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3rd out of 16 books
—
14 voters
The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters
by
Rose George
An utterly original exploration of the world of human waste that will surprise, outrage—and entertain
Produced behind closed doors, disposed of discreetly, and hidden by euphemism, bodily waste is something common to all and as natural as breathing, yet we prefer not to talk about it. But we should—even those of us who take care of our business in pristine, sanitary conditi...more
Produced behind closed doors, disposed of discreetly, and hidden by euphemism, bodily waste is something common to all and as natural as breathing, yet we prefer not to talk about it. But we should—even those of us who take care of our business in pristine, sanitary conditi...more
Hardcover, 238 pages
Published
October 14th 2008
by Metropolitan Books
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Rating: 4.75* of five
This review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
It really and truly IS The Porcelain God. Worship it, because it's the reason you're not dead yet.
This review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
It really and truly IS The Porcelain God. Worship it, because it's the reason you're not dead yet.
If you glance over my previously listed books, you'll have noted that I'm on a "end of civilization as we know it" reading jag, and this book fits right into the series. In fact, in many ways it's the best of the lot. Excreting is something we all do and almost none of us like to think about it, let alone talk about it, let alone read a whole book on the subject. But, because of this, our ignorance is immense. Who would have guessed, for example, that the world divides between those who clean th...more
Yes, I am a science geek. This is terrific read. When I was a kid, I would read "historical" books, like Little House on the Prairie, and I would be thinking, hmm, where did they go to the bathroom? What did they use for toilet paper? Dad said they used leaves and I said no way! How could that work?
I guess I was destined to become interested in microbiology and tolerant and compassionate enough to work with people's poo samples and try to figure out what was making them ill.
I will never drive by...more
I guess I was destined to become interested in microbiology and tolerant and compassionate enough to work with people's poo samples and try to figure out what was making them ill.
I will never drive by...more
The book starts as a travelogue on different sewer systems and then moves toward more of a Polzin type book on the importances of sanitation systems. As an engineering who watches too much Modern Marvels, but of this was not interesting. It never went too detailed, which is more my interest. So, what are the different options for human waste sanitation? Open defecation and the helicopter toilet (shit in a bag and throw into the street). This is a big problem. A lot of poor people actually prefer...more
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I just thought of a weird fact about myself. When I was little, instead of using the word ‘poop’ we called it ‘rocks’, as in “Mommy, I need to make rocks.” When I grew up I studied what in college? Geology.
I think this book should have been called, “The History of Toilets and Sewers Around the World” or “Poop: How To Get Rid of a Whole Lot of It’. It really wasn’t so much about human waste itself, but how it makes people sick and what the world does with it. FYI: India creates 200,000 TONS of h...more
I think this book should have been called, “The History of Toilets and Sewers Around the World” or “Poop: How To Get Rid of a Whole Lot of It’. It really wasn’t so much about human waste itself, but how it makes people sick and what the world does with it. FYI: India creates 200,000 TONS of h...more
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With passion, humor and integrity, Rose George makes a rock-solid case for sanitation as the world's most critical development issue. Without easy access to safe and effective sanitation, communities cannot provide clean drinking water or food free from contamination or lower the risk of life-threatening diseases. Without access to sanitation, women are chained to the Sisyphian drudgery of seeking out and carrying water, girls are too shamed to attend school once they begin menstruating, village...more
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Nov 25, 2008
John
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in public policy
Recommended to John by:
heard interview of the author on radio
Did you know that out of 6 billion humans, 2.6 billion have no bathroom, toilet, latrine or other place to tidily and privately relieve themselves? They use a vacant lot, walk a way down a railroad track, or "go" in a plastic bag that they then toss on a roof or over a fence.
"The Big Necessity" is full of such interesting facts.
But more than that, the book is an important overview of the current state of sanitation in the world, be it the robotic toilets of Japan or the tossed plastic bags of...more
"The Big Necessity" is full of such interesting facts.
But more than that, the book is an important overview of the current state of sanitation in the world, be it the robotic toilets of Japan or the tossed plastic bags of...more
This was a very thought-provoking book to read at a time when the media are full of reports about cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe. Human waste disposal from the developed world to the undeveloped.
