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Independent Publisher Book Awards 2000 - Ten Outstanding Books of the Year
Here are the third and fourth award-winning titles.
"Most Likely to Save the Planet" - The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, by Joseph Jenkins, published by Jenkins Publishing and distributed by Chelsea Green.
Humanure: waste or resource? Joseph Jenkins boldly steps where no author has gone before. Considered by many a "moving" book, The Humanure Handbook will surprise you with its timely relevance, delight you with its humor, and impress you with its thorough research. Brilliantly simple and profoundly mundane, this is one book you will never forget. Full of "eye candy" illustrations, practical information, history, philosophy, and science, it addresses an issue relevant to each and every human being on Planet Earth.
From the author's introduction:
"Why did I write this book, anyway? Probably because I have personally recycled all of my family's Humanure since 1979 (twenty continuous years at the time of this writing) using very simple methods. The resulting compost has always been used in our food garden. We have never produced any sewage from our home. Instead, all of our organic residues are carefully recycled by composting and are then returned to the soil, Humanure included, thereby maintaining the fertility of our food gardens and eliminating organic waste altogether.
As I wrote this second edition, I was interviewed by yet another newspaper reporter about my books. The young lady came to my home for the interview and asked, innocently enough, after we were well into the interview, 'What do you do with your sewage?'
'We don't have any sewage,' I replied, matter-of-factly. "I've lived here twenty years and we've never had any sewage." The blank look of utter incomprehension on the young lady's face was worth photographing. She didn't have a clue, and I don't blame her. I briefly explained to her that sewage results from the disposal of waste into water, and that when organic materials are collected without water and composted, there simply is no sewage. She vowed to cultivate her fledgling understanding of this new concept by actually reading my book. And that, it seems to me, is a good reason for me to have written it."
Some sample chapter titles:
"Crap Happens"
"A Day in the Life of a Turd"
"The Tao of Compost"
The Ten Outstanding Books of the Year
For 18 years our mission at Independent Publisher has been to recognize and encourage the work of publishers who exhibit the courage and creativity necessary to take chances, break new ground, and bring about changes, not only to the world of publishing, but to our society, our environment, and our collective spirit. Click here to see the entire listing of Ten Outstanding Books.
Search keyword outstanding in the IP Archives for profiles of other Outstanding Books of the Year. "Best Health Book" - The Tropical Spa: Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty and Relaxation, by Sophie Benge; photos by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni, published by the Periplus Editions imprint of Tuttle Publishing.
Of all the publishing trends we noticed during the judging in this year's Independent Publisher Book Awards, the attention to Eastern culture and philosophy was the most prominent. We were amazed by the number of books about Buddhism, Tibet, yoga and Japanese cooking and gardening, and also by the fact that some of them were published by houses not normally associated with Eastern studies.
Tuttle is known as a leading independent publisher of Asian-interest books, and as one of the premier publishers of English-language books in Japan. Tuttle's imprints strive to span the East and West with market-leading books on cooking, martial arts, Eastern philosophy, spirituality, and Asian culture.
The Tropical Spa delves into the ancient secrets of Asia's botanical and holistic heritage, with stunning photography shot on location at some of the most exotic spas in Bali, Thailand, and Singapore. The text reveals a full range of stress-busting therapies and treatments, incorporating age-old recipes and formulas handed down by generations of Asian women.
The emphasis is on spiritual well-being and natural curatives rather than on modern chemicals and synthetic preparations. There are beauty treatments and recipes for revitalizing facials; relaxing baths and scrubs; refreshing, healthy tonics and meals; massage oils and techniques, all presented in a straightforward, easy-to-follow manner.
The colorful, sumptuously designed package is a tonic to look at and read. The images and ideas it presents, with eroticism bubbling just below the surface, may just transport you to the tropics and beyond.
The Ten Outstanding Books of the Year
For 18 years our mission at Independent Publisher has been to recognize and encourage the work of publishers who exhibit the courage and creativity necessary to take chances, break new ground, and bring about changes, not only to the world of publishing, but to our society, our environment, and our collective spirit. Click here to see the entire listing of Ten Outstanding Books.
Search keyword outstanding in the IP Archives for profiles of other Outstanding Books of the Year.