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anusha_reads's review
5.0
A great read, with interesting anecdotes, making the shitty topic very amusing!!
angelslayer's review
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.0
First half of the book was informative, well paced, introduced interesting issues and told humorous anecdotes.
Second half felt... aimless? Seemed like the author was winding up to a grand conclusion, but he just kept treading the same reasoning with different words and I lost interest.
Second half felt... aimless? Seemed like the author was winding up to a grand conclusion, but he just kept treading the same reasoning with different words and I lost interest.
mpop's review against another edition
3.0
This was a super interesting book, but it often felt repetitive. I think the message could’ve been condensed to a shorter format. I really enjoyed the author’s discussion of how complex systems fit together, illustrating how a change that’s intended to address one issue can have unintended effects on many other issues—the importance of looking at a problem from multiple levels can’t be overemphasized.
asza's review
4.0
This is a fun and interesting introduction to ecology, waste and excrement. A relatively short read, especially combined with Waltner-Toews wit. It now sits on a shelf just outside the bathroom for guests to flip through while waiting their turn
khat's review
5.0
Necessary reading for any global citizen. Thought provoking for a curious/scientific/inquisitive mind. A start toward overcoming the social stigma of waste. Overall quite interesting and a must-read; filled with conversation-starting facts and written with an enthusiastic and quirky voice.
librarianpenguin's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
jessferg's review
3.0
The first 2/3 of this book are pretty fascinating for anyone interested in nature, biology, ecology, and/or social history. From rabbits' nighttime habits to the Thai Filth Ghost, there's a lot of unintentional shock value but surprisingly few cringe-worthy discussions (in fact, only one for me - I just can't have the discussion about using poop as food - no matter how "safe" or "sanitized" it is.)
My tally of names Waltner-Toews uses in place of "feces" was pretty extensive, but there was a surprising absence of the word "poop" - which I thought would be the most common! I'm a hard-core, born-and-bred curse user, but even I had the instinctive "shock" reaction at the continued use of the word "shit" as just that - a simple, descriptive alternative word for feces. That, alone, says something about our relationship to the stuff.
So now we get to the last 1/3 of the book. I found it to be very much a re-hashing of ideas that had been presented already throughout the book regarding potential solutions to the ever-increasing pile of shit we are leaving behind. There are no real solutions but a lot of options are presented and there is a lot of "everyone has to work together," and "the solution will be different for each niche" kind of thing. Obviously he's right, but it seems very basic primer level and leaves the reader anxious to know how, exactly, that will really happen on a global scale.
Origin of Feces is a gross sounding but not-really-gross book (with a fabulous title and great cover concept) that fans of natural history/micro-histories should enjoy.
My tally of names Waltner-Toews uses in place of "feces" was pretty extensive, but there was a surprising absence of the word "poop" - which I thought would be the most common! I'm a hard-core, born-and-bred curse user, but even I had the instinctive "shock" reaction at the continued use of the word "shit" as just that - a simple, descriptive alternative word for feces. That, alone, says something about our relationship to the stuff.
So now we get to the last 1/3 of the book. I found it to be very much a re-hashing of ideas that had been presented already throughout the book regarding potential solutions to the ever-increasing pile of shit we are leaving behind. There are no real solutions but a lot of options are presented and there is a lot of "everyone has to work together," and "the solution will be different for each niche" kind of thing. Obviously he's right, but it seems very basic primer level and leaves the reader anxious to know how, exactly, that will really happen on a global scale.
Origin of Feces is a gross sounding but not-really-gross book (with a fabulous title and great cover concept) that fans of natural history/micro-histories should enjoy.
elephant's review
3.0
This book will give you the scoop on poop. It is a very scientific study of excrement. If you don't know shit, read this book because it is full of it.
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