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"The Sixth Element: How Carbon Shapes Our World" is a book review that explores the significance of carbon in our universe. The authors, an astrophysicist/astrochemist and an astrobiologist, trace the origins and unique properties of carbon, highlighting its role in the creation of life as we know it. The text delves into the chemistry of carbon, its presence on Earth and in the solar system, and its impact on climate and habitability. The review also touches on the use of carbon in various aspects of modern life, from fossil fuels to diamonds, and discusses the current climate crisis fueled by carbon emissions. [Extracted from the article]

The book review discusses "The concept of ecostacking: techniques and applications," edited by Jinjun Wang, Huai Liu, Ingeborg Menzler-Hokkanen, and Hongbo Jiang. It highlights the challenges faced by industrial farming systems globally, such as pesticide resistance, pollination deficits, and deteriorating soil health, and introduces the concept of ecostacking as a solution. The book provides case studies from various regions, including China, Scandinavia, Western Europe, Kenya, and the USA, showcasing techniques to restore biological balance through synergistic biological interventions. The text emphasizes the importance of integrating diverse approaches like cover crops, biological crop protection, and plant-microbe interactions to promote sustainable pest control and enhance ecosystem services. [Extracted from the article]

The "Elgar Encyclopedia of Water Policy, Economics, and Management" edited by Phoebe Koundouri and Angelos Alamanous delves into the interdisciplinary nature of water management in the face of global challenges such as water scarcity, flood disasters, and sustainability goals. The book features contributions from 144 academics covering a wide range of topics, from water rights to water markets, providing in-depth analyses and insights. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration across different fields to address complex water management issues effectively, making it a valuable resource for practitioners and policymakers. [Extracted from the article]

"Over the Seawall" by Stephen Robert Miller explores the impact of climate change on different societies' responses to natural disasters like tsunamis, cyclones, and droughts. The book highlights the failures of traditional approaches in the face of unprecedented environmental challenges. Through case studies in Japan, Bangladesh, and Arizona, Miller emphasizes the dangers of trying to control nature and the need for more sustainable and adaptive strategies. The author's candid narrative sheds light on the complexities of these issues and the importance of acknowledging the limitations of human intervention in the face of natural forces. [Extracted from the article]

I Soil health and the revolutionary potential of Conservation Agriculture i by David Montgomery reviews the soil degradation under conventional agriculture, which is appalling; and the potential for restoration of soil health, fertility and functions, which is immense. It may be surprising to see agriculture being held responsible for many of the perils that mankind has brought upon itself and the planet. Rethinking food and agriculture: new ways forward: edited by Amir and Laila Kassam, Duxford, Elsevier Woodhead series in food science, technology and nutrition, 2021, 441 pp., £165.00 (softback), ISBN 978-0-12-816410-5, ISBN 978-0-12-816411-2. [Extracted from the article]

What Dr Samuel Johnson did for English, Professor Amir Kassam has done for Conservation Agriculture (CA). Some ideas go back to Liebig, the advocacy to Faulkner's I Plowman's Folly i in 1943; but, as farmers' movement, CA took off in the USA and in Brazil in the 1960s when desiccant herbicides made zero tillage a viable proposition. Advances in CA have been accompanied by continual development of new designs and adaptation to local differences in soil, climate and production system; adoption of CA depends on their accessibility, performance, and servicing. The concluding chapters deal with mitigating and adapting to climate change, benefits of CA to farmers and society, harnessing ecosystem services, and rehabilitating degraded land. [Extracted from the article]

Reviews the book 'Tropical Ecology and Physical Edaphology,' by R. Lal.

Reviews the book 'The Use of Land Classification in Resource Assessment and Rural Planning,' by R.S. Smith.

The article reviews the book "Cut to the Chase: 100 Matrix Pearls for Doctors," by Leo A. Gordon.

The article reviews the book "The Man who Fed the World Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug," by Leon Hesser.

The article reviews the book "Cartographies of Disease. Maps, Mapping, and Medicine," by Tom Koch.

Reviews the book 'Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America,' by John H. McWhorter.