Compost after Reading

“A practical and philosophical guide to composting that encourages readers to learn through action and observation. The book itself is literally compostable, made from recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks, so readers can add it to their compost pile after reading. The book aims to dispel myths about composting and make it accessible to everyone, regardless of their experience or living space.”

–Horticuture Week
“Ultimately, Marketos reminds us that decomposition is not an end, but a beginning. By participating in this ancient cycle, we do more than just reduce our trash–we reconnect with the rhythm of the living world, one banana peel at a time. Through her eyes, a pile of rotting scraps becomes a quiet, powerful act of hope for the future of our soil.”–HortWeek
“As the daughter of a mother, chef/eco-activist Alice Waters, who believes–not entirely wrongly–that compost with heal the world’s ills, and who would consistently start a compost “pile” in the kitchen corner of any of my post-college lodgings whenever she visited (regardless of my lack of outdoor space), reading Cassandra Marketos’s wonderful paean to compost felt like coming home. Her capacity to balance practicality and lyricism left me feeling like I’d read a kind of epilogue to Annie Dillard’s seminal celebration of nature, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. In a world where everything everywhere is expected to happen instantly, Compost After Reading encourages slowness, observation, and sensuousness. I can hardly think of a more urgent message in today’s climate.”

–Fanny Singer, author of Always Home and founder of Permanent Collection

“Cassandra Marketos dispels all the myths about compost in this book, addressing the practical concerns that can intimidate people in the most charming, approachable, fun, and even philosophical ways. Rather than promoting any specific method, Compost after Reading lays out a range of options and encourages a spirit of experimentation and discovery.”
–Sandor Ellix Katz, bestselling author of The Art of Fermentation
“Cassandra Marketos had me with the title. Only, I won’t compost it–I will cherish it and pass it on. I am a compost freak and evangelist and so is Marketos. She is also a great writer; this book has lots of soul searching and philosophical thoughts about one of the most important things we all should be doing. What a wonderful read!”–Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes