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Joseph Jenkins

The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third Edition Paperback – September 1, 2005

by Joseph C. Jenkins (Author)

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The 10th Anniversary Edition of the most comprehensive, up-to-date and thoroughly researched book on the topic of composting human manure available anywhere. It includes a review of the historical, cultural and environmental issues pertaining to "human waste," as well as an in depth look at the potential health risks related to humanure recycling, with clear instructions on how to eliminate those dangers in order to safely convert humanure into garden soil. Written by a humanure composter with over thirty years experience, this classic work now includes illustrated, step-by-step instructions on how to build a "$25 humanure toilet," a chapter on alternative graywater systems, photos of owner-built humanure toilets from around the world, and an overview of commercial composting toilets and systems.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Joseph Jenkins, Inc.
Publication date

September 1, 2005
Dimensions

6.02 x 0.79 x 9.02 inches
ISBN-10

9780964425835
ISBN-13

978-0964425835
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a cult classic which might strike those without an outhouse as disgusting. But the methods outlined within have the potential to change the ecological fate of the world." New Yorker Magazine

"Despite all the books on manure and how to use it, human manure composting is not covered elsewhere, making the Humanure Handbook a fine reference for any who would learn these basics. If you're an avid composter, there's nothing like this on the market." Midwest Book Review

"Finally we have a comprehensive book on recycling human excrement without chemicals, high technology, or pollution. Well written, practical, and thoroughly researched . . ."--Whole Earth Review

"Almost certain to become a classic in its field. This book should be required reading. . . ."--Countryside Journal

"We think The Humanure Handbook ranks right up there with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring . . ."--HortIdeas

From the Publisher

This is the 3rd edition of a self-published book. No respectable publisher would touch it with a ten foot shovel. The 1st edition of Humanure was published in 1994 with a print run of 660 copies, which the author fully expected would last the rest of his life.
Now, 22 years later, the book has sold over 60,000 copies in at least 59 countries worldwide and has been published in numerous foreign editions on four continents. The 2nd Edition was a 2000 Independent Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year, deemed the book "Most Likely to Save the Planet," a 2000 Finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Awards, and a Finalist in the 2000 Benjamin Franklin Awards for Excellence in Publishing. It was an Amazon.com #1 bestseller in its category for several years, and has been reviewed by Mother Earth News, Whole Earth Review, Countryside Journal, The Journal of Environmental Quality, Natural Health, and many other popular print media. It has been talked about on NPR, BBC, CBC, Howard Stern, The Wall Street Journal, Playboy Magazine, Organic Gardening Magazine and many other national and international venues.

From the Author

Why did I write this book, anyway? Probably because I have personally recycled all of my family's humanure since 1979 using very simple methods. The resulting compost has always been used in our food garden. We have never produced any sewage from our home. Instead, all of our organic residues are carefully recycled by composting and are then returned to the soil, humanure included, thereby maintaining the fertility of our food gardens and eliminating organic waste altogether.

From the Back Cover

"This is a cult classic which might strike those without an outhouse as disgusting. But the methods outlined within have the potential to change the ecological fate of the world." New Yorker Magazine

"Forced to self-publish due to the 'taboo topic, the unthinkable issue,' of this publication, Joseph Jenkins' Humanure Handbook now has become an international best-seller. Whether we are all ready to subscribe to his ideology yet or not, Jenkins' enjoyable and witty publication is a no-nonsense insight into the 'dreaded ingredient.'" Organic Life

"Despite all the books on manure and how to use it, human manure composting is not covered elsewhere, making the Humanure Handbook a fine reference for any who would learn these basics. If you're an avid composter, there's nothing like this on the market." Midwest Book Review

"Finally we have a comprehensive book on recycling human excrement without chemicals, high technology or pollution. Well written, practical, and thoroughly researched..." Whole Earth Review

"Jenkins provides a convincing case that human waste can and should be a safe composting material." Mother Earth News

About the Author

Joseph Jenkins has been an organic gardener since 1975 and a humanure composter since 1977. He lives in western Pennsylvania on his owner-built, 143-acre homestead. More information can be seen at HumanureHandbook.com, including the author's speaking schedule, message boards, photos of his work with humanure education in countries such as Mongolia and Haiti, and access to the authors humanure ecommerce store (HumanureStore.com).

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0964425831
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joseph Jenkins, Inc.; 3rd edition (September 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780964425835
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0964425835
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 0.79 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #412,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #29 in Waste Management
- #383 in Organic Gardening & Horticulture (Books)
- #761 in Ecology (Books)

Customer Reviews:
418 ratings

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Joseph Jenkins

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Joe began self-publishing when he turned his masters thesis into the non-fiction Humanure Handbook and published it in 1995. The first edition of the book was execrable, but it developed a life of its own somehow, and has gone on to sell over 80,000 copies so far and be translated in whole or in part into 23 languages over four editions. The book has received numerous book awards and been mentioned on such places as the Wall Street Journal, Howard Stern, Playboy, NPR, BBC, CBC, etc.

The non-fiction Slate Roof Bible, in three editions (most recent July 2016), now in full color and hardcover, records decades of work within the slate roofing industry worldwide. The first edition received the National Roofing Contractor’s Gold Circle Award, and the 2016 edition received 10 book awards.

