In light of how many friends have been sharing the Coffee and Poo Are Best Friends video (see below) and the How to Poop Properly article this week, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share an old favorite from my library, What’s Your Poo Telling You? by Josh Richman and Anish Sheth, M.D.

Are you familiar with this little brown book?

The introduction begins:

“Not unlike a snowflake, each bowel movement has a uniqueness that should be regarded with wondrous appreciation. Too often dismissed as useless and malodorous waste, poo has struggled since the dawn of time to receive the respect it deserves.” 

There are 29 different dump types described, from Deja Poo to the Sneak Attack to the Ring of Fire. And yes, there is a discussion of The Sit vs. The Squat. Sprinkled throughout are fascinating historical and biological facts & trivia about poo. This is a fun book that answers many serious questions people have about why poo happens the way it does. A great addition to every library and/or bathroom.

Back in the day when I worked as a bookseller, we sold loads of this book to people looking for a Father’s Day gift or for a fun holiday book for the reader in their life who has read everything. We didn’t even have to go through the trouble of hand-selling it: we’d set up a display and copies would fly off. There’s also a handy journal available appropriately titled, The Poo Log. A quick internet search revealed there’s now also an activity book and a calendar. Who knew? Go poo! (That was a cheer, not an order).

What’s Your Poo Telling You
Josh Richman and Anish Sheth, M.D.
Chronicle Books: May 3, 2007
96 pages with illustrations (thankfully not photos)
Source: a gift (of course)