Publisher's Synopsis
The greatest killer in human history was not war but disease caused by fecal bacteria. Protestantism was founded while Martin Luther perched on a toilet. Poop created and then revolutionized agriculture and allowed for the Industrial Revolution. Aversion to excrement led man to create sanitation, modernize his society and cities, and created civilization. Overall, feces has had a greater impact on the world and human history than perhaps any other change agent. This book takes a scientific and historical look at the subject of dung, the first ever attempted, in an effort to flesh out these stories. It is a collection of vignettes tied together by a common theme, that poop made the world great and modern. Beyond simply an enjoyable read, it is an academic look at a little known catalyst for the development of the modern world. Man made feces, and feces made the modern word.