The Balance Point - a Missing Link in Human Consciousness (May, 2018) is an experimental book, a blend of fact and fiction, or what is referred to as “creative non-fiction." The author states on the title page, “This book is based on actual occurrences, although some characters, chronologies, and details are rearranged and/or fictionalized for literary purposes. Names of the individuals in this book have been changed to protect privacy. All the scientific and environmental data is factual.” The Balance Point is available as a print book, or a Kindle book. It is also available on Smashwords.

Slate Roofs 1926 (published February 2020): This 132-page book is a reproduction of the original 84-page classic “Slate Roofs,” published in January 1926. Joe adapted the title to be more compatible with a 21st century readership, and made some corrections and stylistic changes. Almost all the information is presented exactly as in the original publication, even anachronistic references. Included at the end of the book are 47 additional pages with 21st century guidelines for slate roof installation, repair, and restoration, as well as excerpts from the 2016 Slate Roof Bible 3rd Edition.

The Compost Toilet Handbook (published May 2021): 254 pages, 203 photos and illustrations, 161 color pages, hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-7336035-1-5; Trim Size: 6"x9". The Compost Toilet Handbook is an illustrated instructional manual explaining how to make, use, and manage compost toilets, which are waste-free toilets that rely on the biological process of composting to recycle toilet material. It is based on the author’s 40+ years of first-hand experience. The 254-page indexed book has 161 pages of color photos including 203 photos or illustrations from 13 countries where compost toilet systems are in use.

Please visit the author's web sites at JosephJenkins.com, SlateRoofCentral.com, SlateRoofWarehouse.com, SnowGuardWarehouse.com, SlateExperts.com, SlateRoofTrainingCenter.com, TraditionalRoofing.com, and HumanureHandbook.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

418 global ratings

5 star		79%
4 star		14%
3 star		4%
2 star		3%
1 star		1%

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potameid

So far, so good!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 31, 2015

Verified Purchase

We've been living off the grid and pooping into sawdust buckets for nearly 2 years now and do not miss having a flush toilet. We got a Reliance Products Luggable Loo Seat Cover and that works just fine as a seat on the buckets. Next purchase will be one of these to monitor the pile: REOTEMP A36PF-D43 Heavy Duty Compost Thermometer - 36" Stem, Dual Scale C & F

We get the sawdust for free from a local sawmill. We get most of our cover material in the form of spent grains from a local craft brewery. All free.

After the first week it already started feeling barbaric to use perfectly good fresh water in toilets. Our state-mandated septic system (required for greywater treatment) will never need pumping because no solids will ever go into it. Plus in a couple of years we'll have nice compost to add to the sandy soil here...

Win-win-win.

A friend was visiting recently and remarked that our house didn't smell like cats, although we have three of them - he asked where the litter box was. "Just behind that curtain, 6 feet from us," we answered. "Right next to our OWN litter box - our sawdust buckets." He was stunned and couldn't believe he couldn't smell either of them. Another friend suggested that it helps that our sawdust is from fresh pine logs, and I suspect he may be right. The cat litter, by the way, is Tractor Supply horse bedding pellets, which we just toss into the same compost pile as our own sawdust.

I also have found compostable tampons Veeda Applicator Free Super Plus Tampons 100% Natural Cotton , which is one more thing I can remove from the waste stream that feeds the landfill.

24 people found this helpful

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el

Why hasn't this been started on a large scale?

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2010

Verified Purchase

i've learned more about composting than I ever knew (and micobiology) from this book. Initally I searched "composting human waste" as i was considering getting a 5th wheel but didn't want "crud" in the plumbing if i could use another method...i'm so very happy i stumbled across this book. thank you all for your great reviews which convinced me to buy! Now it's my turn

the more i learn the more it kills me that so many of us have a mental block and most can't even consider the thought of having anything to do with recyclying human waste. This book lays it out so simply yet with great detail and respect to the living earth (in every aspect! from preserving clean water, not being a disease on the earth etc etc). the methods laid out in this book teach you how to recycle human waste in a natural way which is safe, clean, odor free, and most importantly which transforms "it" into the purest cleanest humus/dirt you can find! truly! science proves it!

I live in a rental located in a beautiful part of california and I would expect to have amazing soil in my back yard but instead it's bone dry and rock hard...roots of tree's are exposed etc...I've had to bring lots of dirt to the property in order to garden...
In a perfect world, this system of recycling human waste (*in the proper way*) would be accepted by all and every home would have a system that worked. we would all replenish the soil of wherever it is we live by this process...I can't wait for the opportunity to try!

5 people found this helpful

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Matt Jones

Loved it. Highly inspirational.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

I've been longing for a book like this; a book that brings a thoroughly convincing, simple answer to a huge problem that we all share. For a while now, I've been immensely interested in attempting live off-grid, and the reality of my own craps has been a planning concern. Septic is pretty pricey when you're not looking to spend much money and looking to do things yourself. I've ready some of Bill Mollison (the founder of "permaculture") and he gives some interesting do-it-yourself techniques for ways to use your poop (such as turning it into methane/energy production), but they all seem to imply a lot more money and complexity than the simplicity of composting. Perhaps Bill mentions the straightforward composting of human manure in other books, but his "Designer's Manual" did not mention it.