A well-written survey of the global issue of sanitation and water, with an emphasis on the need for access to affordable, effective sanitation solutions in developing world countries, as well as the surprising lack of attention to sanitation treatment and water contamination in developed countries. Ms. George explores the expansive topic through many historical examples and case studies, introducing the reader to a range of figures in the water and sanitation field. And she drives home the conne...more
Who knew that a book about toilets and sewage could actually be fun and fascinating? Rose George is a master of the creative nonfiction genre, using her wit and keen powers of observation to delve into a subject no one really wants to talk about. I had no idea that over 2 billion people have no sanitation, not even a hole in the ground to pee in. I hadn't really thought about the direct connection between dirty drinking water and lack of sewage removal, but George lets us know the human toll thi...more
A lot of other folks have reviewed this book, so I'll try to keep mine brief. It's an interesting book on a vital topic that usually no one talks or thinks about. In a somewhat haphazard manner, the author presents a lot of the issues regarding the handling/disposal of human waste, and takes us on a tour of efforts [mostly] in third world countries to confront the problem. There is a lot of good information here, and I recommend the book.
On the downside, the book reads like a series of loosely-c...more
On the downside, the book reads like a series of loosely-c...more
This book is about shit. Rose George quotes a study wherein 7 categories of euphemism are used for that word, and points out that sanitation is a taboo subject in no small part because it concerns shit. (11) I don't know anything about sanitation. I push the lever and away the shit goes. I don't know where it goes, nor do I care how it gets there. So what if the readers of the British Journal of Medicine voted sanitation as the most important single development in public health over the last 200...more
You’ve never taken a sewer tour of London or New York City, have you? Or stopped to chat with anyone in the Hindu caste of the pristine “broken people” as they empty India’s latrines and clean up feces — despite Mahatma Gandhi’s attempts to get everyone to haul their own? Or contemplated a nice dinner salad as you watched Chinese excrement being sprayed on fields of cabbages? Or marched in a protest advocating women’s urinals — without doors, of course — privacy being all in your mind?
If you h...more
When I tell people that I read this book and loved it they cringe or think I'm strange. And that is why EVERYONE needs to read this book. We don't like to talk about poop and we don't like to think about poop. We are, in other words, a fecalphobic culture, and that has profound implications for millions of people around the world. Good sanitation is absolutely vital and its impact is often overlooked. Sanitation doesn't get brought up in most history books but it has played an absolutely vital r...more
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OK--this isn't something that most of us set out to read about--the past, present, and future of poop. However, I'd say that I found 3/4 of this book very intriguing. The author traveled all over the world researching the topic and discusses how various cultures deal with "bathroom issues." I will say that after reading this book, I have a new appreciation of my flushing toilet, but now I want a Japanese model. They're amazing. Well, you know the Japanese--they're always a few steps ahead of us...more
Rivetingly researched. Takes us from slums of Mumbai to toilet-manufacturing plants in Japan, and reveals that despite apparently huge cultural and economic differences, people readily adapt in order to do what our body dictates using the facilities available- ejection of waste is a fundamental necessity, regardless of how many smoke screens, walls, and doors we errect (though I'm awed over by the concept of played-back flushing sounds).
Having visited the Chinese countryside and used public toi...more
Having visited the Chinese countryside and used public toi...more
Very good book on an issue that isn't talked about nearly enough for how big a problem it is to human health. We've had waste disposal pretty well figured out for a century in the US and Europe (though we could do a whole lot to use waste as compost and fertilizer rather than using so much potable drinking water to flush it down our tubes), but in developing countries, lack of sanitation and the disease it lets circulate is killing people--mostly children--by the scores.
Proper sanitation is dir...more
Proper sanitation is dir...more
A fascinating look into how the world manages human waste. Sewer systems in cities such as London and New York, third world farmers, astronauts in space..
