,” a perfect last name for an herbalist.

Liz Carlisle could have written a book on regenerative agriculture that extolled the virtues of intensive grazing and no-till. She could have focused on practices like cover cropping and polyculture, and how they can lead to carbon sequestration and increased soil organic matter. That was her intent, after all: “to pin down the potential for

If you think you know Monsanto — the biochemical company that has become synonymous with genetically modified monoculture and toxic herbicides — think again. Bartow J. Elmore’s “Seed Money: Monsanto’s Past and Our Food Future” is a history of the corporation, its blunders and how it became the black hat of modern agriculture. Elmore’s detailed

Assembled around five back-to-the-land movements from the 1840s into the 2010s and the pandemic years, “Foodtopia” is an exploration of utopian experiments that use food as a means to create a more just and equal world. Woven together with the common thread of food as a means to a better reality, Kelley presents the reader

Juliet Blankespoor first made a name for herself within the herbal community in founding the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in Asheville, North Carolina, a formerly in-person school that now exists fully online. She wrote a multifarious blog for many years, but “The Healing Garden: Cultivating & Handcrafting Herbal Remedies” is her first book. This

The secret to a healthy garden begins with the soil. “There are no short cuts,” writes Sally Morgan, who warns that it takes time to build healthy soil. But don’t worry, Morgan shows how gardeners can work with nature to build their soil, grow healthy plants and decrease the populations of pests and diseases. And