It Really Works!, 02 Feb 2008
It does! That is, composting in a wormery especially if you read this book. I did when I first started my wormery and everything has gone very smoothly and even through this cold winter my wormery is outside and the worms are still alive. The book explains all about why to compost in a wormery, what sort of worms you should have, what you should expect the bin to look like inside if all is going well and what to look out for if it is not, what to do and when, what sort of worm bin to get and what to do with the worm compost.
An excellent book for those who want to know how worms compost and particularly for those who want to set up their own worm bin.

Goodbye Slimy Messes, 24 May 2007
Worm Composting is a great thing to do but i had always ended up with a horrid slimy mess until i bought Mr Pilkingtons book. Easy instructions on how to get lovely usable worm compost, how to build a worm bin and other useful information - great stuff. I have read them all and this is by far the best.

Worms Are Our Friends, 30 Apr 2007
Ah - at last a book written for the UK Worm Virgin. George Pilkington asks the question, "Why Waste Your Waste?". It is a very good question. With UK local Councils sliding irrecoverably down the slippery slope which leads to us all being charged extra, by weight, for our 'non-recyclable' waste, using some method to deal with our veggie-waste (and quite a bit besides) starts to make, not only good financial sense, but is also good 'green' sense.

George sets out to introduce you to the way-of-the-worm by, firstly, introducing us to the worm-composting principles and the biology of composting, then he gets us to shake hands with our new friends, the worms (lots of worms!) and gently, step-by-step, he takes us through the whole process of buying, setting up, using and maintaining a wormery.

Trust me, it is fascinating stuff. Did you know that apart from the obvious veggy-waste, your worms love cardboard, biscuits, cereals, cakes, chocolate, eggshells, nail-clippings, newspapers, and, well....the list is almost endless. Busy little creatures these worms!

There is a whole section on commercially available wormeries, including George's own design, the 'Waste Buster' which, as far as wormeries go, is the Hilton Hotel of wormeries, only cheaper! After a chapter on using worm compost, there is a very useful Frequently Asked Question section and the book winds up with a chapter exploring the wider role of worms in the whole global community. Sounds heavy, but it isn't.

'Composing with Worms' is a very readable, profoundly knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyable book written by an expert, described on his web-site as, 'The Original Worm-Man' . All he needs is some sort of super-hero costume perhaps!

If you, in any way, want to do something really practical in the way of recycling, rather than pontificating about carbon footprints and Polar Bears, then buy this book and get composting!

Excellent and must read for all environmentalists, 31 Mar 2007
This book has been a long time coming and is unusual in that nobody else has written about this topic in the UK. I recommend it to anyone who has concerns about the environment. This shows you, step by step in a very easy and digestible way! how to compost your food waste, cardboard waste etc and save it causing landfill problems, such as saving space, leachate, which we pay our water boards to clean out of our water and the greenhouse gas, methane.

Worms really do eat my garbage, 14 Mar 2006
Excellent resource for getting started at vermicomposting, very similar to Mary's "worms eat my garbage" but from a uk perspective.

Informs you of everything you need to start/maintain and even build a worm system, as well as telling you more about the little wigglers themselves

It Really Works!, 02 Feb 2008
It does! That is, composting in a wormery especially if you read this book. I did when I first started my wormery and everything has gone very smoothly and even through this cold winter my wormery is outside and the worms are still alive. The book explains all about why to compost in a wormery, what sort of worms you should have, what you should expect the bin to look like inside if all is going well and what to look out for if it is not, what to do and when, what sort of worm bin to get and what to do with the worm compost.
An excellent book for those who want to know how worms compost and particularly for those who want to set up their own worm bin.

Goodbye Slimy Messes, 24 May 2007
Worm Composting is a great thing to do but i had always ended up with a horrid slimy mess until i bought Mr Pilkingtons book. Easy instructions on how to get lovely usable worm compost, how to build a worm bin and other useful information - great stuff. I have read them all and this is by far the best.

Worms Are Our Friends, 30 Apr 2007
Ah - at last a book written for the UK Worm Virgin. George Pilkington asks the question, "Why Waste Your Waste?". It is a very good question. With UK local Councils sliding irrecoverably down the slippery slope which leads to us all being charged extra, by weight, for our 'non-recyclable' waste, using some method to deal with our veggie-waste (and quite a bit besides) starts to make, not only good financial sense, but is also good 'green' sense.