Some of the stories are really alarming. A lack of basic sanitation (toilets) in third world countries leads to incredible infestations of dystentery, worms, you name it. In western countries, disposal of so called "bio-solids" is terrifying. You might think that water treatments plants separate water from human waste but in the modern age, EVE...more
Some of the stories are really alarming. A lack of basic sanitation (toilets) in third world countries leads to incredible infestations of dystentery, worms, you name it. In western countries, disposal of so called "bio-solids" is terrifying. You might think that water treatments plants separate water from human waste but in the modern age, EVE...more
Every once in a while you read a book that makes you think about something you take for granted in a completely different light. It generally becomes clear to me that I'm reading one of those books when I'm stopping frequently to say, "Oh, wow! Honey, listen to this!" and then assailing my husband with amazing facts about my current topic of interest. I started quoting Ms. George's book at my husband on page 2 and, according to my husband, didn't stop until I was done with the book.
For example,...more
For example,...more
A book about a topic we seldom think about and never talk about. Fascinating subject concerning a ubiquitous issue to the populations of the world.
While mostly a laughing or smirking matter in the developed world, shit is a serious concern for many in the developed world. A sixth of the world population lacks what is called clean water, which is a nice way of saying that their water is polluted by human waste. This pollution kills millions of children each year from diarrhea alone. Rose George explores the world of shit management, or as it is usually called, sanitation in the excellent Big Necessity.
Rose is funny, she has a way with peopl...more
Rose is funny, she has a way with peopl...more
Synopsis: Rose George explores human excrement and everything relating to it. She explores how human waste is discarded in the United States, Japan, India, China, South Africa, Tanzania, and other places. Incredibly, 2.6 billion people do not have access to sanitation and those who do usually take it for granted. The book explores everything from high-end bidets in Japan, flush toilets in the United States and various types of latrines in much of the rest of the world. It's something that we all...more
A fascinating book, recommended by Valerie. Not the most pleasant read but at times, very funny. She's an excellent writer and traveled the world in research for this book. We hardly think about toilets in this country, but much of the world either have none or use latrines of various types. And it's only been fairly recently that waste is treated rather than being dumped into lakes and oceans--and still is basically everywhere when there are big rainstorms that flood the systems. She seriously...more
As a typical Westerner ( I think) I had never thought about dirty latrines, or even "bush squatting" as anything more than a nasty inconvenience of traveling in developing countries. But George points out the great hazards to human health posed by ...poop. While the tone is often humorous, the subject is serious, and George provides an easy to read, interesting overview of the problems of human waste and safe drinking water. She visits India, China and Tanzania, among other places, to describe a...more
This book was extremely enlightening - I cannot recommend it enough. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to be versed in sustainability, which is being increasingly important in modern society.
1 like · like · see review
Oct 28, 2010
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommended to Snail in Danger (Sid) by:
spotted in a university bookstore's remainder section
More like 2.5.
There is interesting info here, but I think the author perhaps tried to do too much in one book. The combination of infrastructure-related and cultural info was not handled as well as it could have been.
I took a women's studies class once, and we talked about the bathroom problem. The gist of it is that women need to take more time in the bathroom - even if they don't go in there to reapply their makeup or whatever. It takes women longer to disarrange and rearrange their clothing t...more
There is interesting info here, but I think the author perhaps tried to do too much in one book. The combination of infrastructure-related and cultural info was not handled as well as it could have been.
I took a women's studies class once, and we talked about the bathroom problem. The gist of it is that women need to take more time in the bathroom - even if they don't go in there to reapply their makeup or whatever. It takes women longer to disarrange and rearrange their clothing t...more
I. Loved. This. Book. I know it doesn't sound super awesome to most people, but I've been interested in sanitation infrastructure since I was doing research on diarrheal diseases at PSI the summer after graduation. More children die each year from diarrhea than from AIDS, from malaria, or from tuberculosis. When people are sick all the time, they're a lot less productive and they have to spend a lot of money on medicine. But my favorite thing about this book was that it emphasized that the proje...more
A very interesting book.
"2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. I don't mean that they have no toilet in their house and must use a public one with queues and fees. Or that they have an outhouse, or a rickety shack that empties into a filthy drain or pigsty. All that counts as sanitation, though not a safe variety. The people who have those are the fortunate ones. Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket or box. Nothing. Instead, they defecate by train tracks and in fo...more
"2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. I don't mean that they have no toilet in their house and must use a public one with queues and fees. Or that they have an outhouse, or a rickety shack that empties into a filthy drain or pigsty. All that counts as sanitation, though not a safe variety. The people who have those are the fortunate ones. Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket or box. Nothing. Instead, they defecate by train tracks and in fo...more
Or as we call it, “The Poo Book.”
