This major revision of a bestselling text shows that soil is three--dimensional and dynamic. This concept is developed in the first two chapters and is built on throughout the book. Chapters 3 through 7 explore soil physical properties and water, with expanded coverage of tillage and traffic and an increased emphasis on water and wind erosion processes. Chapters 8 through 11 discuss the biological aspects of soils as well as their mineralogical and chemical properties. In Chapters 12 through 15, the general area of soil fertility and fertilizer use is covered. Other chapters examine soil genesis, taxonomy, geography, land use and soil survey, and land use interpretations. Finally in chapter 20, the importance of nonagronomic factors in the food population problem are discussed. Both English and metric units are used for crop yields, new figures and tables are included, summary statements are given at the end of the more difficult sections and at the end of each chapter, and non--agricultural examples and several computer applications are provided for reference.