The Humanure Handbook, 4th Edition: Shit in a Nutshell

by Joseph C. Jenkins

Overview

An updated edition of an underground classic

This is the 4th edition of a self-published book that no respectable publisher would touch with a ten-foot shovel. The 1st edition was published in 1994 with a print run of 600 copies, which the author expected to watch decompose in his garage for the rest of his life. Now, 24 years later, the book has sold over 65,000 print copies in the U.S. alone, been translated in whole or in part into 19 languages and been published in foreign editions on four continents.

The previous editions won numerous awards, including the Independent Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year Award, deeming the book "Most Likely to Save the Planet.” The book has been mentioned on such diverse media outlets as: Mother Earth News, Whole Earth Review, Countryside Journal, The Journal of Environmental Quality, Natural Health, NPR, BBC, CBC, Howard Stern, The Wall Street Journal, Playboy Magazine, Organic Gardening Magazine, the History Channel, Tree House Masters, and many other national and international venues.

The 4th edition is a completely revised, expanded, and updated version of what has become an underground classic bestseller. The author draws from 40 years of research, experience, and travel, to expand and clarify your knowledge and understanding of... your poop!

Not only does the book address what to do with human turds, but it is also a priceless manual for anyone involved in composting or gardening, or looking for basic survival skills. There is no other book like this in print!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780964425880
Publisher:	Joseph Jenkins, Inc.
Publication date:	05/06/2019
Edition description:	4th Revised ed.
Pages:	300
Sales rank:	234,973
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Joseph Jenkins began composting in 1975, and started his first humanure compost pile in 1976. He has had at least one humanure compost pile brewing continuously for the past 40 years. The Humanure Handbook began as a graduate thesis in 1994 and was self-published as an amateur book in 1995. Since then, Jenkins has published nine print titles, including four editions of The Humanure Handbook. Jenkins has traveled the world teaching people how to make compost, like a latter-day Johnny Compost Seed. Sometimes referred to as “The Pope of Poop,” Jenkins prefers the more formal title of “Ambassador of Crap.”

Jenkins never wants to live without a garden – that’s why he learned how to turn shit into food. Humans produce their own soil fertility, usually on a daily basis, but most people don’t have a clue. The Humanure Handbook offers a glimpse into that hidden world.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Close Encounters of the Turd Kind 5

2 The Invisible Beings 9

3 Microbes - Friend or Foe? 15

4 The War on Microbes 21

5 Thermophiles 27

6 Deep Shit 31

7 A Day in the Life of a Turd 47

8 Compost 69

9 Compost Nuts and Bolts 79

10 Compost Miracles 103

11 Compost Myths 125

12 Compost Toilets and Dry Toilets 139

13 Worms and Disease 169

14 The Tao of Compost 207

15 Bum Rap 259

Temperature Conversions 273

Glossary 274

References 277

Index 295

Editorial Reviews

"This is a cult classic which might strike those without an outhouse as disgusting. But the methods outlined within have the potential to change the ecological fate of the world."–New Yorker Magazine

"Despite all the books on manure and how to use it, human manure composting is not covered elsewhere, making the Humanure Handbook a fine reference for any who would learn these basics. If you're an avid composter, there's nothing like this on the market."–Midwest Book Review

"Finally we have a comprehensive book on recycling human excrement without chemicals, high technology, or pollution. Well written, practical, and thoroughly researched . . ."–Whole Earth Review

"Almost certain to become a classic in its field. This book should be required reading. . . ."–Countryside Journal

"We think The Humanure Handbook ranks right up there with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring . . ."–HortIdeas

From the Publisher