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Charles C. Dahlberg: From Food to Fertilizer—The Role of Excrement in the Life Cycle.
Reading, Mass.: Young Scott Books, 1973. 72 pages.
AS ITS TITLE IMPLIES, the major purpose of this little book is to describe the important role of excrement in the life cycle. This subject has not been given the attention it deserves because of inappropriate inhibitions, and perhaps Dr. Dahlberg has started a trend long overdue.
The author begins with a basic description of the life cycle, highlighting the vital role of excrement. He then describes: the human digestive system, with special focus on the way in which excrement is produced; the role of bacteria, with emphasis on their relationship to waste products; sewage disposal systems; animal excreta; and the uses for manure. The book concludes with a chapter discussing our attitudes toward excrement, in which Dr. Dahlberg attempts to explain the psychological reasons for our embarrassment over our body wastes.
As I read this book I kept wondering about the age group for which it was written. The format, large print, and illustrations by Albert F. Michini strongly suggest that this is a children's book. Parenthetically instructing the reader on the correct pronunciation of such words as feces, urine, and anus also suggests that the book is written for youngsters, as does the frequent use of words like belly, squishing, and mushy. However, Dr. Dahlberg discusses quite complicated biochemical mechanisms and even though he attempts to reduce these to the most simplified terms, I cannot imagine most prepubertal children even beginning to grasp their import. For example,