Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage - Softcover

Rathje, William; Murphy, Cullen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816521433 ISBN 13: 9780816521432

Publisher: University of Arizona Press, 2001

Synopsis

It is from the discards of former civilizations that archaeologists have reconstructed most of what we know about the past, and it is through their examination of today's garbage that William Rathje and Cullen Murphy inform us of our present. Rubbish! is their witty and erudite investigation into all aspects of the phenomenon of garbage. Rathje and Murphy show what the study of garbage tells us about a population's demographics and buying habits. Along the way, they dispel the common myths about our "garbage crisis"--about fast-food packaging and disposable diapers, about biodegradable garbage and the acceleration of the average family's garbage output. They also suggest methods for dealing with the garbage that we do have.

About this title

Review:

"A mother lode of valuable information . . . There ain't no flies on this book."--Wall Street Journal

"It demolishes myths that hamper our ability to act sensibly; as a nice bonus, it entertains as it goes about its business."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Readers will be impressed by Rathje and Murphy's delightfully fresh take on the human foibles and the garbage heaps of history."--Washington Post Book World

"A lucid and provocative book."--New York Times Book Review

"An almost joyous iconoclasm about a vexatious subject."--Boston Sunday Globe

"A lucid and provocative book."--New York Times Book Review

"A mother lode of valuable information . . . There ain't no flies on this book."--Wall Street Journal

"[Rubbish!] demolishes myths that hamper our ability to act sensibly; as a nice bonus, it entertains as it goes about its business."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Readers will be impressed by Rathje and Murphy's delightfully fresh take on the human foibles and the garbage heaps of history."--Washington Post Book World

"An almost joyous iconoclasm about a vexatious subject."--Boston Sunday Globe

"[Rathje and Murphy] cull from the record astonishing data to counter many a myth. . . . A refreshing treatment of a subject not usually associated with refreshment."--Kirkus Reviews

"This lively study is an informative and often entertaining introduction to the science of garbology."--Contemporary Sociology

About the Author:

William Rathje is Director of the Garbage Project in the Bureau of Applied Reserach in Anthropology and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Cullen Murphy is Managing Editor of and a frequent contributor to The Atlantic Monthly. He lives in Boston.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0816521433
• ISBN 13: 9780816521432
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272