Customer Reviews:
Let the Revolution Begin.......2005-10-31
This book is revolutionary. It really shows us how to get back to the natural way of farming and living. Like Thoreau once said Simplify, simplify, simplify. Fukuoka brings one back to the essence of life. Life was not meant ot be difficult, we must simplify to succeed, the more complex tends to be more difficult. Nature does not need the hand of man to thrive. She only needs to be. In mans pursuit to control and dominate we have succeeded in corrupting. Fukuoka's natural way would help humanity to redeem themselves and reach a state of peace.
Seeing reality as it is.......2004-12-31
There are thousands of Self-realized people , but only a handful of those have experienced that. This Japanese farmer/scientist is one among the rare who understood the truth that unless one put the "Truth" (Self-realization) into practise in daily life, one cannot experience it. He used farming to validate his realization and shares great truth to us through this book. The truth he shares about natrual food is amazing and is in tune with the truth given by other cultures. This book is highly recommended for someone who seeks Truth in every moment of life.
Zen and the Art of Farming?.......2004-06-22
Masanobu Fukoka was a laboratory agricultural scientist who worked on fighting plant diseases. He also had many unanswered questions about the interrelationship between man and nature. After a long sabbatical he resigned his position and took over his father's rice and mandarin orange farm. Fukuoka thought that by putting the subjects of his questions into actual material challenges he might find the answers he sought.
Fukoka was immediately drawn to organic and natural farming methods, and over the years developed a type of natural farming that he refers to as "do-nothing farming". Contrary to what you may imagine, this method does involve work, much of it menial, but at least in Fukoka's experience the benefits outweight the negatives. His method of farming is thus:
After the seasonal heavy rains, the rice is planted by scattering it by hand throughout the farming area. The planting rice is rolled in a type of clay that will help prevent animals from eating it but will not inhibit sprouting. Clover seeds are also sewn at the same time in the same method. The clover acts as a natural barrier to the young rice shoots, and helps the soil from eroding.
The rice will grow naturally over the course of the next few months without constant pools of water as are often seen in traditional(from 1600-1940s) Japanese rice farming, albeit shorter and stockier than the cultivated rice. After the rice harvest, the leftover straw is scattered over the field to decompose, adding nutrients back into the soil. Afterwards, barley is planted as a winter crop and to further enrich the soil for the next rice season.
Fukoka does not use compost on his rice fields or on his citrus orchard as he finds that the byproducts of the plant provides all the soil nutrients needed. He does maintain a small compost pile for his vegetable garden, however. Outside of the rice season, he tends to his mandarin orange orchard, which is also kept on a "do-nothing" method of growth. From using this technique, he has not only kept up with modern(tractor, fertilizer, pesticide) farmers in quantity, but has a much higher quality of rice, barley, and oranges. He spends very little out of pocket and sells his produce for a very fair price.
The great thing about this short book (192pp) is that it is not exclusively about farming. In fact, there are many pages where Fukoka expands on philosophy, history, nutricion, intentional communities, and sustainibility. There is also an excellent forward by Wendell Berry, one of my favorite authors(Jayber Crow is a must read) Highly reccomended although it seems to be out of print. I borrowed mine from a local library.
my little green book.......2004-03-04
A critique of current farming practices as well as consumer values, Masanobu Fukuoka's One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming outlines a more simple life that strives to work with the earth rather than against it. Mr. Fukuoka states that natural farming is not just a method of agricultural production but it is a way of life.
In The One Straw Revolution Mr. Fukuoka explains that modern methods of agriculture work to control nature with the assumption that humans can understand nature and there by improve on it, but modern techniques using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are only temporary solutions that humans have discovered in order to correct the imbalance they have caused. "Human Beings with their tampering do something wrong, leave the damage unrepaired (SIC), and when the adverse results accumulate, work with all their might to correct them. When the corrective actions appear to be successful, they come to view these measures as splendid accomplishments."
