Poop Happened:
A History of the World from the Bottom Up
History finally comes out of the water-closet in this exploration of how people’s need to relieve themselves shaped human development from ancient times to the present. Throughout time, the most successful civilizations were the ones who realized that everyone poops, and they had better figure out how to get rid of it! From the world’s first flushing toilet invented by ancient Minoan plumbers to castle moats in the middle ages that used more than just water to repel enemies, Sarah Albee traces human civilization using one revolting yet fascinating theme.
Featuring a blend of historical photos and humorous illustrations, plus extra-gross sidebar information, this is fascinating reading kids, teachers, librarians, and parents won’t be able to put down!
Age Range: 8 – 14
Grade Level: 3–8
Softcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury (2010)
ISBN: 978-0-802720771
Praise
“This self-proclaimed ‘number one book on number two’ takes readers inside the fascinating world of excrement, ranging across the historical spectrum from “Hellenic Hygiene” to “How Do Astronauts Use the Toilet in Space?” Albee’s focus is not only on bodily functions, but also on the larger public-health challenges created by mass urbanization in the ancient and modern world as well as the ability of societies to deal with these problems, which provides readers with an excellent introduction to social history. . . The fluid writing style ensnares and holds readers’ attention from beginning to end. By bringing history alive, this captivating work is without a doubt an essential purchase.”
—School Library Journal
“Albee conversationally explores how the need for efficient sanitation grew with expanding and more concentrated populations. . . .The author offers many stomach-churning details in the text as well as in sidebars about using urine to launder clothes and tan hides, horrible ‘filth’ diseases, revolting hygiene practices and disgusting waste-related occupations. . . . The purple-and-green pages feature Leighton’s cartoon illustrations, which complement the playful tone of the text.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“With candid humor, this book spotlights an important aspect of history, discussing human waste, from prehistoric times to the present. . . . Descriptions of stinky 18th-century London and the plight of the great unwashed throughout time should leave readers grateful for their porcelain thrones and glad to have taken the down and dirty—but informative—journey.”
—Publishers Weekly
Extras
Watch the book trailer: