"I stumbled across the
Humanure Handbook around 2001 while wearing heels and working
for an investment firm in an Atlanta skyscraper. Instead
of printing off statistics that day, I printed out the handbook.
It changed my life for many reasons. And my shoes
(traded the heels for sandals. Forever.) Thank you
that you share your experience, stumbles, science and wisdom
so graciously." J.V., WI
"Just thought I'd send you a quick note to say how fantastic the 'Humanure Handbook' is, you have made me an instant convert!! I've just spent all day making the walls to my compost bins. You would think that much more people would be doing this sort of thing if the word was out there more! I have a brother in law that is doing research on water desalination plants to help with the current water crisis in Australia. I told him about your method and he was fascinated. Isn't it amazing that there's hardly any freshwater left in this country, and what is left is being polluted and flushed away by the bucketload!" G.R. Australia
"We have your book and have constructed the humanure bucket toilet according to your directions in our mountain home in Oaxaca, Mexico, where we live in an indigenous village. We love it and want to promote this, along with other "eco-techniques" we are using in our work with the people here." K.D., Mexico
"I'm a humanure convert, and thrilled to be one. (I even wrote about it in a recent blog — hopefully a few more folks will join in.) I find the whole process easy, clean, definitely un-smelly, and it makes me feel downright virtuous about living more sustainably in this important way. The old potty is now the plant shelf and bookcase of the bathroom. We will soon be transforming our guest bathroom into a collection area, complete with a copy of your book." C.G., NY
"I think your Humanure Handbook is the greatest and I've become something of a compost fanatic, humanure or not."
"We recently
got a book from the library called The Humanure Handbook,
by J.C. Jenkins and found it one of the most informative,
comprehensive books on the topic of composting human 'manure'."
“Your
discovery of the proper small scale of the operation is
world shaking.” F. A., DE
“I enjoyed
the book immensely, but my mother is appalled. Pleasing
me and irritating my mother - you score big in my two favorite
categories.” K. L., IN
“Your
book is pure gold, just what I needed to give to my County
Health Department.”
M. T., MO
“If this
short sentence (“We are defecating in our drinking
water.”) was put in front of our eyes frequently enough,
more and more people would realize that this absurd behavior
can’t go on much longer.” S. A., Austria
“Your
book was carefully handed to me in a brown paper bag at
church last spring. Great research, clear writing and terrific
humor.” L. U., WV
“I showed
a review of your book to my dad and he almost gagged! Would
you mail me one in a plain wrapper? I live with my parents.” M.
C., CO
“If you
could claim credit for engineering the thermophilic decomposers,
you would probably win the Nobel Peace Prize.” T.
C., AZ
“We started
using our ‘system’ the day after receiving the
book. It took about two hours to put together. I wish more
problems that at first seemed complicated and expensive
could be solved as simply as this.” J. F., NY
“I’ve
been composting and using my own waste for the past 20
years. Most of my friends think it odd. I counter that
not even barbarians piss and shit in their drinking water!” E.
S., WA
“Fascinating!
We are indebted to you for your book Humanure Handbook.” R.
L., NY
“I’m
sure you’ve probably heard it all before, but I really
appreciate the fact that someone finally did their research
and put it together in a pleasant readable form.” S.
C., WI
“For 22
years I have used scarab beetle/larvae . . . they eat my
shit in five minutes flat.”
C. M., SC
“This
wonderful book fits right into my compost/redemption religious
philosophy. You have answered questions I have held open
since childhood.” R., MA
“I’m
wracking my brain, trying to find a compelling way to tell
you how great I think your book is.” K. W., WI
“Thank
you for taking on the work and expense of sharing your
experience with those of us who want to leave small or
no footprint on our Mother Earth.” C. M., AZ
“I’ve
spent my whole life recycling, reducing, reusing everything
but my own shit and I’m ecstatically grateful to have
your directions reach my lap.” W., ME
“I found
your book entertaining, informative, and a great motivating
force compelling us to start recycling our “humanure” immediately.” B.
W., TX
“I liked
your book. Putting back nutrients after taking them away
makes sense as well as the image of dropping a turd in
a 5 gallon toilet filled with pure drinking water seems
crazy.” T. O., NH
“Thank
you for putting the time, energy, money into creating this
unique, needed book. Your wit, wisdom, factual references
and above all, your personal experience make it a great
and encouraging work.” C. L.
“As parasites
attached to the earth, it would seem that the only conscious
thing we do that isn’t killing the host, is manuring
in the woods, fields or a compost toilet.” D. G.,
MN
“Two things
you might be interested in: A more natural way to eliminate
is in the squatting position. [and] Urine is not a waste
product. Taking urine internally has been going on for
some time (1000’s of years) and by many is considered
a wonderful medicine. I take my first urine daily. Also,
urine is used today in ear wax removal, hand creams, and
other. Now is that full of crap . . . or is it?” W.
