Review: The Big Necessity by Rose George

Non-fiction reads are few and far between on this blog, and I'm really not quite sure what inspired me to read a popular study on sanitation, but the whole thing was tastefully written and utterly fascinating. How to best dispose of human waste is a problem faced by every society in every part of the globe. The way that waste is disposed of is also done quite differently depending on population, environmental factors and how much money individual nations have to spend addressing the problem. It can also be an indicator of wealth, class and even religion. 

It is also something that is rarely talked about, to the point that I'm pretty sure that at least someone will be offended or grossed out that I even dared mention this book on my blog.

Anyway, George's account of human waste disposal well written and interesting, whether she is discussing high tech toilets from Japan, those in India who made toilets environmentally sustainable and accessible to everyone, not just the rich, and the people in the United States who have genuine health concerns about the use of biosolids. And perhaps the nicest thing of all is that the author takes her job seriously, and doesn't cheapen the whole thing with poo jokes.

Some readers would probably rather skip this one, others will find it a fascinating glimpse into a taboo subject.

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