Boris Bethelheim, the wily Deputy Director of our defense research agency, was interested in the perfect biological weapon. One that could destroy an enemy's infrastructure, but in the end could be brought under control. He realized that his former intern, George Brachmann-a doctoral student-had uncovered the answer; slugs with their ability to destroy the soil they lived in. George's Frankenslugs could be that weapon. Boris was a crotchety, wheel-chair bound bureaucrat who wore a white lab coat to remind people to address him as Doctor Bethelheim, just as it was embroidered over his coat's pocket. The whole situation started when George unearthed the slugs while working on his research. Years later when it was revealed that the slugs had been planted in the Middle East, George and his colleagues were faced with the daunting task of eradicating them and restoring the soil. Whoever distributed the slugs-whether Boris or somebody else-would need George's help in controlling them before they destroyed all the arable land in the world. But, who put the slugs out there, and could the infestation be controlled by five young academics? The Soil Is Dead is a compelling story about science and geopolitical intrigue.