E., OH
“Your
book (Humanure) saved my butt at a town council meeting
yesterday. Thank you for writing it.” D. W., CO
“My 74
year old father thinks human waste should not be used in
a garden, and I want to prove him wrong.” A. M., WA
“I had
to call my dear heart long distance immediately to read
her what may be the most hopeful environmental news I’ve
read in my 35 years, that something can transmute horrible
toxins. Why aren’t all the environmentalists raving
about this?” C., VT
“In the
past month I’ve made two humanure converts, both single
women (living separately), both organic gardeners, both
professional cooks. The biggest lure for them was the quality
of my garden, and the opportunity to avoid purchasing fertilizer
and soil amendments. Now they’re hooked, preaching
to their friends. Could be the start of a Big Movement.” L.
“The potential
of the ideas in “Humanure” is so great in problems
such as hollow food, landfill capacities, population densities,
etc. that I feel rather evangelical about the book and
hope others will also.” R. S., OH
“The reason
I’m writing is because I believe worm-egg phobia is
overblown. I’ve been a pig farmer for decades, had
probably literally tons of pig manure dumped on me over
the years, have had pig manure get inside open bleeding
wounds, have had it “splash” into my mouth, and
I can say that I’ve never gotten ill from it nor have
I had any intestinal problems except when I got my divorce
(ulcer). But I can say quite accurately that I’ve
gotten ill a few times from eating in restaurants. I ask
you, which is more dangerous, restaurant food or hog manure?”
R. T., WI
“I love
the book and it makes a great contribution to taking seriously
a low-tech, simple alternative to flushing everything into
water, tanks, and leach fields.”
B. W., MA
“I live
and work in an international youth hostel and we’re
using your sawdust toilets. At the hostel your book has
made it to “the shelf of recommended literature.” On
this shelf we display books we recommend our guests to
read. Your book is placed between Thoreau’s Walden
and The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening.” J. M.,
GA
“I’m
so glad you wrote this book - one lady told us it should
be required reading for everyone on the planet!” D.W.,
PA
“Thank
you so much for your book. I believe it is one of the most
important books ever written.”
S. U., ME
“It is
the shittiest book I’ve ever read, but it’s great!” D.
H., WY
“You have
done the world a great service, and I thank you from the
bottom of my (f)heart!!”
B. F., NV
“Well,
you’ve really outdone it! What an outrageously “perfect” book!!
And we’ve been looking for it for years!!” B.
L., WA
“May I
join the chorus, too? The most exciting book I’ve
read in a long,long time is yours. What a gem! Fun!” V.
.L., FL
“I should
have written this letter sooner. I would like to say that
it is relatively rare to read a book of the calibre of
The Humanure Handbook. A book that is enjoyable to read,
empowering, hilarious, and has eye-candy pictures throughout.” J.
D., CA
“Terrific.
It definitely goes on a shelf next to How to keep Your
Volkswagen Alive and a few other “anybody can do this” type
treasures. You’ve got me convinced. I’m part
way through building a new house and I’ve penciled
in where the bucket will go. I think I’ll even convert
the outhouse we’ve been using.” D. B., MN
“My budget
is limited, so I don’t buy many books. This one, however,
I really had to have for my personal library. I borrowed
your book via inter-library loan and have already read
it twice, but I want one to keep.” L. M., NJ
“After
having finished your book The Humanure Handbook, I’m
more convinced than ever that those in charge of our society
have no idea what the hell they’re doing.” J.R.,
ME
“I have
just finished your book and I’m still wiping the tears
off my face from laughing so hard. I never thought a book
about human excrement could be so humorous, as well as
very informative!” A. R., OH
“Again,
thank you for all the years and time you and your family
have spent experimenting and actively composting! Your
work has been a great asset to our path of a simpler, sustainable
and self-reliant lifestyle. We believe we are the keys
to changing the dominant paradigm and healing the earth.”
B. C. and J. S., AK
“ I knew
nothing about this topic and by chance I purchased your
book. Before reading I felt a little reluctance. However,
once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. You are doing
a great service to humanity by having the courage to publish
your book. It is said that example is the best teacher.”
B. E., Belgium
“We live
in Mexico in the high desert of San Miguel de Allende where
the water is precious and the soil is lousy. You’ve
solved two of our biggest problems.”
L., Mexico
“It occurred
to me that desertification doesn’t only happen on
land - it happens on the sea bed too, when sewage outfall
is piped out to a “safe”
distance from shore. Never mind that it engulfs whole coral
reefs and suffocates them, desertifying whole marine habitats.” J.
M., England
“Humanure
and the potential for large-scale . . . even a city size
composting collection (apartment building toilets into
a central collection dumpster), along with the crimes of
the so-called “septic system,” has become one
of my most favored topics of conversation and promotion,
often through direct exposition at our farm. Many thanks
for your noble work of art and contribution to this stinky
species of ape.” R. T., CT
Get
a Compost Thermometer!
