Rating: 
Summary: The weird alchemy that is language
Review: Marjorie and I have been composting for 3 years now, but recently we have started to use the term "manure" and we now have a few more takers for our homegrown vegetables among our dinner-guests.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Read
Review: Mr. Jenkins has not only shown us another excellent way to restore the earth, but done it in a way that is delightful to read. Like many of todays "Green" writers he tends to place all Fundamentalist Christians in the "cause of all our problems" camp but even there he is not vicious and does touch on some underlying perceptions that have added significantly to our present polluted earth. The knowledge he shares is so overwhelming that the few "New-Age" digs that he slips in against organized religion are hardly a bump in the road as his technical facts work for all of us and need to be heard by everyone. Joe makes learning fun and is the only one holding class in this field that I know of, at least in a manner that presents clear do-it-yourself instructions and on "a poor-boy" budget. If the author of the Bible reads Joes' book he may roll his eyes during a sentence or two but over all is nodding "Good job Joe".
Rating:
Summary: Value of this books far exceeds its title
Review: One could be forgiven for thinking that this is just another "how-to" book, albeit a bit off the beaten path of woodworking manuals and the like. Not that "The Humanure Handbook" doesn't deliver practical information. On the contrary, the book empowers the reader to exploit a vital and overlooked resource, and to eliminate personal contribution to a chronic source of pollution, water and power waste in the bargain. (Trying doing *that* with a router.) The methods described are cheap and simple. And the author puts his money where his mouth is, espousing methods he has personally employed for over two decades, and backing this practical experience with impressive in-depth research.This much easily justifies the purchase price, but there's much more here than "A Guide to Composting Human Manure". The Humanure Handbook dispels some fallacies of commonly accepted and widely repeated composting techniques. Even if you're already an avid composter (and I was) chances are Jenkins has some surprises for you (and he did). As social commentary, I can think of no other "how-to" book that tells such a compelling, frightening tale of blind assumption and culturally ingrained self-destructiveness. We see with startling clarity how the "civilized" world has combined ignorance, chemistry and technology to convert a needed resource into a nightmarish and wholly unnecessary problem. We are forced to confront the false assumptions each of us has unconsciously absorbed. And, by extension, we are forced to question how many other fundamentally bad ideas have become invisibly institutionalized in modern society. Unlike many preachy indictments of modern life, however, The Humanure Handbook provides answers rather than merely posing questions. The solutions can be applied on any scale, from personal to global, in virtually any climate and economic environment. If I have a quibble with the book, it is that key concepts are repeated extensively. I suspect some fierce editing could boil the book down by a fair chunk. To an extent, the repetition is by design; most of the book's chapters can be read in isolation, and it makes a superb reference volume. I suspect most readers who get through the introduction will end up reading it cover to cover, and a bit of repetition is a small price to pay for a message that is vital, practical, maddening, empowering, humorous, and inspiring. *Everyone* should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Value of this books far exceeds its title
Review: One could be forgiven for thinking that this is just another "how-to" book, albeit a bit off the beaten path of woodworking manuals and the like. Not that "The Humanure Handbook" doesn't deliver practical information. On the contrary, the book empowers the reader to exploit a vital and overlooked resource, and to eliminate personal contribution to a chronic source of pollution, water and power waste in the bargain. (Trying doing *that* with a router.) The methods described are cheap and simple. And the author puts his money where his mouth is, espousing methods he has personally employed for over two decades, and backing this practical experience with impressive in-depth research. This much easily justifies the purchase price, but there's much more here than "A Guide to Composting Human Manure". The Humanure Handbook dispels some fallacies of commonly accepted and widely repeated composting techniques. Even if you're already an avid composter (and I was) chances are Jenkins has some surprises for you (and he did). As social commentary, I can think of no other "how-to" book that tells such a compelling, frightening tale of blind assumption and culturally ingrained self-destructiveness. We see with startling clarity how the "civilized" world has combined ignorance, chemistry and technology to convert a needed resource into a nightmarish and wholly unnecessary problem. We are forced to confront the false assumptions each of us has unconsciously absorbed. And, by extension, we are forced to question how many other fundamentally bad ideas have become invisibly institutionalized in modern society. Unlike many preachy indictments of modern life, however, The Humanure Handbook provides answers rather than merely posing questions. The solutions can be applied on any scale, from personal to global, in virtually any climate and economic environment. If I have a quibble with the book, it is that key concepts are repeated extensively. I suspect some fierce editing could boil the book down by a fair chunk. To an extent, the repetition is by design; most of the book's chapters can be read in isolation, and it makes a superb reference volume. I suspect most readers who get through the introduction will end up reading it cover to cover, and a bit of repetition is a small price to pay for a message that is vital, practical, maddening, empowering, humorous, and inspiring. *Everyone* should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny, Excellent technical info.
