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The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third Edition Paperback – September 1, 2005
- Kindle
from $9.99 Read with Our Free App - Paperback
$26.85
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherJoseph Jenkins, Inc.
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 2005
- Dimensions6.02 x 0.79 x 9.02 inches
- ISBN-109780964425835
- ISBN-13978-0964425835
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"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
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
From the Back Cover
"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
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:
About the author

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
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2016
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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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.
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!
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?
Top reviews from other countries

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.



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!!
