THIS splendidly edited book activated both my inner child, fascinated with all that’s revolting, and my social conscience. In it, six essayists dwell on the themes of skin parasites, shitting on slum streets, dumpsite scavenging, menstrual blood, sex, bacteria and landfill. The vicarious thrills are amplified by startling images of female cholera victims who have turned blue from dehydration, racist soap adverts of a bygone era, and 9/11 wreckage in landfill.
S-bends, sewers and refuse collection have made it easy to forget where our waste goes. Meanwhile, a child dies every 15 seconds from diarrhoea caused by drinking water contaminated…
