The Big Necessity

The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters

By: Rose George

Narrated by: Karen Cass

"One smart book...delving deep into the history and implications of a daily act that dare not speak its name." (Newsweek)

Acclaimed as "extraordinary" (The New York Times) and "a classic" (Los Angeles Times), The Big Necessity is on its way to removing the taboo on bodily waste - something common to all and as natural as breathing. We prefer not to talk about it, but we should - even those of us who take care of our business in pristine, sanitary conditions. Disease spread by waste kills more people worldwide every year than any other single cause of death. Even in America, nearly two million people have no access to an indoor toilet. Yet the subject remains unmentionable.

Moving from the underground sewers of Paris, London, and New York (an infrastructure disaster waiting to happen) to an Indian slum where ten toilets are shared by 60,000 people, The Big Necessity breaks the silence, revealing everything that matters about how people do - and don't - deal with their own waste. With razor-sharp wit and crusading urgency, mixing levity with gravity, Rose George has turned the subject we like to avoid into a cause with the most serious of consequences.

©2014 Rose George (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Utterly fascinating

Rose George brings to life the extraordinary challenges and opportunities of the field of sanitation. Brilliantly written, beautifully narrated.

Shit happens!

This was a fascinating book about the most basic human function. It’s interesting to see how improvement in the health and economic security of people in many nations are hampered by the lack of access to clean toilets. It’s also clear that the lack of sanitation solutions need be addressed first when discussing environmental pollution. The narration was excellent keeping you engaged in listening to what could have become an overwhelmingly distressing topic.

Maybe OK if it was a lengthy magazine article

Could have worked if it was an article from 'The Atlantic,' but pretty weak as a standalone book. It is really a series with anecdotes and personal reports interspersed with some comment.