George sets out to introduce you to the way-of-the-worm by, firstly, introducing us to the worm-composting principles and the biology of composting, then he gets us to shake hands with our new friends, the worms (lots of worms!) and gently, step-by-step, he takes us through the whole process of buying, setting up, using and maintaining a wormery.

Trust me, it is fascinating stuff. Did you know that apart from the obvious veggy-waste, your worms love cardboard, biscuits, cereals, cakes, chocolate, eggshells, nail-clippings, newspapers, and, well....the list is almost endless. Busy little creatures these worms!

There is a whole section on commercially available wormeries, including George's own design, the 'Waste Buster' which, as far as wormeries go, is the Hilton Hotel of wormeries, only cheaper! After a chapter on using worm compost, there is a very useful Frequently Asked Question section and the book winds up with a chapter exploring the wider role of worms in the whole global community. Sounds heavy, but it isn't.

'Composing with Worms' is a very readable, profoundly knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyable book written by an expert, described on his web-site as, 'The Original Worm-Man' . All he needs is some sort of super-hero costume perhaps!

If you, in any way, want to do something really practical in the way of recycling, rather than pontificating about carbon footprints and Polar Bears, then buy this book and get composting!

Excellent and must read for all environmentalists, 31 Mar 2007
This book has been a long time coming and is unusual in that nobody else has written about this topic in the UK. I recommend it to anyone who has concerns about the environment. This shows you, step by step in a very easy and digestible way! how to compost your food waste, cardboard waste etc and save it causing landfill problems, such as saving space, leachate, which we pay our water boards to clean out of our water and the greenhouse gas, methane.

Worms really do eat my garbage, 14 Mar 2006
Excellent resource for getting started at vermicomposting, very similar to Mary's "worms eat my garbage" but from a uk perspective.

Informs you of everything you need to start/maintain and even build a worm system, as well as telling you more about the little wigglers themselves

affordable !, 12 Oct 2006
Nicky Scott, Chairperson for the Community Composting Network in the UK, is the author of three small books (roughly 4 x 6 inches) dealing with waste reduction and has appeared in two videos about composting. His book, Composting - An Easy Household Guide, was originally published in 2005 and the second edition was released in 2006. The cover and all ninety-six pages are printed on 100% recycled paper.

This book is slightly more advanced than his smaller booklet, Composting For All. Both books discuss why compost is such an important factor in reducing stress on landfills. But here, Nicky shows how this one simple action can benefit everyone in the community and can actually affect global conditions as well. Nicky tells readers that approximately one-quarter of UK's methane gas emissions (one of the gases that contributes to global warming) are due to organic waste in landfills, which are decomposing improperly. When composts are given aerobic conditions there is very little gas production.
Nicky shows other advantages such as less odor in garbage cans and less volume for curb-side pick-up services to deal with - therefore garbage will be put out on the curb less often.

Nicky demonstrates how to get the right mix in the compost for optimal decomposition conditions. He then explains some of the different composting bins sold commercially. There is the perfect bin available for different situations from apartment dwellers to individuals, situations involving pest issues (rats, etc) and communal composting. His book covers Dalek-type bins, tumblers, digesters, green cones, green Johanna's, fermentation methods, worm bins and more.

Much of the information can be applied globally, though the stats and information in Composting- and Easy Household Guide is from the UK. Terms such as "fly tipping" have no definition in North America. The resource section is four pages long and provides information on seven organizations and lists three books and videos for readers to refer to.

~ ~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment - Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

It Really Works!, 02 Feb 2008
It does! That is, composting in a wormery especially if you read this book. I did when I first started my wormery and everything has gone very smoothly and even through this cold winter my wormery is outside and the worms are still alive. The book explains all about why to compost in a wormery, what sort of worms you should have, what you should expect the bin to look like inside if all is going well and what to look out for if it is not, what to do and when, what sort of worm bin to get and what to do with the worm compost.
An excellent book for those who want to know how worms compost and particularly for those who want to set up their own worm bin.

Goodbye Slimy Messes, 24 May 2007
Worm Composting is a great thing to do but i had always ended up with a horrid slimy mess until i bought Mr Pilkingtons book. Easy instructions on how to get lovely usable worm compost, how to build a worm bin and other useful information - great stuff. I have read them all and this is by far the best.

Worms Are Our Friends, 30 Apr 2007
Ah - at last a book written for the UK Worm Virgin. George Pilkington asks the question, "Why Waste Your Waste?". It is a very good question. With UK local Councils sliding irrecoverably down the slippery slope which leads to us all being charged extra, by weight, for our 'non-recyclable' waste, using some method to deal with our veggie-waste (and quite a bit besides) starts to make, not only good financial sense, but is also good 'green' sense.

