The Book Of Dirt
An essential book for processing male grief
When the noise of the modern world stops, and it’s just you and the earth, what memories are waiting for you in the soil?
The Art of Slowing Down: Why a shovel is better than a smartphone for clearing your mind.
A Father’s Memoir: From the joy of "two-man baseball" to the heartbreak of letting go.
"Dirt Don't Care": A stoic philosophy for navigating life's hardest moments.
The History Beneath Us: Uncovering the stories of those who dug before us.
Finding Your Ground: How physical labor can heal a heavy heart.
What Readers Say
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Peter M. ★★★★★
I loved this personal, fictionalized exploration of spiritual connection through work, purpose, and the natural world. It even changed how I think about digging and the tools we use. Though I may not start naming mine, I’ll remember Tim’s call for presence and engagement.
This book will resonate with gardeners, naturalists, environmentalists, and anyone who aspires to be one. Treat yourself or a friend to this unexpectedly “deep” and engaging read. I look forward to the author’s next book.
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Howard D. ★★★★★
Don’t let the title push you away. This book is more than a book about dirt. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Imagine digging a ditch, getting in rhythm and letting your mind wander. You’ll love it.
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Richard K. ★★★★★
Excellent book that teaches us how to get thru the challenges we face in life , our faults & regrets all by the simple task of digging and choosing the proper tools to use. Some very heartfelt, sad & joyous challenges we might face on the journey of being human beings.
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Dave A. ★★★★★
Congratulations on the unique and endearing Book of Dirt! Tim Time is a masterful nonfiction writer, one of the finest I have ever edited and I have edited hundreds. During this enchanting read, Tim Time reflects on the mysteries of the universe, the miraculous engineering feats of ancient peoples, the joys of fatherhood, and so many other fascinating topics. He delights us with rhythmical, poetic, amusing prose.
All the while, his confident and comforting tone puts us at ease.
Anyone who loves the simplicities and deep truths of life will enjoy spending time with Tim’s book preferably under a shaded tree, after digging a hole.
What’s In “The Book Of Dirt”?
Modern life leaves us mentally
over-stimulated and physically
under-stimulated.
The Book of Dirt offers an antidote to the noise of modern life. True optimization doesn’t come from an app, but from the rhythmic trance of a shovel and the honest sweat of a hard day's work.
Step away from the "monkey mind" and dig into the soil to discover how to physically process the grief and stress that your mind cannot handle.
This narrative weaves together the history beneath our feet with a personal roadmap for slowing down, proving that the most profound therapy often costs nothing more than a pair of leather gloves and a willingness to get dirty.
Who Should Read “The Book Of Dirt”
You spend your days staring at a screen and feel disconnected from the real world.
You appreciate a story that isn't afraid to get sweat in its eyes and dirt under its fingernails.
You are carrying a heavy heart or a "stone" of grief that you don't know how to put down.
You are a father, a son, or a parent navigating the messy, beautiful timeline of raising children.
Is “The Book Of Dirt” right for me?
"The Book of Dirt" offers a perfect masculine entry point (physical labor) to discuss emotional health.
Buy this book for the man in your life who "doesn't read self-help."
It’s cheaper than therapy, harder than the gym.
The BOD masquerades as a manual labor guide, validating male grief through the physical act of digging.
This gritty tale of dirt offers the ultimate anti-digital aesthetic.
Take a minute to sample Chapter 1 of “The Book of Dirt”
About Tim Time
Tim Time is not a guru, a professional landscaper, or a life coach.
He is a husband, a father, and a man who, at the age of sixty, decided it was finally time to write the book he had known he would write since he was a boy.
Writing The Book of Dirt didn't happen in a quiet cabin in the woods; it happened in the stolen moments between calls at a busy call center, where he reconnected with the silence of the soil.
Tim lives in a house built in 1900 that sits atop a natural spring, a setting that has taught him much about the stubbornness of water and the persistence of the earth. He shares his life with his wife, who taught him how to become the man he is today.
He writes for the same reason he digs: to clear away the debris, to find what is solid underneath, and to make sense of a life that has included the immense joy of raising children and the profound, quiet heartbreak of letting them go.
When he isn’t writing or spending time with his extensive family including children, and grandchildren you can find him in the backyard with his friends Cassius Clay (the shovel) and Bartholomew (the digging bar), working on a hole that is just the right size.