Composting our manure makes much sense, for it seems quite likely that there's many nutrients in our manure - especially if you eat wholesome foods. When you consider that the heat of the properly constructed compost pile (typically around 120 degrees) is, supposedly, according to the author and the impressive documentation he cites, entirely sufficient to destroy all pathogens that may be found in human manure .... it begs the question: why haven't we been doing this? And why instead are we all pooping in our drinking water?

9 people found this helpful

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woodcutter

Wish I could give it more than five stars!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2007

Verified Purchase

Everyone should read this book, even if they have no intention or ability to use a humanure composting system. It provides a wealth of information on a subject that has been ignored for too long...human waste - how to dispose of it in a sensible, sustainable, practical, useful manner. We haven't flushed a toilet in this house in eight months, since we got this book and built our own sawdust toilet and composting box out back. We had a serious drought here this summer and our well was REAL low, but we had no problems because we weren't FLUSHING FOUR GALLONS OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER UNDERGROUND each time we went in the bathroom. I always wondered why we eliminate in water, anyway. And it doesn't stink, the compost box doesn't stink, it's simple and straightforward and clean and the humanure toilet's time has come! Everybody who comes in our house gets dragged into the bathroom by my husband to meet our new humanure toilet! Then I drag them outside to meet my wonderful compost box! So far we've had one convert, a couple with a camp who were using a stinking old outhouse, and they are just thrilled with the idea of using a humanure toilet next summer when they move back to camp. As a bonus, our electric bill dropped substantially, just because the water pump doesn't have to kick on every time a toilet is flushed. Buy this book, read it, start using a humanure toilet, tell all your friends, lend the book to your friends, do it now! Then read Joe Jenkins' other book, "Balance Point."

52 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

R. McCarthy

Too much crap :-)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book provides a very comprehensive overview of composting and the benefits of adding humanure to the system. It also shows you how to build a basic diy composting toilet....get bucket...put seat on bucket... Box in.

If like me your looking for information on the science behind dry composting toilets and how best to build one which works efficiency with the minimum of emptying then go elsewhere. Other than a brief mention of urine divertors, that was it.

The book is definitely geared towards people who want to produce manure or are looking at becoming more environmentally friendly, both laudable, but it isn't my primary motive. I just want to build a dry composting toilet.... So sadly this book didn't help me in this respect.

I've given it 3 stars though, for providing a lot of useful general info. I knocked 2 off because it's more than a little preachy..... Annoying for anyone who has long since bought the argument and doesn't want to revisit the issue.... Which you will be required to do virtually throughout the book.

6 people found this helpful

Eddy Winko

Buy it, read it and if you have the space do it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 28, 2012

Verified Purchase

Changed the way I think about things; bought the book two years ago and after following the guidelines on an outdoor toilet for this period of time I'm about to install three indoors. Make sure you read the book a few times and ensure you follow the do's and don'ts to the letter (only two pages in the book) and it will work. It takes me less than five minutes a week to deal with two peoples waste (plus guests) which I'm sure is a lot less time than some people spend per day looking after a flushing toilet! The book may be a bit technical at times and you probably don't think you need all the info, but it's all good stuff to convince yourself and others that this is the right thing to do in an over populated and polluted planet.

10 people found this helpful

vbp

sometimes funny tips (from 'Tommy Turd)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

The Humanure Handbook has become a classic for anyone who has environmental or horticultural interests. It is very well researched, has all the facts and figures at hand and is full of interesting, sometimes funny tips (from 'Tommy Turd). I bought this copy to have in my guest house to help spread the word. For anyone who would like to help save water wastage and make fantastic manure in the most simple, effective way, this is the book. There are photos of loos people have made and detailed plans and drawings and much else, besides. Don't hesitate, buy it!

2 people found this helpful

Elizabeth O

Fascinating and valuable book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 30, 2011

Verified Purchase

This self-published book should, as other reviewers have already written, be read by everyone on the planet. It is extraordinary. The amount of valuable research and advice in one volume, on a totally unglamorous subject is astonishing.
The style is gently humorous (what else could it be?) so the vast amount of information is easy reading.
Thank heavens there are people like Joseph Jenkins who are prepared to do the research and get it out in the public domain.

Check out this book on the Amazon.com site. You can look inside the book there and note that it has 75 five star ratings!!

7 people found this helpful

J-M-Leo

The natural way!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 9, 2012

Verified Purchase

Most people would find some parts of this book a bit disgusting but that's all because we are all so used to flush toilets which not only waste water but pollute the environment via sewages. I actually think this is how ''toilets'' were back in the time of Christ, of course the bushmen have always recycled this way and they are all disease free. Trust me, there is nothing primitive about this loo, it is the best thing we could all do with, especially those living in the countryside and have loads of space. I'm definitely going for it, thank you Joseph Jenkins, you convinced me - back to the natural reality!

5 people found this helpful

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The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third Edition Paperback – September 1, 2005

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