Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth

I had the great pleasure of reading the first chapter of an advanced copy of Sacred Soil last year when I met Robert Tindall, who I had the honor of traveling to Chavin de Huantar in the Andes with, and who described his interest to me at the time as "spiritual archaeology." Some months later, returning to Peru to visit my stepkids, I bought the book to take with me as a way of enriching my understanding of the eco-cultural legacy of my husband's family. I found myself immediately drawn into the account of Santiago Altimirano, a fictional Spanish shepherd who joined the Francisco de Orellana expedition of 1542 which completed the first known navigation of the full length of the Amazon River. The expedition reported what, at the time, appeared to be outlandish and impossible encounters with an advanced and thriving civilization there, evidenced by the existence of terra preta, or black soil. Terra Preta improves the topsoil, increasing its fertility and endowing it with climate restorative qualities, by adding a combo of compost, manure (including humanure), ceramic shards, and micro-organisms. Far from being a virgin forest filled with primitives, these soil technologies helped support a population of at least 5 million before the conquistadors came along, decimating upwards of 95% of the indigenous population, along with their integrative perspective of the bidirectional mutually beneficial relationship between man and earth. I especially appreciated considering the parallels between current South American shamanic understanding and practices -- which are immensely popular with Westerners such as yours truly -- and the virtually-eradicated indigenous European approaches. Not sure that I'll be able to replicate any of this in my own home garden but I will definitely look to support organizations that are doing so -- and am immensely grateful to this book for giving me yet another fascinating layer of insight into a world that has -- and might again -- exist.

I have read 125 pages of the 209 pages of this book (not counting the notes at the end) and in all this time the author has barely touched on the main subjects of the book which are supposed to be biochar and terra preta (maybe 3% of the time the author discusses them). The first 80 pages are a fictional historical account of a Spanish Conquistador named Santiago. At one or two points in the story he saw terra preta (yay!). The next third of the book, the author talks about a Peruvian shaman who supposedly cured someone's autoimmune disease, different opinions of the worlds physicists (not about terra preta or biochar, just their differing views of the world), how light is made up of both particles and waves....the list goes on an on. The one thing he barely touches on is the actual subject of the book, biochar and terra preta . I bought this book because I wanted to learn: what are biochar and terra preta, how are they made, how do they work, how can they save the planet? Maybe at some point the author will actually get to the point, but I just can't force myself to push through and find out. As a stand alone scholarly work, this book may actually be 5 stars, but as a book about terra preta and biochar the best I can give is one star. If you want to learn about biochar and terra preta, read "Terra Preta: How the World's Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce World Hunger." It is the first book that comes up when you search "terra preta" on Amazon. That book nails it. It is exactly what it claims to be, a book about terra preta.

I really enjoyed this book. The begining catapults you straight into the jungle. Dodging arrows and traversing into the unknown. I found it just as exciting as it was informational. I suggest this read for anyone interested in the knowledge of pre Colombian societies of the Amazon. To be inspired by their spiritual connection with the land and discover how their techniques are capable of restoring harmonious balance to our planet. A lesson in rediscovered knowledge that has great potential to protect our water, food, and climate security. Learn how you can take part and help with the regeneration of the earth through biochar.

This book changed my life and my understanding of the Amazon, indigenous communities, agriculture and much more. I had the honour of having Frédérique Apffel-Marglin as my Master's supervisor at Schumacher College. I visited the Sachamama Center for BioCultural Regeneration (SCBR) in the Peruvian High Amazon founded byher in collaboration with the indigenous Kichwa-Lamistas.

Whatever reason attracted you to this book (soil, culture, climate, spirituality...) it's an excellent read! I just finished it and have been recommending it to others. The case for biochar is clearly made, and the largely unspoken history of the 15th century genocide in Amazonia will change the way many understand the true European impacts on this entire hemisphere. Very thoroughly researched, cited and laid out, this book is an inspiration.