Bibliograph

All the dirt, a history of getting clean, Katherine Ashenburg ; illustrated by Capucine Mazille

Type

Label

All the dirt, a history of getting clean, Katherine Ashenburg ; illustrated by Capucine Mazille

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 103-104) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Intended audience

1110L, Lexile

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

All the dirt

Nature of contents

bibliography

Responsibility statement

Katherine Ashenburg ; illustrated by Capucine Mazille

Sub title

a history of getting clean

Summary

Cleanliness is next to godliness. At least that was the point of view espoused by John Wesley in 18th century England. But accounts of people bathing go back to the Bronze Age in the Indus Valley. All the Dirt on Getting Clean is a lively, informative exploration of the evolution of keeping clean. Starting with a number of myths about cleanliness, the author quickly establishes how our ideas have changed drastically over time, and how the definition of cleanliness in one part of the world may differ radically from another. There is just enough of a gross factor that the target audience of 9 to 12-year-olds will find the book as entertaining as it is enlightening. Colorful spreads, lots of sidebars, humorous illustrations, and photos make it ideal for browsing as well as reading in depth

Table Of Contents

Eight myths about "clean" -- Ancient grime: 3000 BCE to 306 CE -- Saints, steam, and soap: 307 to 1550 -- It's a foul, foul world: 1550 to 1715 -- Some like it cold: 1715 to 1800 -- Baths and how to take them: Europe, 1800 to 1900 -- Wet all over at once: North America, 1800 to 1900 -- Soap opera: 1875 to 1960 -- The household shrine: 1960 to the present -- Good microbes, bad microbes: into the future

Target audience

juvenile

Classification