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Hello all!

Has anyone read this book in its previous edition? The new one is coming out next month, and I thought it would be neat to suggest a thread for reading through the book and discussing.

anyone interested?

Toil, I am with you. Great book. Jeff is a smart man as well as a great guy (haven't met him yet but people I trust really like him)

I say we start with the new edition. I will risk life, limb, and sleeping on the couch to purchase it.

Any other takers?

HG

it would be great if those who are interested would post here. I'm hoping for a snowball effect.

To be clear: I haven't read the book yet, and it's not out until the 15th. You can get previous editions, but so much has been learned since the original printing, and Dr. Ingham, et al, are listed in the credits.

I'm not sure how in-depth it goes. I think it is meant to be an introduction, but I am not positive.

I think of this book as introductory. It is more in depth than Dr. Inghams Soil Biology Primer, but certainly not out of reach for most people...

Think Book Club, folks. We will get the book, read the first chapter, and reconvene here to discuss, so even if you do get confused, we'll help out at the end of each chapter...

Log in if you are on board, and we'll pick a time to start...


HG

Great idea! I'm in!!

If I can get the book in time, I'll participate also.

One thing, I have not yet read the first edition. Is it recommended that I read the first edition before I read the new one, or Won't I miss out on anything by going directly to the new edition?

Thanks.

I haven't read it either. One edition is enough!

You have plenty of time. It isn't released yet, and if you don't amazon we should allow for it to hit stores.

Plus, after calling for this, I artfully deflected responsibility onto HG , so it starts when he is good and ready! Right HG?

Shameless, toil, really pitiful. Start an project and dump the responsibility at the first sign of success. I expect better of the Nutmeggers... what happened to self-serving exploitation of resources and the shrewd manuevering that made Connecticut businessman the apical predator on the planet for so long?

It's been years since I read the first edition and WE are reading the new edition, G5, so not to worry. We should all get around the same time, as it ain't released yet, so if you are reading this and haven't logged in yet, quit stalling! Place your order now! Operators are standing by...

This will be great. My buddy Paul knows Jeff, has done his radio show, and vice versa with the pod cast thing, so maybe, just maybe... I'll inquire... [url=https://teamingwithmicrobes.com/]anybody who carries a picture of a nematode-trapping-fungi[/url] at work in his wallet is my kinda guy....

HG

Woot!

I'm in also.

After reading HG's --

I think of this book as introductory. It is more in depth than Dr. Inghams Soil Biology Primer, but certainly not out of reach for most people...

-- of course I web-surfed as fast as I could and, today, received my copy of the Soil Biology Primer -- I reasoned that I needed the Primer before tackling the Teaming with (and yes, I've pre-ordered it so I'm ready to go). Lots of pictures in the Primer Only skimmed it so far (and went over some of the salient points with my 7 year old She's decided that we will do the soil organism collecting experiments as soon as Spring arrives ).

I feel like I've read the Cliff Notes already from recent discussions between HG, Toil, and Garden5 around here -- recognized a lot of the words and concepts at any rate.

I know a guy in BC who will analyze your soil on DVD with his microscope. It ain't cheap, but it would be cool. I'm trying to lure him here but he has finger trouble.

His website is called microbeorganics.com

I'm looking for a decent scope but they are expensive.

HG we should make this a book club. Meanwhile, can you recommend a book for weed ID that also explains what the presence of that weed signifies?

Toil, I personally like [url=https://www.amazon.com/Weeds-Northeast-Comstock-books-Richard/dp/0801483344]Weeds of the Northeast[/url] by Uva, Neal, and Ditomaso. Excellent photos of seeds, flowers, and seedlings for each plant, as well as look-alikes. I only had to pencil in the native status of the plants and which of them were butterfly larval host plants.

BTW -- a little late now, but I wanted to explain that DD7 and I "read" the Primer for her bedtime story (well, *I* wanted to look at it right away!) , she wanted to do those experiments (one is burying a yogurt cup trap and another is sifting out an upside down cut-off soda bottle full of soil) "tomorrow", and when I explained that most of the bugs would be either hibernating or waiting to be born in their eggs or cocoons (ALRIGHT I should've said pupa), she said, "Then, we'll do it as soon as it's SPRING (throwing her arms out wide) because that's when they all WAKE UP!"

Wonderful, Applestar!

I remember reading a story to my son when he was about three. The story used the word factory, which I wasn't sure if he was familiar with. I asked him if he knew what a factory is and he said "that's those places that make pollution" !! Out of the mouths of babes!

Teaching this stuff to you guys is fun and all, but when you are teaching children you are shaping the future. I couldn't be more thrilled to hear of torches passing, and on my favorite topic to boot. This is the stuff I live for; thanks for affirming my vision...

Okay, I'm gonna go bawl like a baby now (happy, though, happy); I'll be back in a minute...

HG

Wow, this really is turning into oprah's book club!

I just got misty eyed. Someday I'll make one of my own...

Oprah? Please, homey, the day this place helps push three or four million books, Rog will likely get that castle the Princess Niece has been wanting But we are a LITTLE ways off from that...

Let's settle for a lively discussion on what makes our soil work, m'kay? If some folks can pass that on to the next generation, then I just got redeye gravy all over my biscuits. But let's make biscuits first...

Any thoughts on how we might promote this book club within the Website?

HG

Well you could just use a sticky. Or make a forum. That way each title is organized, and for latecomers it is easier to catch up. How about one thread per chapter with a sub forum for each title? All but the current chapter would be locked, but in the general forum you could discuss anything. That way the work is manageable for you but the info stays out there.

Club members could put it in their sig?

Toil wrote:Well you could just use a sticky. Or make a forum. That way each title is organized, and for latecomers it is easier to catch up. How about one thread per chapter with a sub forum for each title? All but the current chapter would be locked, but in the general forum you could discuss anything. That way the work is manageable for you but the info stays out there.

Club members could put it in their sig?

That's a great idea, Toil. The forum would be great, but a sticky should at least be made of this thread.

In order to promote the discussion, an announcement of the impending discussion and its location on this site should be made in all forums, or the Vegetable Gardening, Composting, and Tomato Growing forums, at the very least.

I'm sure that the mods will come up with something good.

I just like it better when you guys do all the thinkin. Makes my thinker hurt just thinkin about all that thinkin'.

Hey toil, want to head up the Committee To Do The Thinkin About The Book Club? You can be Chairman For Life Or Until. It doesn't pay squat and the hours stink, but it's for life (or until...), so there's that...

Seriously, I like your thinking, and G5 is obviously enthused (if perhaps a little too enthusiastically; multiple posting is still frowned upon in general). I like all the ideas some, but agree with the seperate forum idea the most. The idea about putting it in the signatures is also great and sort of viral; that appeals to the marketing guru in me (and we all need a little marketing guru in us, which is how Seth Godin gets lucky! Can I get an amen? Seriosly folks...I'm here all week...please tip your waitresses..when they come by...have you heard that one? A little more cymbal on the punchline, Morty... ....I'm dyin here... )

I'll ask Roger.

toil, act like a chair...

HG

Sit on me!


What does a chair do? I'm up for it. Anything complex has to wait until next week. I'm on my iPhone now.


I can put in tons of work sometimes, but when I'm working I am iPhone only. It really varies.

Important: when someone says "I want to get started" they are really saying "where is the book club".

You could make like a stool!

Oh I gotta million of 'em, folks...wanna hear them all? I'm here all week folks... where else am I going, am I right? Bada-bing! Morty, the cymbal...all week, folks... remember to tip; the bartender asked me for a tip and I told him "Lose that tie!" Badabing! Am I right? All week folks, here all week...

We'll talk toil...

Anxiously awaiting the book...

HG

Is this the edition you are all talking about[url=https://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp/1604691131/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264342975&sr=1-2]Teaming With Microbes[/url]? I am interested to join in.

I have read 5 books this winter and always looking for more. I'm reading a great one now about Missouri gardening. It has several websites that are from local places, very useful. I was planning on doing a review when I'm done for the Mo gardeners around here, it is a must read, very helpful.

But this book club idea is a great one and something I would like to partake in. Plus I need to TRY and catch up to some of the upperclassman around here so I'm not so lost when reading the more sophisticated threads.



Rock on or should I say Book On.

That's the one! I literally got the idea from oprah. It's a powerful thing to do. Book sales don't lie. People who otherwise don't read, read (like me). And people who already read enjoy it more and set a good vibe.

Check out the club forum, and add the sinature to your profile if you'd like. The more the merrier.

This is radical education. Our forum will therefore be educational rhizosphere.

Toil yes I just found the new section, it took me a while to work my way down there.

I must say, again, I JUST LOVE THIS SITE!! The collective minds on here just can NOT be touched anywhere else on the net. Not even close, I'm excited to see how this plays out. Like I said I love to read and have been reading many books lately. I even did a little review on at least one book on here but nobody seemed to notice. This is a great way to get others to read and learn about gardening, and hopefully change some minds about how they garden and more importantly treat our Mother Earth. I have always been conscious to a certain extent but this site has opened me up to whole bunch of new ideas.

YOU GUY'S and GIRLS ROCK

Dono

Well don't be shy on the new forum, and you will likely get the outcome you envision.

And I second your thoughts.

Consolidating discussions. The discussion continues here:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21243