Nightsoil: The Cultural History of Shit

Vital yet repulsive, sacred and profane, waste is one of humanity's greatest paradoxes, and it is in this murky, complicated space that it has forged its unique power. Nightsoil invites readers to confront what we all share but refuse to acknowledge-and in doing so, reveals the strange, essential, and world-shaping story of shit.

Shit is everywhere. Shit is nowhere. It is universal, unavoidable, and utterly taboo. Yet behind this messy reality lies a fascinating story about who we are, how w...