choirqueer's review against another edition
4.0
These are some of the questions I was expecting this book would answer:
+Where does my garbage go after I throw it out?
+What is the impact of landfills on the environment and on the people who live near them?
+What is it like to be a sanitation worker?
These were not actually the questions that this book answered.
The questions this book did answer were very interesting anyway! Some of those questions were:
+How likely is it that people will tell the truth when you ask them a question about their personal habits for a survey?
+Why do people wildly overestimate the impact of disposable diapers on the overall garbage landscape?
+What can you learn about human beings based on their garbage habits over a period of time?
Despite being a bit historic (c.1993), the information in this book was fascinating and pertinent. I learned a lot about garbage, for sure, but I also learned a lot about human nature and how our perceptions often do not match the actual facts, especially when it comes to taboo subjects like garbage.
+Where does my garbage go after I throw it out?
+What is the impact of landfills on the environment and on the people who live near them?
+What is it like to be a sanitation worker?
These were not actually the questions that this book answered.
The questions this book did answer were very interesting anyway! Some of those questions were:
+How likely is it that people will tell the truth when you ask them a question about their personal habits for a survey?
+Why do people wildly overestimate the impact of disposable diapers on the overall garbage landscape?
+What can you learn about human beings based on their garbage habits over a period of time?
Despite being a bit historic (c.1993), the information in this book was fascinating and pertinent. I learned a lot about garbage, for sure, but I also learned a lot about human nature and how our perceptions often do not match the actual facts, especially when it comes to taboo subjects like garbage.
psalmcat's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating book, albeit on the older side. The good news is that it has recently been updated by another book, called [b:Garbage Land On the Secret Trail of Trash|112191|Garbage Land On the Secret Trail of Trash|Elizabeth Royte|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344269465s/112191.jpg|1044919], which I haven't read (but probably will).
In any case, if you want to know what The Arizona Garbage Project has learned from what we throw away, this book will be a fun read. We throw away a lot of food in this country, whether we want to admit it or not.
And diapers? That bane of landfills is actually not that big of a deal. Actually, the disposable diapers that are thrown away are considerably less than the weight of the paper we casually toss every year. This is an area where I wonder if things have changed a little now that recycling is a little more likely. I hope so; in 1992, most people thought recycling was a fad but now it seems to be mostly an accepted part of life.
Another interesting piece of knowledge: most landfills do not really break down (i.e. degrade) garbage. Hence, 'biodegradable' plastic doesn't work, because it needs air and there is damn little air in a good landfill. Want a yucky example? Workers in he project found in a landfill a steak they estimate had been thrown out several years before, in perfect condition: no bug or animal nibbles, no degrading at all.
The book also includes a concise history of garbage, and why it's a good place to look for information about people. "People" being the generic term, not specific to an individual, although they mention that it's quite good at that too. The things people can find out about you based on your garbage don't bear thinking about!
Now, about that compost pile I keep meaning to start....
In any case, if you want to know what The Arizona Garbage Project has learned from what we throw away, this book will be a fun read. We throw away a lot of food in this country, whether we want to admit it or not.
And diapers? That bane of landfills is actually not that big of a deal. Actually, the disposable diapers that are thrown away are considerably less than the weight of the paper we casually toss every year. This is an area where I wonder if things have changed a little now that recycling is a little more likely. I hope so; in 1992, most people thought recycling was a fad but now it seems to be mostly an accepted part of life.
Another interesting piece of knowledge: most landfills do not really break down (i.e. degrade) garbage. Hence, 'biodegradable' plastic doesn't work, because it needs air and there is damn little air in a good landfill. Want a yucky example? Workers in he project found in a landfill a steak they estimate had been thrown out several years before, in perfect condition: no bug or animal nibbles, no degrading at all.
The book also includes a concise history of garbage, and why it's a good place to look for information about people. "People" being the generic term, not specific to an individual, although they mention that it's quite good at that too. The things people can find out about you based on your garbage don't bear thinking about!
Now, about that compost pile I keep meaning to start....
greymalkin's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
I have always been interested in this topic and Rathje has a lively style of writing that made this very enjoyable to read. I learned a lot and even though this book is almost 30 years old, it still has a lot of interesting points to make, points that I feel we're only just now starting to see show up in public policy and climate change conversations. Plus I now know where the term "shoddy" comes from and that's a continual source of delight to me.
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