God of the Toilet (The Civilized History of the Toilet)

Author: Julie Holland (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Civilization did not begin with writing, but with the establishment of a toilet. Early Europeans would directly pour chamber pots out of windows; London Bridge was originally a public toilet, with waste directly flowing into the Thames River below; Louis XIV had the habit of receiving guests while sitting on the toilet; European cities during the Enlightenment were still filled with filth.
After eight years of research, the author visited toilets around the world and explored diverse toilet cultures, presenting us with this humorous and engaging history of toilet development. This is a cultural history of the toilet, telling the story of its history as well as the customs and lifestyles associated with it. The author even argues that human civilization did not begin with writing, but with the toilet, because only with the invention of the toilet did humans no longer need to wander to avoid their own waste, thus transitioning from a nomadic to an agricultural lifestyle. Of course, this is an interesting interpretation.
Additionally, the book introduces the history of toilet paper and euphemisms related to the toilet, along with amusing anecdotes. For example, early Europeans would directly pour chamber pots out of windows; London Bridge was originally a public toilet, with waste directly flowing into the Thames River below; Louis XIV had the habit of receiving guests while sitting on the toilet; European cities during the Enlightenment were still filled with filth, and so on. The writing is humorous and light-hearted, making it a delightful read.