The RE / Search Guide to Bodily Fluids (RE / Search, No. 16)

By Paul Spinrad

Book Overview

This provocative and renowned guide sparks a radical rethinking of our relationship with our bodies and nature, humourously (and seriously) spanning the gamut of everything you ever wanted to know... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 094064228X
• ISBN13: 9780940642287
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: RE/Search Publications
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Plain speaking about the unspeakable

"No matter how ready your minds and souls are to live in an eternal abstract world of language, reason, truth, beauty, and card games, you're still trapped inside an aging meat machine," says author Paul Spinrad. While the book covers mucus, saliva, sweat, vomit, urine, pooting, poo, earwax, toe-cheese, and others, its main focus remains on poo. How were things "handled" before toilet paper? Ever contemplate the history of the enema? Did you know that loose bowels were once treated with opium? Learn the story of Joseph Pujol, "The Fartiste", famous for his flatulence. Is vomit an "involuntary food review"? Drinking urine is a cure? An antiseptic? (the ammonia in unine) Did you know there's much more to mucus than just a few boogies? How about bodily functions in literature (Shakespeare, The Marquis de Sade, Dante, Picasso, James Joyce, Mark Twain, Burroughs, Selby, and adding one of my own, modern writer Edward Lee), or in classic cinema? What is Cockle Bread? What about Freud's connection between poo and $exuality? There are poo quotes from famous people from Shakespeare to Tiny Tim, an extensive look into the invention of the toilet, a glance at toilets across the world, poo in religion and folklore, and even poo in art. The world of poo is amazingly artistic and intellectual world. There's even a brief mention to the hilarious cartoon 'Ren & Stimpy' in the 'Art, Music, & Criticism' chapter, showing an elaborate research from ancient to modern references. This book includes Spinrad's Survey Methodology, a copy of the survey itself, a detailed 'Recommended Reading' section, an extensive Bibliography, and a full Index. Unfortunately, there are no pictures, and I felt that a few pictures would have spiced up the book a little bit. At only 121 pages, the book is large sized but slim, making reading easy and enjoyable. So ... Enjoy!

Informative and Extremely Amusing

The perfect mixture of scholarship and humor, this book, with its "icky" topic, is worthy of serious attention. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that the reason I love it most is that it makes me laugh-- on several occasions I laughed so hard that I woke up my wife, who was trying vainly to sleep next to me. As Spinrad's sources tell about their own habits regarding their precious bodily fluids, it's impossible not to recognize how much we share in regards to these daily substances-- and impossible not to laugh at how we treat these taboos.

Absolutely superb

Spinraid is a genius and his guide to bodily fluids is totally brilliant. He deals with countless taboo subjects with a sanity and clarity that many 'mainstream' publishers would be proud of. Anyone with any vague interest in how their body secretes and excretes and the sociological aspects of bodily functions (think about it - that must be everyone in the whole world) should buy two copies of this book, because one copy of this magnificent tome will be stolen.

Thorough, wry, fun treatment of "dirty" things

One of the best RE/Search books in the entire series, the Guide to Bodily Fluids is an expansive and educating tour into the dimly-lit areas of all the smelly, gross, and/or funny substances to emanate from humanity. A must-have for fans of toilet humor. Enough science to give the layperson a grounding in the intricacies of, say, why dogs eat their own dirt, and why some people think a cup of urine in the morning keeps the doctor away. A quirky chapter towards the end has some wonderful literary references to bodily fluids, though I was saddened to see my personal favorite--Sancho Panza's evacuation of his bowels from horseback, due to extreme terror, in "Don Quixote"--was missing. In each chapter are responses to a hilarious survey the author conducted to try and get to the bottom of such questions as "How many times a day do you pick your nose?" and "What kind of foods make you fart?" This book is equally at home on a bookshelf or next to the toilet, for those constipated times when you wish you could learn more about the subject. A triumph of learned comedy.

A fun book for anyone intersted in strange, worthless trivia

The Guide to Bodily Fluids is one of the best book purchases I have made to date. It is very complete and interesting. Taking you from the scientific to the outright weird. In a very amusing, tasteful fashion they explore this socially hushed subject and enlighten you on all aspects of this messy subject. I was hooked from beginning to end. Every page briming over with excretia. For anyone that enjoys bits of trrivia and useless, fun, facts, this book will be a real treat. I keep my Guide to Bodily Fluids out for ALL to enjoy in my home! You should too