Produced behind closed doors, disposed of discreetly, hidden by euphemism, excrement is rarely out in the open in 'civilised' society, but the world of waste - and the people who deal with it, work with it and in it - is a rich one. This book takes us underground to the sewers of Paris and London and overground, to meet the heroes of India's sanitation movement, the Japanese genius at the cutting edge of toilet technology, and the biosolids lobbying team. With a journalist's nose for a story, and a campaigner's desire for change, Rose George also addresses the politics of this under-reported social and environmental effluent, and the consequences of our reluctance to talk about it. Witty, serious and original, "The Big Necessity" proves that excrement doesn't have to be - and shouldn't be - a dirty word.
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"This engaging, highly readable book puts sanitation in its proper place - as a central challenge in human development."
-- Louis Boorstin, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
'An excellent book, on a subject that certainly needs more exposure than it usually gets' -- Popular Science
'An extraordinary investigation that raises awareness about a crisis that causes more deaths than TB, Aids or malaria' -- Herald
'It will leave you grateful for our waterborne sewage system in the UK'
-- The Times
`George makes a good case for the way that even simple sanitation projects can transform people's lives'
-- Evening Standard
`Strangely fascinating ... Rose George travels widely in pursuit of the truth about toilets' -- Literary Review
-- Louis Boorstin, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
'An excellent book, on a subject that certainly needs more exposure than it usually gets' -- Popular Science
'An extraordinary investigation that raises awareness about a crisis that causes more deaths than TB, Aids or malaria' -- Herald
'It will leave you grateful for our waterborne sewage system in the UK'
-- The Times
`George makes a good case for the way that even simple sanitation projects can transform people's lives'
-- Evening Standard
`Strangely fascinating ... Rose George travels widely in pursuit of the truth about toilets' -- Literary Review
About the Author
ROSE GEORGE is a freelance writer and journalist whose first book, A Life Removed: Hunting for Refuge in the Modern World, was long-listed for the Ulysses Reportage Prize. She contributes regularly to the LRB, Guardian, Independent and others. She has reported on Saddam Hussein's birthday party, Afghan beauty salons and the alternative world cup final between Bhutan and Montserrat.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Even after more than three decades I can still feel white hot anger when I recall the criticisms I endured (from the idiot brigade) for lecturing, in a prestigious School of Architecture, about Lavatory Design and Attitudes towards Human Excretions. Like Death and Taxes, Human Excreta are an inescapable part of Life. I would entreat those that think otherwise to get over it and engage sensibly with the issues. Read this book.
Rose George has written a long-overdue book which provides a wide ranging, detailed, well referenced, well written account of the whole subject - accessible to both the professional and general reader. She is to be highly commended. This book should be on the reading list of any educational programme (from schools upwards) which purports to deal with sustainable Human Habitats.
Rose George has written a long-overdue book which provides a wide ranging, detailed, well referenced, well written account of the whole subject - accessible to both the professional and general reader. She is to be highly commended. This book should be on the reading list of any educational programme (from schools upwards) which purports to deal with sustainable Human Habitats.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By L. Mello
Format:Paperback
I never thought I'd enjoy a book about human waste - but this book has proven that a good author can tell a fascinating story about anything. I think Rose George is very brave for addressing a very unsexy subject -- and the facts are powerful: what good is clean drinking water if 2.6 billion people in this world live in contaminated environments due to their own lack of toilets? This is thought-provoking stuff which - if taken seriously and acted upon - could change the lives of billions...
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By J. Swain
Format:Paperback
Almost as entertaining as it is fascinating. I say almost as I read most of the book in one session whilst stranded on an airport runway for 3 hours. In one sitting (pun intended) the topic does have the unfortunate effect of making one feel slightly nauseous at times.
If only there were more of this kind of reporting/writing about environmental issues, I would take more of an interest. This book puts into context how really serious issues are never dealt with when a nice picture of a poor fluffy polar bear and a "carbon footprint" calculator will do instead.
One can feel the sense of frustration of Rose and the people in the book at just how hard it is to make progress on such an important issue.
Ultimately I am not sure if I am optimistic that work like this will help in finding solutions or whether the book is just a testament to human natures ability to look the other way if problems don't affect them directly.
If only there were more of this kind of reporting/writing about environmental issues, I would take more of an interest. This book puts into context how really serious issues are never dealt with when a nice picture of a poor fluffy polar bear and a "carbon footprint" calculator will do instead.
One can feel the sense of frustration of Rose and the people in the book at just how hard it is to make progress on such an important issue.
Ultimately I am not sure if I am optimistic that work like this will help in finding solutions or whether the book is just a testament to human natures ability to look the other way if problems don't affect them directly.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By S. Faulkner
Format:Paperback
The 'BIG NECESSITY' by Rose George, fearlessly tackles one of the worlds least talked about, yet one of its most important environmental and health issues. The 'BIG NECESSITY' is a journey through the world of human waste where she endeavours to quantify, rationalise and make sense of, how we across the planet choose to dispose of, that which we don't like to talk about. This intelligent, smart and sometimes witty book tackles its subject matter full on and I would 'highly recommend' it to anyone who has a genuine interest in the environment, health and of course public sanitation... a must read !!!!
By Stew
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good read - really opens your eyes to what happens (or doesn't happen) to that one most natural thing we all produce, and the huge and devastating effect it has on our health - not just in the less developed parts of the world but in our own towns and cities.
Written with humour, pragmatism and a real passion to reduce the deaths and serious illness caused by poor sanitation
Well worth a read!
Written with humour, pragmatism and a real passion to reduce the deaths and serious illness caused by poor sanitation
Well worth a read!
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A very interesting book of how we dispose of s**** in different countries and the impact on people's lives. Thoughtful
By Andy FL
Format:Kindle Edition
Really interesting read and very educational. Well written and easy to read. Hundreds of interesting facts which are somewhat scary in the 21st century when you live in a developed country. I had no idea how much even developed countries are balancing on a knife-edge when it comes to sanitation! Well worth every penny - it should be on everyone's reading list.
By F. M. Palmer
Format:Paperback
I bought this book for a friend, who urged me to read it. An eye-opening book for someone who enjoys the luxury of two flush toilets. Every aspect of human waste disposal or dispersal is covered. How can any country be civilised with steaming piles of poo fouling water sources etc? This book made me join WaterAid.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hubble Bubble, Toilet Trouble
An interesting, lively and very readable account of efforts to solve the largest health issue of the modern world - the safe and economic disposal of human excretia, most of which... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2009 by Howard Somerville
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hubble Bubble, Toilet Trouble
An interesting, lively and very readable account of efforts to solve the largest health issue of the modern world - the safe and economic disposal of human excretia, most of which... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2009 by Howard Somerville
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read
This book is informative, often funny and you cannot help but be impressed by the efforts that many people have to make simply to carry out this most basic human function and deal... Read more
Published on 7 April 2009 by Alice Cadis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hooray for the water closet
Very interesting book, it really makes you appreciate the water closet that we are all used to. We just take it for granted, but billions of the world's population do not have this... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2009 by M. Slade
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