Review: One of the few memorable books I would own. Ideal for anyone concerned with individual responsibility of their own waste. Excellent reference material.
Rating:
Summary: The Humanure Handbook
Review: Our family looked a long time before finding the info that Joseph Jenkins presents in his book. Having moved onto raw land after living in camping trailers and RVs, we had been used to chemical toilets and now faced a situation where we were weekly going to a dump site. I had heard that there were "composting toilets" which were a great alternative, especially for organic farmers, but that they were very expensive. Jenkins' book contributed more to our life than any other resource excluding the Holy Bible. He presents well documented facts for any one who is concerned with bacteria, disease, the environment, recycling and perhaps best of all simplicity and economics. Joes book has helped our family to live a less stressful and more productive life. What he presents can be understood by anyone and will fit the budget of the poorest of us. Joe Jenkins has given us one more tool to help us all return our planet to the beautiful garden it was intended to be.
Rating:
Summary: Be a Participant in the Earth's Cycles
Review: The first edition of the Humanure Handbook was instrumental in helping Washington State Department of Health's Composting Toilet Task Force to develop and approve the State's new generic composting toilet guidelines that now allow the permitted use of toilets such as those described by the author. Furthermore, as an individual who has used a sawdust toilet a la Jenkins for 5 years among a community of other humanure composters, I can personally say that the Humanure Handbook is comprehensive, thorough, and moving. One aspect of the latest edition that is particularly useful is the inclusion of a more comprehensive list of suppliers and designers of home systems (Definitely check out designs for the SCAT: solar composting advanced toilet).
Rating:
Summary: Contributing to the Nutrient Cycle
Review: The Humanure Handbook is a detailed, humorous, helpful guide to the recycling of urine and excrement. I have purchased dozens of copies to distribute among friends. As an organic oyster farmer on Willapa Bay in SW Washington, I see the need for better water quality protection through educational efforts to keep pollutants out of our rivers and estuaries. A composting toilet and graywater reuse system is now a legal and safe approach in many States, leading to the ultimate sustainable goal of zero waste discharge. Waste not, want not. Joe Jenkins tells us how to do it simply, affordably, safely, and effectively. Laugh when you read this book, but take it seriously: start composting, conserve water, improve your landscape, and feel superior to those lesser mortals who have yet to figure out that it is not a good idea to crap in drinking water.
Rating:
Summary: Learn how to produce something beautiful!
Review: The Humanure Handbook is the perfect book for the person concerned with energy and resource usage. In it you will learn how to effectively PRODUCE something beautiful while the rest of the world wastes endless gallons of water and is left with nothing.
Rating:
Summary: A book you'll want to share with others!
Review: The most powerful sentence (for me) is the one that reads; "The world is divided into two catagories of people; those who shhh in drinking water and those who don't." I knew from that point on that this wasn't going to be just one of those books you read and set aside thinking, " what a nice idea, maybe someday I'll do something about this." I knew this book was going to change the way I do things in my life. The paragraph continues; "We defecate in water, usually purified drinking water. After polluting the water with our body's excrements, we flush the once pure but now polluted water 'away', meaning we probably don't know where it goes, nor do we care." Mr. Jenkins then goes on to tell you just where it goes and how it affects our precious environment. You will be shocked and appaled. The good news is that there is something we can do about it and Mr. Jenkins explains how we can make a difference and benefit from it too! Read this book then share it with others, I'm glad I did!
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