Natural farming allows for nature's processes to take care of most of the work that farmers find necessary in conventional methods of agriculture. Mr. Fukuoka claims "there is no time in modern agriculture for a farmer to write a poem or compose a song." When he first began, Mr. Fukuoka thought, "How about not doing this? How about not doing that?" By allowing for the natural processes of decomposition and growth to occur there is very little work to be done and the farmers have more time to enjoy life. This line of thought has been central to Mr. Fukuoka's natural farming philosophy. Eventually he came to the realization that "there are few agricultural practices that are really necessary."
Mr. Fukuoka's method of natural farming follows four basic principals; "No Cultivation", "No Chemical Fertilizer Or Prepared Compost", "No Weeding By Tillage Or Herbicides", and "No Dependence On Chemicals". Although many of the practices described in the book relate specifically to farming rice, wheat, roots, and oranges in southern Japan, it is these four principals that can be applied to farming anywhere in the world.
To give a good example of natural farming, Mr. Fukuoka's method of cultivating rice and winter grain is as follows. In the fall Mr. Fukuoka sows the seeds of white clover, rice, and winter grain onto the same fields and covers them with a mulch of rice straw. The grains and the clover sprout up right away but the rice seeds will lie dormant until spring. When spring arrives the grains are harvested and the straw is scattered over the fields as mulch. The fields are flooded for a short period during the monsoon season giving the rice a chance to sprout through the cover. Once the fields are drained the clover recovers and spreads beneath the growing rice plants. As you can see, this is a far cry from the labor-intensive methods of paddy farming that is common throughout Southeast Asia.
The One Straw Revolution is a great book, it is insightful, practical, easy to read, and the chapters are short and give the reader concise, to the point information. Mr. Fukuoka gives readers a viable alternative to the current consumer lifestyle. The strong beliefs and successes of natural farming found in this book make Mr. Fukuoka's arguments extremely convincing. However, I'm sure the sheer simplicity will create doubt among readers, as we are used to the complexities of fertilization and pesticide use. Even organic farmers who swear by compost and manure are doing unnecessary work according to Mr. Fukuoka.
The farming techniques found in this book are extremely important as our use of fertilizers and pesticide use has skyrocketed over the past century creating many environmental problems, and life on earth is facing serious consequences as a result.
Another important point made in the book is "Humanity must stop indulging the desire for material possessions and personal gain and move instead toward spiritual awareness." This sentence outlines what I feel to be the reason for the problems of humanity today. Without a deep respect for nature and our place within her we have no limits on what we expect from her. We have increased our material wealth greatly and yet we have not become more contented, in fact we become more stressed. By creating a simpler life where our days are spent outside tending to the fields under natures guidance. We not only would curb the destruction that is related to consumption but we also are given a chance to breathe and become truly aware of our surroundings and ourselves.
I feel that the words of Masanobu Fukuoka have only increased in importance since the time in which they were written. People's lives have become increasingly urbanized and we now have generations of people who have been cut off from Mother Nature's wisdom. Although Mr. Fukuoka's sentiment that "if 100% of the people were farming it would be ideal." may seem extreme to some, it would be a plausible solution to many of the problems we face today.
The environmental movement was just beginning when The One Straw Revolution was first printed we now have scientific studies reinforcing what people have been noticing for years and the lands and waters that were once healthy are now being poisoned. I would recommend reading The One Straw Revolution to anyone interested in spirituality, globalization, farming or the environment, but I would also recommend it to anyone with an interest in preserving the quality of life on earth.
