I loved this book from the beginning to the poignant ending. What a great summer read--that's not fiction. It's hard to believe that Robert Switzer, a biochemist at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, has previously only written scientific articles and books. In A Family Farm he has written a personal, yet informational book about farming in Illinois from 1910-1991. He does this by telling the story of his family side-by-side with the history and sociology of farming in Illinois and in the United States. His grandparents bought the farm in 1910 using horse power to do all their work. When his parents take over in the late 40's, their farming techniques are still in the nineteenth century, children attend one-room school houses, and electricity is a new to the area. This charming book is also graced with watercolors by his wife and etchings and photographs by his son. I look forward to a novel and stories by this gifted author.