Soil Science Textbook

Soil Science Professor Updates Textbook and Makes it Cheaper. Soil chemistry just won't be the same as a result of University of Idaho professor Dr. Dan Strawn's "labor of love." At least the textbook, the fourth edition of "Soil Chemistry," changed a lot as a result of Strawn's efforts to bring an updated perspective to the undergraduate-level soil science book. He is particularly happy that the publisher, Wiley-Blackwell, helped him accomplish an unusual feat: bringing out a new edition of a textbook that costs less than the previous edition. Strawn teaches a senior-level environmental soil chemistry class and is a 15-year member of the University of Idaho's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences faculty.

Strawn said other soil chemistry textbooks available include information more suitable for graduate students, rather than serving as introductions to the topic. With only a 15-week semester to cover the topic, he wanted a book focused on the fundamentals of what can be a very complex subject.