John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Saint Phocas, Darwin, and Virgil parade through this thought-provoking work, taking their place next to the dung beetle, the compost heap, dowsing, historical farming, and the microscopic biota that till the soil. With fresh eyes and heartfelt reverence, William Bryant Logan variously observes, 'There is glamour to the study of rock'; 'The most mysterious place on Earth is right beneath our feet'; and 'Dirt is the gift of each to all.'

Whether Logan is traversing the far reaches of the cosmos or plowing through our planet's crust, his delightful, elegant, and surprisingly soulful meditations greatly enrich our concept of 'dirt,' that substance from which we all arise and to which we all must return.