This is a book about shit. (Sorry, but one of the author's key points is that we are all too embarrassed to talk seriously about this important topic, and that includes footling about with words like 'waste' and 'excrement').

I read it on the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad I did. At first, I thought it was going to weigh in on the quirky-amusing end of the spectrum, with chapters about the London and New York sewers and the amazingly high-tech Japanese toilet industry, but gradually the book gets more serious - and the reader gets more concerned.

The key fact is that 2.6 billion people worldwide have no access to sanitation. And that does not mean that they have a long-drop or a bucket - it means that they have to shit on waste ground, or in a plastic bag. And yet sanitation is one of the lowest-priority development issues - there's plenty of focus on supplying clean water, but not on the thing that makes it dirty. (As George points out, 'water-borne diseases' is really a euphemism for 'excrement-borne diseases').

George finds some encouraging stories - mainly grassroots projects which are having a positive impact. But these are small-scale and outweighed by the shocking and depressing aspects of the book (say, India's caste of "manual scavengers" whose job is to pick up other people's shit, or the health impact of the US farming industry's use of untreated industrial waste).

And yet, I would describe this as an enjoyable read as well as an important one. I don't know how Rose George manages to maintain both a light tone and a clear sense of injustice. But she does, and the result is highly recommended - I'll certainly be giving copies to many of my friends. ( )

George has a combination of Mary Roach and Michael Pollan's writing styles, which fits well with this book. I didn't want to read an academic overview of poo - I wanted a little of the creative non-fiction goodness Roach is famous for. I wouldn't say you need a strong stomach to read this book, but it is a book about human waste (mostly poo).

The book starts with an introduction to the recent history and current ways we in the US and UK have built waste management systems. I found it fascinating. George goes down in sewers, and interviews sanitation workers who have great stories of all the stuff we throw down the toilet.

That sets you up with a basic knowledge of how waste management works, which is a good lead-in for the next part of the book, which looks at how less-developed countries deal with human waste. There's no judgment in her words - and she reminds us that our system of dumping waste into the ocean doesn't exactly solve the problem.

One unexpectedly great aspect to the book is her interviews with various non-profits who are trying to combat waste-related problems in developing countries. It's a study in how to get a community on board with a program that may be very different and outside their cultural norms to participate in.

There's not a lot of preaching for personal change, but I appreciate that at the end, she talks about what's she's chosen to change now that she's a waste expert. ( )

Reading more like a novel than non-fiction this descriptive book on what can be lumped into one word, sewage, will pull the reader to its last page.

This eye-opening book taught me a lot about an important topic which is generally overlooked. Anyone who thinks that flush toilets are a right instead of a privilege REALLY needs to read this book! ( )

George points out inadequate infrastructures, lack of education, top-down government politicies that don’t work. She highlights innovative ideas, progressive civil servants, and promising grassroots efforts. Her work is thoroughly and meticulously researched, her tone serious with just the right amount of humor to circumvent preachiness.

George’s main message - that human waste is a topic in desperate need of open discussion - is itself a big necessity.

Read the rest of the review. ( )