The Humanure Handbook-A Book Review
Jul 28th, 2008 | By Matt Mayer | Category: Books, Reviews |
After reading the Humanure Handbook (which you can download for free here) I have to say, I have an all new appreciation for the subject of composting. Not just composting normal yard waste and kitchen scraps for my garden. But also thoughts on how to compost better, and more efficiently. How to compost better my own waste, if I chose to, as well as waste from other animals.
The Humanure Handbook, in case you have been living under a rock, is a short book put together to introduce people to the idea of composting their own human waste and recycling it onto their gardens. There is compelling information here as to why it should be done. As we all know when you remove a crop from the ground you take some of the nutrients with you. Adding them back through compost and green manures are important. But one missing link in the current chain is that a lot of people flush their waste down a drain, thus polluting clean water that they spent oodles purifying. When they do this they also take precious nutrients and toss them down the drain. Nutrients that should be recycled back into the soil.
Now, before you get up in arms about pathogens and diseases and other nasties you need to read the book. This information is all detailed in the book, very frankly, and the system sounds like it works very well. There is no smell, when you do things right, and there aren’t any problems, when you follow the precautions. Most places in America aren’t ready to accept composting toilets just yet, but the knowledge from this book did come in handy recently when my city was flooded and we were told not to flush the toilets or use water for fear of compromising the water system. We still flushed the toilet in certain instances, but we were able to dump liquids onto our compost pile and follow the directions in this book with no problems. Now, no emergency problem at my house.
If you get a chance, check out the Humanure Handbook, if for no other reason than to learn even more about how to compost, a very valuable skill when gardening.
Images courtesy for the author’s website.
Thanks for the favorable review of the Humanure Handbook. I’ve used the bucket/sawdust toilet system for many years. It’s the way to go.
Thanks for the review. There are also video clips at http://www.youtube.com/user/jcjenkins01 and on my web site at http://jenkinspublishing.com/videos.html that show various aspects of humanure composting.
I was really pleased to have recently found this site and even more pleased to see a favorable review of one of my favorite books. I read the 1st ed. of Humanure waaaay back when it was first published and a friend loaned it to me. I now own and am rereading the 3rd ed. I am totally sold on this composting method and have finally been able to convince my husband that this is the way to go. He is now willing and more than able to build our own composting toilet system.
I want to add that even if the readers out there are not interested in the total composting method as described by Jenkins the information on composting is more than worth reading this book.
Lindy
Thanks for this great review. I will definitely be purchasing this book!