George sets out to introduce you to the way-of-the-worm by, firstly, introducing us to the worm-composting principles and the biology of composting, then he gets us to shake hands with our new friends, the worms (lots of worms!) and gently, step-by-step, he takes us through the whole process of buying, setting up, using and maintaining a wormery.

Trust me, it is fascinating stuff. Did you know that apart from the obvious veggy-waste, your worms love cardboard, biscuits, cereals, cakes, chocolate, eggshells, nail-clippings, newspapers, and, well....the list is almost endless. Busy little creatures these worms!

There is a whole section on commercially available wormeries, including George's own design, the 'Waste Buster' which, as far as wormeries go, is the Hilton Hotel of wormeries, only cheaper! After a chapter on using worm compost, there is a very useful Frequently Asked Question section and the book winds up with a chapter exploring the wider role of worms in the whole global community. Sounds heavy, but it isn't.

'Composing with Worms' is a very readable, profoundly knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyable book written by an expert, described on his web-site as, 'The Original Worm-Man' . All he needs is some sort of super-hero costume perhaps!

If you, in any way, want to do something really practical in the way of recycling, rather than pontificating about carbon footprints and Polar Bears, then buy this book and get composting!

Excellent and must read for all environmentalists, 31 Mar 2007
This book has been a long time coming and is unusual in that nobody else has written about this topic in the UK. I recommend it to anyone who has concerns about the environment. This shows you, step by step in a very easy and digestible way! how to compost your food waste, cardboard waste etc and save it causing landfill problems, such as saving space, leachate, which we pay our water boards to clean out of our water and the greenhouse gas, methane.

Worms really do eat my garbage, 14 Mar 2006
Excellent resource for getting started at vermicomposting, very similar to Mary's "worms eat my garbage" but from a uk perspective.

Informs you of everything you need to start/maintain and even build a worm system, as well as telling you more about the little wigglers themselves

affordable !, 12 Oct 2006
Nicky Scott, Chairperson for the Community Composting Network in the UK, is the author of three small books (roughly 4 x 6 inches) dealing with waste reduction and has appeared in two videos about composting. His book, Composting - An Easy Household Guide, was originally published in 2005 and the second edition was released in 2006. The cover and all ninety-six pages are printed on 100% recycled paper.

This book is slightly more advanced than his smaller booklet, Composting For All. Both books discuss why compost is such an important factor in reducing stress on landfills. But here, Nicky shows how this one simple action can benefit everyone in the community and can actually affect global conditions as well. Nicky tells readers that approximately one-quarter of UK's methane gas emissions (one of the gases that contributes to global warming) are due to organic waste in landfills, which are decomposing improperly. When composts are given aerobic conditions there is very little gas production.
Nicky shows other advantages such as less odor in garbage cans and less volume for curb-side pick-up services to deal with - therefore garbage will be put out on the curb less often.

Nicky demonstrates how to get the right mix in the compost for optimal decomposition conditions. He then explains some of the different composting bins sold commercially. There is the perfect bin available for different situations from apartment dwellers to individuals, situations involving pest issues (rats, etc) and communal composting. His book covers Dalek-type bins, tumblers, digesters, green cones, green Johanna's, fermentation methods, worm bins and more.

Much of the information can be applied globally, though the stats and information in Composting- and Easy Household Guide is from the UK. Terms such as "fly tipping" have no definition in North America. The resource section is four pages long and provides information on seven organizations and lists three books and videos for readers to refer to.

~ ~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment - Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Chemical heroes, 24 Sep 2003
I do quite a bit of paid reviewing for chemical journals but unfortunately none of them asked me to cover this book. Haber was a fascinating character and Bosch has long been a hero of mine, and to be paid to read more about them is something I could relate to. In the end I had to ask for the book as a birthday present.
Why the eagerness? It’s because I’m interested in the influence of chemistry and related technologies on world history, and I doubt if there are any breakthoughs with such immediate implications as this one. If it had come even two years later the entire course of twentieth century European history would have been different.
OK, I’ll come off my hobby-horse now. What about the book itself? It’s a bit technical for non-scientists, but not unreadable. Smil also chops and changes a bit, and therefore the book lacks some focus. But if you are chemically literate then this is still a must, and is packed with valuable insights. If you want to know why stubble-burning isn’t as stupid as it seems, then this is the book for you.