My favorite books on ecology, regenerative gardening, and farming

Why am I passionate about this?

These books fall in line with my community of people who care for the Earth. They were my beginning influences to doing the work I have done over the past five decades and in the countries I have worked to teach people how to develop good stewardship practices on the land they worked. Community development is at the heart of what I do. Healing land heals us and helps us become more whole.


I wrote...

A Radiant Earth: Tools for restoring balanced ecosystems to regenerate and reconnect with the planet.

By Frank Holzman,

Book cover of A Radiant Earth: Tools for restoring balanced ecosystems to regenerate and reconnect with the planet.

What is my book about?

It offers tools for regenerating land by creating balanced ecosystems above and below the ground. It contains chapters on agroecology, reforestation and agroforestry, soil and water remediation, adaptation to nature, mycology, and more. The idea is to develop good stewardship practices for all planetary citizens. It is an insightful, informative, and inspirational read offering ideas on how to heal the planet and become better caretakers of our home.

A Radiant Earth shares my knowledge along with my passion for the work I have done since the 1970s. My first book, Radical Regenerative Gardening and Farming can be found in both public and academic libraries in various parts of the world; it is based on many years of research around the world.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The One-Straw Revolution

Frank Holzman Why did I love this book?

This is an introduction to natural farming. This Japanese farmer was a spearhead for how to work with natural pathways and create a system that flows with the land. He was an inspiration for the Permaculture design for Bill Mollinson. He adapted a design that worked with animals, insects, native plants, and water to form a biological series of self-reliance.

This book is inspirational and lays the groundwork for growing with nature. This book opened me up to using biomimicry in my design.

By Masanobu Fukuoka,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The One-Straw Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Call it “Zen and the Art of Farming” or a “Little Green Book,” Masanobu Fukuoka’s manifesto about farming, eating, and the limits of human knowledge presents a radical challenge to the global systems we rely on for our food. At the same time, it is a spiritual memoir of a man whose innovative system of cultivating the earth reflects a deep faith in the wholeness and balance of the natural world. As Wendell Berry writes in his preface, the book “is valuable to us because it is at once practical and philosophical. It is an inspiring, necessary book about agriculture…


Book cover of Radical Agriculture

Frank Holzman Why did I love this book?

This book opened me up to how our food system and modern agribusiness work.

I read this while in between my studies in horticulture and agriculture. I was so taken by the book that I sought him out. I discovered that he was teaching organic horticulture at a small college down the coast near Santa Cruz. I went there and studied horticulture in his class. I gained a great deal of knowledge from him. He was a valuable resource.

By Richard Merrill (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Radical Agriculture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book has soft covers.Ex-library,With usual stamps and markings,In poor condition, suitable as a reading copy.


Book cover of How to Grow More Vegetables: (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine

Frank Holzman Why did I love this book?

This book is a primer on the Biodynamic/French Intensive method of growing. Although it is a bit too scientific for me with lots of data, it was the only thing written on the subject. It walked me through the method and offered easy concepts on how to adapt to this system of growing.

I later was able to visit and work at Alan Chadwick’s Garden at the University of California Santa Cruz, which changed my whole approach to growing. Jeavon’s method is an adulterated version of what he learned from Alan Chadwick, yet remarkably effective.

By John Jeavons,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Grow More Vegetables as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The world's leading resource on biointensive, sustainable, high-yield organic gardening is thoroughly updated throughout, with new sections on using 12 percent less water and increasing compost power.

Long before it was a trend, How to Grow More Vegetables brought backyard ecosystems to life for the home gardener by demonstrating sustainable growing methods for spectacular organic produce on a small but intensive scale. How to Grow More Vegetables has become the go-to reference for food growers at every level, whether home gardeners dedicated to nurturing backyard edibles with minimal water in maximum harmony with nature's cycles, or a small-scale commercial producer…


Book cover of Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity

Frank Holzman Why did I love this book?

This book is a classic book on the food revolution that took place in the 1970s. It examines our approach to food and how we farm.

The way food is produced is the result of supply and demand without consideration of the damage it causes to the environment. In other words, short-term gains for long-term damage to our planet. She is highly revered as a pioneer in the revolutionary food movement.

By Frances Moore Lappe, Joseph Collins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Food First as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Clean copy of terrific book from 1981


Book cover of Silent Spring

Frank Holzman Why did I love this book?

This was the most popular environmental book of its time. It opened many people up to the assault on nature. This book motivated me to become part of the environmental solution. This book changed the unbridled use of chemicals used on the environment. It helped get rid of DDT in the US. It was an introduction for me to environmental awareness in the 1960s and 1970s.

By Rachel Carson,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Silent Spring as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published by Houghton Mifflin in 1962, Silent Spring alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. "Silent Spring became a runaway bestseller, with international reverberations . . . [It is] well crafted, fearless and succinct . . . Even if she had not inspired a generation of activists, Carson would prevail as one of the greatest nature writers in American letters" (Peter Matthiessen, for Time"s 100 Most Influential People of the Century). This fortieth anniversary edition celebrates Rachel Carson"s watershed…


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Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

Book cover of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

Antonieta Contreras Author Of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a trauma therapist and dedicated researcher, I love uncovering valuable insights within lesser-known books. There are hidden gems, free from the pressure of commercial success, crafted by authors deeply committed to research, understanding, and the art of writing itself. Their dedication resonates with me, as I believe in the profound value of information and the power of critical thinking. Through my own book, Traumatization and Its Aftermath, I aim to emphasize that psychological concepts often lose their depth in translation and my mission is spreading awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of trauma and its intricate facets. With that idea in mind, I chose these five titles. 

Antonieta's book list on uncovering the human experience and exploring the depths of trauma

What is my book about?

A fresh take on the difference between trauma and hardship in order to help accurately spot the difference and avoid over-generalizations.

The book integrates the latest findings in brain science, child development, psycho-social context, theory, and clinical experiences to make the case that trauma is much more than a cluster of symptoms to be tamed, but instead best understood as development gone off course, away from growth and towards (only) survival.

This book prompts a profound shift in perception, inviting to view trauma as an intricate and diverse experience, a point of view that ultimately leads to sharper treatment and, hopefully, more healing. It encourages a transition from asking, "What happened to you?" to the deeper question, "What is your relationship with what happened to you?"

Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

What is this book about?

The book is comprehensive, bold, and practical-a much-needed resource for the assessment and treatment of trauma. Instead of the traditional focus on the overall importance of healing, Traumatization and its Aftermath decodes why some people don't heal as easily as others, analyzes the various failures of diagnosis, and explains how to make therapeutic interventions truly effective.

This book offers a systemic deep dive into traumatization that clarifies myths and misinformation about the entire spectrum of trauma and provides both clinicians and non-clinicians with the right level of validation, preventive measures, conceptualization methodology, assessment tools, and healing facts that have not…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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