2 minute read
L’Origine du monde. Une histoire naturelle
MARC-ANDRÉ SELOSSE
Illustrations d’Arnaud Rafaelian
L’ORIGINE DU MONDE
Une histoire naturelle du sol à l’intention de ceux qui le piétinent
14 × 21 cm 480 pages 70 black and white illustrations softback september 2021 retail price: 24 €
Professor at the National Natural History Museum, Marc-André Selosse has lectured at several universities in France and abroad. His research and teaching looks at the mutually beneficial associations involving mushrooms, microbes, ecology and evolution. The editor of the international scientific journal and Espèces, a mainstream journal dedicated to the natural sciences. With Actes Sud, he has published Jamais seul (2017) and Les Goûts et les Couleurs du monde (2019).
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD
A natural history of the soil for those who walk upon it
Marc-André Selosse Illustrations by Arnaud Rafaelian
The soil beneath our feet contains nothing less than the origin of the world. It is swarming with life and it is possibly the most fascinating construction of the living world which has developed the gift of seizing its inherent inertia and controlling it. Soil harbors the largest part of our Earth’s biodiversity. There are more invisible species within the soil than those visible on the surface, which means that underground is also a great repository for the huge variety of mechanisms that enable our ecosystem to function. However, because the soil is opaque we only know its surface and because it is often considered “dirty”, it is only very recently that we have become aware of its importance and of the threats posed by urbanization, intensive agriculture and erosion. Not only is it struggling to perform its invaluable services to humanity but it is literally beginning to disappear before our eyes. Diagnosing the harm and finding remedies can only be achieved by understanding soil and how it works. The author takes us on a journey underground that is accessible to all readers. No prior knowledge of chemistry, biology or geology is necessary. Marc-André Selosse introduces us to the soil’s components and the mechanisms within it. Then he takes us on a journey among the roots, microbes and mycorrhizae to explore underground plant life and help us understand how to treat soils so that they continue to fulfill their multiple and indispensable functions. In the process, the author shows us how the mechanisms of the underground world around us contain many simple explanations to the very everyday observations we might make. Finding invisible causes to what we see rejuvenates our vision of the world and helps us reconnect with the natural world.
