Publication

2001-03-01 - University of Arizona Press

Language

English

Word Count

65,750 words, Guess

Page Count

263 pages

Physical Format

Paperback

Identifiers

  • Open LibraryOL8069532M
  • ISBN-139780816521432
  • ISBN-100816521433
  • OCLC Control Number45325426
  • Library of Congress Control Number00053526
and 2 more
  • Goodreads633818
  • LibraryThing113336

Classifications

  • LCCTD793.3.R38 2001

Description

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.

Description

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 we do have.

Subjects

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