The Good Slug Guide is a well written accessible monograph on slugs/snails/general biodiversity written and curated by Dr. Jo Kirby. Released 19th Nov 2024 by Gemini Books, it's 144 pages and is available in hardcover format.

This is a layman accessible guide that takes the accepted advice about slug and snail control and turns it on its head in a lot of ways. The author uses current, accepted, peer-reviewed scientific research to refute (to a degree) the idea that attracting hedgehogs, toads, and frogs are always the gardener's best first line defense against gastropod (slug & snail) damage in the garden setting. It's true that they eat snails and slugs, but they also eat vast numbers of their natural enemies (beetles and predatory species of gastropod).

The author has a chatty and warm style of writing and there's nothing dryly academic about the presentation. It's well annotated throughout and the chapter notes with reference links are likely worth the price of the book on their own. It's sparsely (but clearly) illustrated throughout. The author/publisher have also included some appendices, including a comprehensive species list, a cross-referenced index, and an abbreviated bibliography.

It's important to note that this volume is slanted -very- heavily toward the various species (including introduced ones), growing conditions, and the garden culture of the UK. It certainly has valuable relevance to gardeners outside the UK, but this must be taken into consideration by readers situated elsewhere.

Five stars. It would be an excellent choice for public (or post-secondary school) library acquisition, for allotment/community garden groups, for the smallholder and home gardener, and for gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

"The Good Slug Guide" by Jo Kirby offers practical, eco-friendly advice for managing slugs and snails in your garden without harmful pesticides. By understanding their role in the ecosystem, you can turn them into allies while protecting your plants. This guide helps transform your garden into a thriving, pest-resilient space and is a must-read for modern gardeners looking for sustainable solutions.

My motive for reading this was not good -- I'm annoyed that slugs come onto my porch. I'm in the US and I learned a lot about different kinds of British slugs, but I also learned a lot about the other flora and fauna in my yard. I have a hedgehog family that eats some of my pests, and there was even some useful information on flies. The most practical advice was on gardening and how best to maintain the area. This was short but very useful. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Thank you Jo for writing this surprisingly interesting book.

As a very keen gardener and naturalist, I found the information contained within the book most fascinating. Written in a down to earth (pardon the pun) way, it gives the reader lots of scientific information about slugs and snails as well as numerous suggestions on how to manage them in an organic and kinder way.

The only downside was lack of photos but this could've been due to the pre-publication version I read.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to preview via Netgalley.

#Netgalley #slugs #snails #thegoodslugguide