Dirt: A Social History as Seen Through the Uses and Abuses of Dirt

Delve Into the Fascinating World of Dirt

Dirt is a matter of opinion, according to public health and hygiene authority Terence McLaughlin. In this engaging, thoroughly-researched, and often humorous study of the "imperfections" of human existence and our relationship to them, McClaughlin dissects human attitudes about the slime, mud, stench and filth which has accompanied society through history.

Our notion of cleanliness has a marked cultural aspect. For instance, McLaughlin cites Old Testam...