Greetings....Some of you may find this info useful. I wrote this book review a while back for Home Power Magazine who gave permission to post it to this forum (http://www.homepower.com)

(Why post it here?....what will you do if the sewage treatment plant goes down and your toilet backs up?)

The Humanure Handbook

Written by J.C. Jenkins Reviewed by Don Kulha

The Humanure Handbook is subtitled A Guide To Composting Human Manure (Emphasizing Minimum Technology and Maximum Hygienic Safety). This book delivers a frank and sometimes humorous discussion of how we can close the nutrient cycle by safely composting the bi-products of our own digestive processes. This self-published book springs from the authors belief that millions of people in developing countries can benefit from hygienic recycling of all their organic refuse including humanure.

He points out that people in China, Korea and Japan have managed to maintain the fertility of their soil over forty centuries of continuous use. Humanure is one of the keys to that enviable record.

Sanitation methods practiced around the globe, both primitive and advanced, are discussed as are the mechanics of the composting process. Great attention is given to the types of dangerous pathogens present in human waste and the exact conditions necessary to completely and safely neutralize them. Moldering and thermophilic humanure composting systems are discussed and their performance in killing pathogens analyzed in depth. The authors 15 years experience composting humanure for use on his familys food crops, development of his low-tech, low-cost process and extensive research provide us with a valuable reference for safely dealing with what can be an odious issue.

This book may not be right for everyone, particularly those who take easy offense at the earthy humor sprinkled throughout the book. Mr. Turdley pops up from time to time to pass on the occasional tip and fun is poked at whats considered the civilized way of dealing with our waste. I thought it was great. This is important and useful information and this book brings it all together. After reading it Ill never look on the process of elimination quite the same way.

Access Correspondence and/or book orders may be addressed to: Jenkins Publishing, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127. Humanure has 198 pages and costs $19.00 U.S., ISBN 0-9644258-4-X

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), July 31, 1999