My Work Is that of Conservation

Before I read Mark D. Hersey's book, My Work Is that of Conservation: An Environmental Biography of George Washington Carver I knew next to nothing about George Washington Carver.

I was almost put off by the adjective "environmental" in the title, but decided to give the book a try anyway. It was a fascinating look at Mr. Carver's life and his passion for nature, which he saw and celebrated as God's amazing creation. He was way ahead of his time in advocating organic fertilizer as not just a good and cheap way to add nutrients to the soil, but also as the only way to restore healthy physical qualities to the soil. (That just overwhelms me, as the physical composition of "good dirt" is something I've never thought about before.)

His kindness and willingness to help students during his long tenure at Tuskegee Institute, and his desire to alleviate the hardships African American farmers in the Black Belt of Alabama faced with their poor farms and poverty occupied him his entire adult life.

This biography was so good, I bought a copy for my dad and gave it to him for his birthday.