If you are expecting a Mary Roach approach, forget it. While there are more than a couple of yucks in George’s book, they provide spice and not substance. This is a sober examination of a crucial public health matter. George offers plenty of supportive stats, without letting them get in the way of telling her story. How do societies in diverse cultures cope with human waste? George looks at methodologies and social standards in the USA, Japan, India, China and be...more
If you are expecting a Mary Roach approach, forget it. While there are more than a couple of yucks in George’s book, they provide spice and not substance. This is a sober examination of a crucial public health matter. George offers plenty of supportive stats, without letting them get in the way of telling her story. How do societies in diverse cultures cope with human waste? George looks at methodologies and social standards in the USA, Japan, India, China and be...more
This book was a fast and funny read both despite and because of the topic: s**t. Each chapter was devoted to a different take on a related issue internationally and in the US. I read it after learning that the Gates Foundation is promoting this book as part of an initiative to raise awareness and call attention to sanitation: it's not just about water and one of the most important determinants of our health. Of course, I found it interesting from a public health perspective, but I don't think th...more
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“This is why the Liberian waiter laughed at me. He thought that I thought a toilet was my right, when he knew it was a privilege.
"It must be, when 2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. I don't mean that they have no toilet in their house and must use a public one with queues and fees. Or that they have an outhouse, or a ricety shack that empties into a filthy drain or pigsty. All that counts as sanitation, though not a safe variety. The people who have those are the fortunate ones. Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket, or box. Nothing. Instead, they defecate by train tracks and in forests. They do it in plastic bags and fling them through the air in narrow slum alleyways. If they are women, they get up at 4 A.M. to be able to do their business under cover of darkness for reasons of modesty, risking rape and snakebites. Four in ten people live in situations where they are surrounded by human excrement because it is in the bushes outside the village or in their city yards, left by children outside the backdoor. It is tramped back in on their feet, carried on fingers onto clothes, food and drinking water.
"The disease toll of this is stunning. A gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, 1 million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 worm eggs...”
—
2 people liked it
"It must be, when 2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. I don't mean that they have no toilet in their house and must use a public one with queues and fees. Or that they have an outhouse, or a ricety shack that empties into a filthy drain or pigsty. All that counts as sanitation, though not a safe variety. The people who have those are the fortunate ones. Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket, or box. Nothing. Instead, they defecate by train tracks and in forests. They do it in plastic bags and fling them through the air in narrow slum alleyways. If they are women, they get up at 4 A.M. to be able to do their business under cover of darkness for reasons of modesty, risking rape and snakebites. Four in ten people live in situations where they are surrounded by human excrement because it is in the bushes outside the village or in their city yards, left by children outside the backdoor. It is tramped back in on their feet, carried on fingers onto clothes, food and drinking water.
"The disease toll of this is stunning. A gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, 1 million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 worm eggs...”
“If the cultural standing of excrement doesn't convince them, I say that the material itself is as rich as oil and probably more useful. It contains nitrogen and phosphates that can make plants grow and also suck the life from water because its nutrients absorb available oxygen. It can be both food and poison. It can contaminate and cultivate. Millions of people cook with gas made by fermenting it. I tell them that I don't like to call it "waste," when it can be turned into bricks, when it can make roads or jewelry, and when in a dried powdered form known as poudrette it was sniffed like snuff by the grandest ladies of the eighteenth-century French court. Medical men of not too long ago thought stool examination a vital diagnostic tool (London's Wellcome Library holds a 150-year0old engraving of a doctor examining a bedpan and a sarcastic maid asking him if he'd like a fork). They were also fond of prescribing it: excrement could be eaten, drunk, or liberally applied to the skin. Martin Luther was convinced: he reportedly ate a spoonful of his own excrement daily and wrote that he couldn't understand the generosity of a God who freely gave such important and useful remedies.”
—
1 person liked it
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You'd best hope the Goddesses of Sanitation don't rain down punishments on you for t...more
Dec 06, 2011 11:38am
I do now! It gives me the heebiejeebies to know that the starvation...more
Dec 06, 2011 11:40am