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Since the dawn of life, excrement has been a source of energy and food, and an important recycler of nutrients in nature. Yet in many modern societies, poop is perceived as a problem—potentially dangerous waste that has no place in our lives.

So, in the cleverly named The Origin of Feces, Canadian veterinarian and epidemiologist Waltner-Toews does the dirty work of dispelling that perception, detailing how poop can be a solution to many environmental and health challenges, especially energy.