What Shat That?: A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity [Paperback]

Matt Pagett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Ideal for any nature lover or backyard biologist, WHAT SHAT THAT? is an original and insightful survey of the substance that—like it or not—unites every living creature, from your pet dog to the African elephant.The fifty entries found here cover a range of mammals, birds, lizards, and even fish, including common domestic creatures as well as wild and exotic species. Full-color photographs and illustrations reveal each type of poop in all its glory, and handy descriptions and “scat facts” run throughout.Find out:Why rabbits like to eat their own droppingsHow tiger scat helped the CIA during the Vietnam WarWhich creature's poop could help save the planetWhy one animal's waste product is used to make the world's most expensive coffeeTruly informative and highly entertaining, WHAT SHAT THAT? is also probably more than you ever wanted to know but were too grossed out to ask.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

* A one-of-a-kind field guide to matching species with their feces, featuring 50 animals and their droppings. * Includes 25 full-color photos of poop, 50 silhouette-style illustrations, 50 maps, and 25 scale drawings. * Starting with the smallest (plankton poo) and working up to the largest (whale poo), each entry examines both the scat and its source and provides a wide range of facts, figures, and feature boxes--some surprising, some enlightening, others downright disgusting.

About the Author

MATT PAGETT is an artist, illustrator, and writer based in Brighton, England. A graduate of Edinburgh University, he has worked on a number of books, including Household Management for Men, Make Your Own Sex Toys, The Campsite Companion, and 101 Golden Rules of Fishing. The natural world has often featured in Matt's artwork, which has been exhibited internationally.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088856
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088855
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.4 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's not to love?!, December 15, 2007

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Shat That?: A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity (Paperback)

If you've ever wanted to be able to identify anything from a rabbit to a fox to a bear or a koala by its dung, well, this is the book for you. A two-page spread on each animal includes loving descriptions of each animal's fecal habits, as well as photos or drawings of turds both large and small. The book is just small enough to fit into a large pocket or a small bag, making it easy to take along as subway reading (in case you relish those weird looks from strangers) or to help you identify those piles of crap you find while hiking.

You'll learn a huge amount about how various animals' feces are used to enable scientists to better track and analyze their movements, habits, and health. The book includes a wide array of factoids regarding how dung is used: as fertilizer, tourist souvenirs, a water purifier(!), a necessary part of complex ecosystems, a source of food or shelter for some critters, and more.

The book has a humorous, irreverent tone, invoking every possible name for poo that you could possibly think of and then some.

I loved this book equally for its tone and for the fascinating bits of information scattered throughout--some hilarious, some poignant, some quite gross. You'll learn how the CIA used tiger poop during the Vietnam War, why ants farm and protect aphids for their honeydew-dung, and how ancient civilizations used various types of scat in medicinal remedies. Not to mention the wealth of information scientists have gathered about animals thanks to their dung, either directly or indirectly.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helped me bust my neighbor!, August 14, 2010

By 

J. G. Bennett (North Central Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Shat That?: A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity (Paperback)

This book is great! I, like a lot of people living in rural areas, have some weird neighbors. When I started finding large piles of poop on the porch every morning I assumed it was some sort of large animal that for some reason had decided it liked relieving itself on my doorstep...but then around Halloween I started noticing what looked like peanuts and candy corn in the scat.

I became suspicious of the clearly inbreed neighbors dog pretty quickly, so I ordered a copy of "Matt Pagett's wonderful book. With his help I was able to convince the local Sheriff that it was indeed my hillbilly neighbor's dog even though the poop pointed towards a bit larger animal. Much to everyone's surprise it turned out to be one of the inbreed children.

The point is, knowing what is crapping in your yard (or on your porch) can lead to an interesting hobby, or even a six week stint in Juvie for the neighbors awful, awful children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Answers to your burning questions., January 13, 2009

By 

Glitter Girl "Amy Elizabeth Gibb Gish, Esq." (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What Shat That?: A Pocket Guide to Poop Identity (Paperback)

Clever little book that is much more educational and scientific than would be expected based upon the clever artwork on the front cover and the catchy title. I purchased this for the purposes of going into the wood and hiking with my kids. It's well written, appropriately illustrated, and a good quick read. While some people may consider this to be a satire, it's really more of a reference book, albeit one written with a nice touch of humor. This is a good book for all ages as it addresses the subject without being juvenile.