Phenomenology or Farming?.......2003-04-07
Some have said that the Fukuokan philosophy is the tap root of what is now more broadly called Permaculture, only Masanobu Fukuoka was a Japanese farmer, working with rice and winter grain in a southern Japanese climate. Both are no-till methods that shun the use of chemicals. However, Fukuoka should be set apart from farming in general and Permaculture in particular, in that The One-Straw Revolution is essentially a profound work of literary philosophy. Indeed, in many cases it reads like a naturalist's bible. Although the book is dressed in the language and anecdotes of a farmer, the message looms much larger. We read of a man who came to terms with the problem of death, and then decided to form a profoundly new (or is it old?) relationship with nature. In essence, the nugget of his wisdom is that, instead of struggling to control and command nature, we must learn to work with and learn from nature. Allow me to share one quote:"To build a fortress is wrong from the start. Even though he gives the excuse that it is for the city's defense, the castle is the outcome of the ruling lord's personality, and exerts a coercive force on the surrounding area. Saying he is afraid of attack and that fortification is for the town's protection, the bully stocks up weapons and puts the key in the door." Now I ask you, does the following paragraph sound like the words of a farmer or a philosopher? From the face of it, one might think Fukuoka is here criticizing the nuclear arms race, but he is actually talking about the warlike mindset of farmers who see leaf-munching pests as evil enemies that must be fortified against, sought out and destroyed. Whether we are talking about bull weevils or communities, though, his advice is sound. We must change our frame of reference and establish a different relationship with the world. Concise and yet elegant, Fukuoka's prose is pregnant with meaning. Altogether, this work provides poetic an intelligent critique of industrial agricultural practices and the linear notions of nature and progress that underlay those practices. In fact, Fukuoka goes as far as to declare that the scientific method itself limits our experience and knowledge of nature. An invaluable, timeless work that will move you, even if you have never picked up a hoe.
j.w.k.
Customer Reviews:
Let The Better Nature Win.......2006-03-07
Fabulous book. Inspiring look at how not to mess around with Mother Nature. Nature is not the enemy we have been led to believe! I love this book, and it was one of the first to make an indelible impression about changing one's philosophy of how to possibly go about organic farming (I was an organic farmer later on). Poses searching questions (and one man's answers) that every gardener and farmer should look for the answers to, regarding how much we need to interfere with natural processes to produce food. Also a thoughtful look at balancing nutritional needs with what is seasonally available. Vital reading for anyone interested in permaculture, sustainable agriculture, or just a soul-lifting antidote to modern, corporate food production.
wonderful.......2003-12-25
I read this book years ago when it was first published and it has been a magor influence on me and my gardens for all these years. I've followed Fukoka's ideas as much as closely I can living in a city and have had wonderful results. He is right, let nature do the work. My garden is the most beautiful in the neighborhood, and without any pesticides, fertilizers, tilling, or backstrain. Buy this book, Gaia's Garden, and Forest Gardening. They all follow the naturalistic, symbiotic, permaculture mode that mother nature has been evolving for a billion years - just plug into the natural order and start growing!
It's the way all right.......2002-12-23
Ladies and Gentlemen, please get on board, the Fukuoka earth ship is departing for Earth. All I can say is to get involved with the growing community of Fukuoka farmers around the world. Please come and visit us at fukuokafarmingol.net if you have any inclination towards ecological farming and leaving behind the fear of growing your own food because you are afraid the results will not be what you want or because you are afraid to damage the soil. Masanobu points the way to farming without destruction.
The kind of book all should be exposed to..........2002-02-09
Though I had heard a little bit about Fukuoka and his practice, I was not prepared in the least for the way that this book would touch me. It was like a ray of light piercing through the murky cloudiness that was my mind; all the more remarkable because I stumbled on it by chance at the public library while glancing through the gardening books. He does an excellent job of demonstrating how much extra work we have all created for ourselves, how our scientific solutions all require further solutions, and that it is an endless cycle as long as we are straying from nature and its example. This book managed to eloquently lay out a great many ideas that had been lying dormant in my head: the overemphasis on specialization vs. generalism in our society, the break between modern urbanized lives and natural agrarian lives, the definition of 'enough' and how desire leads us ever farther away from that baseline. Fukuoka discusses all these topics and more--and in a style that is far more effective than anything I can write to explain it. It is philosophy, agricultural method, and cultural criticism wrapped up into an effective unity. A shame that it appears to be out of print right now.
