The Humanure Handbook ― Shit in a Nutshell

An updated edition of an underground classic

This is the 4th edition of a self-published book that no respectable publisher would touch with a ten-foot shovel. The 1st edition was published in 1994 with a print run of 600 copies, which the author expected to watch decompose in his garage for the rest of his life. Now, 24 years later, the book has sold over 65,000 print copies in the U.S. alone, been translated in whole or in part into 19 languages and been published in foreign editions on four continents.

The previous editions won numerous awards, including the Independent Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year Award, deeming the book "Most Likely to Save the Planet.” The book has been mentioned on such diverse media outlets as: Mother Earth News, Whole Earth Review, Countryside Journal, The Journal of Environmental Quality, Natural Health, NPR, BBC, CBC, Howard Stern, The Wall Street Journal, Playboy Magazine, Organic Gardening Magazine, the History Channel, Tree House Masters, and many other national and international venues.

The 4th edition is a completely revised, expanded, and updated version of what has become an underground classic bestseller. The author draws from 40 years of research, experience, and travel, to expand and clarify your knowledge and understanding of... your poop!

Not only does the book address what to do with human turds, but it is also a priceless manual for anyone involved in composting or gardening, or looking for basic survival skills. There is no other book like this in print!

Joseph Jenkins began composting in 1975, and started his first humanure compost pile in 1976. He has had at least one humanure compost pile brewing continuously for the past 40 years. The Humanure Handbook began as a graduate thesis in 1994 and was self-published as an amateur book in 1995. Since then, Jenkins has published nine print titles, including four editions of The Humanure Handbook. Jenkins has traveled the world teaching people how to make compost, like a latter-day Johnny Compost Seed. Sometimes referred to as “The Pope of Poop,” Jenkins prefers the more formal title of “Ambassador of Crap.”

Jenkins never wants to live without a garden – that’s why he learned how to turn shit into food. Humans produce their own soil fertility, usually on a daily basis, but most people don’t have a clue. The Humanure Handbook offers a glimpse into that hidden world.