Catching up on reading

Among my recent resolutions: reading the essential books from the past months and years that I hadn't yet found the time to read. *Jamais seul* is one of them. Written by microbiologist Marc-André Sélosse, it explains and champions the vital role played by 'microbes'—bacteria and fungi—in the living world. As far as the vine is concerned, the plant benefits, among other things, from mycorrhizae: these fungi weave a fine web of filaments (hyphae) around the roots, supplying the plant with water (drawing it from several metres away) and trace elements, notably by making assimilable those nutrients that roots could not otherwise capture because they are insoluble. In return, the fungi draw carbon and vitamins from the roots. A perfect symbiosis. The examples are numerous, and the author's approach is pedagogical. He addresses a wide range of topics: the cow's microbiota, the role of bacteria in humans, how bacteria enabled the development of life on Earth, and the role of bacteria and fermentations throughout human history. An essential book for anyone wishing to understand living organisms, which further reinforces our overarching approach dedicated to nurturing ever-more living soils. The author also explains and demonstrates that a plant has greater resistance to external attacks (fungi or caterpillars) when its mycorrhizae are well established. The soil is one of the answers to vine disease issues. We were already convinced; Marc-André Sélosse provides the evidence.