Remaking the John

December 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-Whether you call it the loo, the privy, the throne, the john, the jakes, or the latrine, the modern toilet is a major contribution to health and convenience. DiPiazza's readable text follows the ancient history of the potty all over the world, in such disparate places as Skara Brae (Scotland), Moheno Daro (Pakistan), and imperial Rome (whose abundant water supply, fine engineering, and Tiber River allowed construction of public toilets with multiple seating!). The fall of Rome apparently meant the fall of the toilet, too, and the following Dark Ages were dark indeed when it came to sanitation. The author goes on to cover the consequences of a lack of properly constructed toilet and sewage systems: diseases, stenches, nasty walking surfaces, and a grossly polluted water supply, among them. She mentions mod cons, such as the space toilet and the decomposting toilet much admired by "greenies," and the problems encountered by the millions who have no access to modern sanitation. Blue information boxes focus on such topics as a modern sewage treatment plant, sewer blockages, and toilet paper. Black-and-white and color photos lend visuals. Neither as simple as Connie Miller's colorful Getting to Know Your Toilet: The Disgusting Story Behind Your Home's Strangest Feature (Capstone, 2008) nor as demanding as Sarah Albee's lighthearted but seriously informative Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up (Walker, 2010), this honest, fact-filled little book should attract readers and researchers (who may even begin celebrating World Toilet Day every November 19).-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
A brief history of the crapper. The toilet and its use has been called pretty much everything under the sun, from thunder bowl to "plucking a rose," when the outhouse was located in the garden. DiPiazza covers them all in her illuminating history of the toilet-or, more to the point, disposal of human waste: "Half a solid pound (0.2 kilograms), plus 47 ounces (1.4 liters) of liquid....that's how much feces and urine an adult human produces, on average, every day." Those words are from the first two sentences of the book, so the giggles and snorts are dispensed with quickly, and we get down to the very real issue of waste and health. As humans took to settlements and populations increased, sewage became an instant issue. DiPiazza goes back to Deuteronomy for some historical setting before soldiering through most known waste-disposal tools and systems. Lurking always is waste-bred disease, like plague and cholera, which really step hard on the giggles and snorts. Public health and sanitation become the driving issues, which DiPiazza handles adeptly, with the accompaniment of many fine archival images and illustrations, as well as photographs. A good-spirited, wholly serious broaching of the-incredibly-still-taboo subject of human waste, once a problem and even more so today. (Nonfiction. 11-18)

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November 1, 2014
Grades 6-9 DiPiazza brings home how the history of a seemingly ubiquitous object can reveal fundamental and important truths about a society's history and values. Lively text, filled with quotes that acknowledge the humor of the subject at hand, explains the origins of indoor plumbing and the modern toilet. The book subtly encourages reflection on the conveniences of modern life in developed nations as a counterpoint to places in the world where a flush commode is considered a luxury. Photographs of ancient chamber pots, astronaut commodes, early advertisements for toilet paper, and elegant toilet chairs are included. Through a frank discussion of the toilet, lots of peripheral issues are explored, such as the study of infection, disease, developing nations, and the global sanitation crisis. Plenty of resources for further reading are provided in the end matter. DiPiazza successfully elevates the mundane to high-interest reading material, providing ample food for plop. And thought.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)