I definitely recommend reading the book if anyone is thinking about trying soil. One is taking risks, and the author speaks to many of them. Her tanks are heavily planted and sparsely populated with with fish. I will probably not have my tank as heavily planted as the author and plan to do weekly 20% changes because they make more since to me than doing a larger exchange less frequently. Plus I don't want to restrict my fish population as much. Like I said you can't just run out to Walmart and throw it together with no thought. I just found it interesting that she is able to do it and have tanks that have plants and fish that have been thriving for years. She is a long time hobbiest and microbiologist.