No Guff!

That's the tag line from the rear cover of this book, No Nonsense Vegetable Gardening, a delightfully irreverent and fact filled book.  For instance, here is a suggestion for improving your soil:

Leave rock outdoors for a few thousand years to allow it to be pulverized by the force of freezing water, consumed by algae, chiseled by tree roots, sandblasted by wind, eroded by waves and glaciers, and worn down by rushing rivers

If only I had the time ... But with the humor, the authors also supply information aplenty, such as this offering on the importance of frost:

The date of the average first fall frost is important too: More than the curtain falling at the end of the summer show, it allows us to gauge how many frost-free growing days we have—something that is important to know when choosing crop varieties. Some tomato varieties, for example, are ready in 60 days, while others take 85 days. The difference of 25 days is a big deal in an area with a short frost-free period ... Don’t restrict yourself to published first- and last-frost dates. Talk to other gardeners in the area to find out what dates they use—because your microclimate might be unique.

In any event, read this review by Billy Goodnick of Fine Gardening fame, post a comment for a chance to win a free copy, and then when that fails, buy it for yourself. We can all use a few more veggies.