God of the Toilet -- The Civilized History of the Toilet

Author: Julie Holland (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-08
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 falling directly 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 filthy. After eight years of research, the author visited toilets around the world and examined 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 toilets and the customs and lifestyles associated with them. 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 falling directly 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 filthy. The book is filled with such stories, endless and varied. The writing is humorous and light-hearted, making it highly entertaining.