Rating: 
Summary: Answers those childhood questions
Review: I remember when I was 6 years old and first learned that manure = poop = fertilizer. I wondered why wild-animal poop was good for plants but people poop had to be flushed. It never made sense to me.
When I first saw this book, I thought it was a joke and I didn't even crack the cover to see what it was about. However, recently I decided to take up organic gardening and I ran across the Humanure concept again. This time, it was clear that the book is not a joke. It is serious! But it is also tremendously exciting. Now, whenever someone says the word "compost" to me, grin and my eyes light up. I can't wait to build my own sawdust toilet and finally add my own poop to nature's cycle, the way I've wanted to since I was 6 years old!
Rating:
Summary: Answers those childhood questions
Review: I remember when I was 6 years old and first learned that manure = poop = fertilizer. I wondered why wild-animal poop was good for plants but people poop had to be flushed. It never made sense to me.
When I first saw this book, I thought it was a joke and I didn't even crack the cover to see what it was about. However, recently I decided to take up organic gardening and I ran across the Humanure concept again. This time, it was clear that the book is not a joke. It is serious! But it is also tremendously exciting. Now, whenever someone says the word "compost" to me, grin and my eyes light up. I can't wait to build my own sawdust toilet and finally add my own poop to nature's cycle, the way I've wanted to since I was 6 years old!
Rating:
Summary: The World Should Read This Book
Review: I think the information contained in this book should be common knowledge and these methods used throughout the world. This would be one of the answers to help save our earth's precious drinking water, which we as a race so shamefully waste. The reading is light, informative, "can't put the book down" sort of book, plus hilarious too. If you are into self-sufficiency, back to basics, simplicity, homesteading the environment, and want to do something about water pollution, this has to be on your shelf, it will save you money and pay for it's self over and over.
Rating: 
Summary: Potentially hazardous! Use caution!
Review: I would have given this book four stars, as most of the information in this book is great.
However, not turning composted human waste means that the waste on the edges of the pile never reach sufficient temperatures to kill pathogenic microorganisms. Even if the compost was turned, any speck of material that remains on the outside of the pile (or a pitchfork) will inoculate the material that has already been composted.
As a microbiologist, I would only use this compost on a green manure crop, a lawn, or possibly on a crop for animal feed or a fruit tree (as long as you don't plan to pick up drops). I would certainly never use it in a vegetable garden.
Rating:
Summary: Go ahead -- eat that burrito!
Review: If you're like me, you spent years avoiding solid food because of the unpleasant by-product (poop). Well, those days are over! Thanks to this fabulous book, you can eat REAL food again ... and, better yet, you can "do your business" just about anywhere -- the back yard, the garden, even your local golf course! Heck, I've stopped wearing pants!On the down side, I wish the book had included more recipes.
Rating:
Summary: The Humanuer Handbook
Review: Imagine my surprise to find that human "waste" is not waste at all but a resource we are spending tons of money to get rid of. Just because that's the way it's always been done doesn't mean that's the way it should be done. My wife and I are in the design stage of building a new home. We are now going to incorporate composting toilets, a greywater system, and an attached greenhouse. We're going to garden ALL YEAR LONG!
Rating:
Summary: Loving the Earth, Humbly
Review: In this gem of a book, Joe Jenkins not only makes a compelling argument for why we should use "humanure" the way nature intended-- enriching the earth's soil, not soiling its pure water--but he provides ample instructions for doing so. My husband and I became converts, followed his advice, and for a year we composted the humanure in our home. The system worked beautifully. The attractive, comfortable varnished wood bench with a 5-gallon bucket underneath was comfortable, esthetic, and had no odor. Guests were a little surprised when they visited, but it was a great conversation piece. Now we only need to change a few laws so it will be legal to use in our town.
Rating: 
Summary: A good, informative book.
Review: Jenkins book is very good from the standpoint of understanding what is possible. Whether or not you wish to be this up-front in the handling of human waste is another question. His most important contribution however, is his analytical approach to the composting process. He explodes some myths about mixing compost to make it work, and shows how to create good compost quickly. He readily admits that he repeats himself in the book. This is true. The essence of this 195 page book could have easily been done in 75 pages. A useful book, and one that will give you the courage to do your own composting, even if you don't compost human waste.
Rating:
Summary: Pay your debt1
Review: Jenkins has written a down to earth factual, no frills or greed, essential and conscise text on how things are and the importance of becoming a contributor instead of a user, and it's simple.
Rating:
Summary: humanure - a long-overlooked resource
Review: Joe Jenkins is a great guy with a great message to spread. He wakes up his readers to the possibilities of a greatly overlooked resource. Many people, like myself, probably have thought about the use of humane manure for garden fertilizer, but it seemed too crazy. Jenkins EMPOWERS us to take advantage of our byproducts, and shows us that there's nothing to fear! Humanmanure composting makes SO much sense. It provides needed fertilizer, reduces pollution, and reduces the need for huge, dirty sewage infrastructure. It's a shame that so many toilets continue to flush every day. I am currently doing grass-roots development work in rural Bolivia, and am hoping to implement humanure composting in the way Jenkins teaches it. This low-tech technology has SUCH tremendous potential in the developing world, where farmers ALWAYS need more fertilizer, and where there are often not even latrines, let alone sewage systems. Excrement usually just lies about, eaten by pigs and dogs, or leaking into water sources, thus continuing the viscous cycle of parasite diseases. Joe Jenkins has empowered me to do what makes sense by nature and recycle precious organic nutrients. Everyone should read this book and wake up to these fecal realities. I read his book over a year ago, and am still so excited that I'm considering doing humanure research for my PhD! Read away...
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