If you're even thinking about getting this book...Do It!.......2001-11-09
I bought and read this book years ago, and it was a light in the darkness even then. I can't even begin to tell the readers how deep an effect it had. It drove home the point so poignantly that we can't separate all the aspects of ourselves. From the universe within to the universe without, we are all entwined in the dance of life. One can't move a little without affecting the other. I loaned this book out time and again, and everyone was deeply affected, one so much so that I never got my book back. It's not that big a book, but it is, still, a book that is as influential as any I have ever read. It is as much about our relationship to our planet as it is about farming. Read it.
Average customer rating:
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Current Aspects of Neutrino Physics
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ASIN: 3540410023 |
Book Description
This book covers the currently most interesting aspects of neutrino physics written by leading experts of the field. The book starts with a history of neutrinos and then develops from the fundamentals to the direct determination of masses and lifetimes. The role of neutrinos in fundamental astrophysical problems is discussed in detail. The book gives an up-to-date overview of modern neutrino physics and is useful for scientists and graduate students alike.
In addition there is a Addendum on the SNO Results covering
the solar neutrinos detected at Sudbury Neutrino
Observatory,
important findings not to miss.
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Current High Energy Emission Around Black Holes
Korea) Kias Astrophysics Workshop 2001 (Seoul , and
Heon-Young Chang
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
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Currents in High-Energy Astrophysics (NATO Science Series C:)
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ASIN: 0792333543 |
Book Description
This volume comprises selected lectures presented in the Ninth Course of the International School of Cosmic-Ray Astrophysics held at the Ettore Majorana Centre in Erice, Sicily, May 7--18, 1994. Devoted to problems and prospects in high-energy astrophysics and cosmology, the major areas explored are: gamma-ray, X-ray, and neutrino astronomies; cosmic rays; pulsars and supernova remnants; and cosmology, as well as cosmogony.
Among the principal developments in gamma-ray astrophysics are those generated by the COMPTON Gamma Ray Observatory. Cosmic neutrinos at MeV energies, i.e., those from the Sun and from Supernova 1987a, are discussed, as well as neutrino masses in astrophysics. The source composition of cosmic rays, and extensive air shower experiments, receive special attention. The early universe according to COBE data, and as viewed by theorists of cosmology, is reviewed. Finally, the connections with particle physics occasioned a timely description of the Standard Model of elementary particles.
The cosmic-ray community, the International School of Cosmic-Ray Astrophysics, and indeed the world of science have recently suffered grievous losses in the demise of Pierre Auger, Giuseppe Occhialini, and Bruno Rossi. Accordingly, a memorial session was included in the program. In the same session a farewell tribute was paid by M.M. Shapiro and A.E. Smith to the late Kyoung Hye Moon, an enthusiastic student of our School, who missed this Course when a rampant illness cut short her promising career.
Book Description
This was a joint meeting of the Johns Hopkins Workshop and PASCOS. It was interdisciplinary in its nature. The proceedings gives an overview of the current situation in the interrelated fields of elementary particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology as well as provides a forum for the presentation new results.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing!.......1999-12-12
An incredible piece of work! I want to congratulate the authors for this work of art. Well-chosen words, self explanatory equations. Great, great! I encourage these authors to write more books like this.
This book kicks A--.......1999-12-03
Dude, I LOVE this book. I couldn't put it down...this is a MUST-READ! If there's one thing I want for Christmas, it's this work of art. Superbly written and well-executed...it just keeps getting better.. GOOD JOB BOYS!
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Particle Physics and Astrophysics: Current Viewpoints
Manufacturer: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
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ASIN: 3540506993 |
Books:
- The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
- The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture
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- Water Flow In Soils, Second Edition (Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment)
- Westcott's Plant disease handbook
- With These Hands: The Hidden World of Migrant Farmworkers Today
- Work Horse Handbook
- Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up & Maintain a Worm Composting System
- Wow! Resumes for Health Careers
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