4.5 stars!

I requested this book as it so closely aligns with my PhD research about nutrient cycling by fish, and this ARC was good. Each individual chapter presents as a new case study of how animals are important for the cycling of nutrients-- through eating, pooping, dying or a combination of these processes. The book covered a variety of animals from small cicadas and midges to large hippos from around the world and included both terrestrial and aquatic species. I was unaware of several case studies included here, and I definitely found new literature to include in my dissertation. I was also intrigued by some of the social and historical content that was presented. Furthermore, Roman's dedication to traveling to various sites to understand animal-mediated nutrient cycling is impressive. He shares the challenges of this undertaking while also acknowledging the immense help from collaborators and local residents.

There were a few things that disappointed me about this book. First, the start was a bit slow and technical, although the pacing did pick up. I think this slow start might make it hard to hook students or nonscientists (like my family). Also, as a freshwater ecologist, I wish a different example had been used for freshwater systems beyond salmon. This seemed like a safe and easy choice by the author as it's one that is already explored frequently in other literature.

Personally, I know I will use some of the information from this book to enhance my lectures and get students interested in science content. I could see myself using this book in a college ecology or environmental science course in the future. I've also recommended it to some of my fellow graduate students.

Thank you so much Little, Brown for this ARC!

This book expanded my knowledge on ecosystems and how important animals are to the overall health of ecosystems. It was interesting to learn about different animals and the role they play in their own environments. The restoration efforts to build animal populations and ecosystems was also very informative. My favorite part is that Roman also included smaller animals and insects that one can find in their very own city or backyard. I am encouraged to connect the knowledge that I've learned in this book with outdoor spaces and ecosystems in my own life.

The title of the book is enough to grab anyones attention and the rest of the book is more than enough to make for an entertaining, educational and at times laugh out loud read.

I did not know what to expect when I requested to read this book. Would there be poop jokes and no animal science? Or a book about animals with some humor? It was actually a combiniation of both. Joe Roman makes animal science and zoology thought provoking and humourous at the same time. I was fascinated and amused at the same time reading this. I am a vet assistant, so I love and appreciate scientific animal books, but I also have a sarcastic sense of humor.

This was better than I thought it was going to be and was well-researched. It was also humourous throughout while still not getting too raunchy or immature. A very enjoyable and readable book. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, JOe Roman and Little, Brown and CO for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 11/7/23

This book has everything I want in great science writing. The author’s scientific journey is there, written with a conversational tone. There is also a good deal of humor. While I found the writing somewhat literary, the book was completely readable and compelling. I consider it a rare talent to be able to combine these. The book presents an interesting thesis that is well supported. And although Roman has very strong convictions, I did not find him the least bit dogmatic or preachy. I also enjoyed the illustrations (thank you, Alex Boersma) and the photos. Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Spark for the advance reader copy.

"Is it ecologically important or a fart in a hurricane?" This question, a quote by one of the many experts interviewed in this book, ends up being a great summary of "Eat. Poop, Die" by Joe Roman. This book accomplishes a difficult task, how to make poop jokes in a field of monotonous adult scientific nonfiction work. All poop jokes aside, I really did enjoy learning about the cycles of life that create the world that we live in. It is succinct, yet full of great information that seems to cover the topic well. Would recommend this book to all those who enjoy nonfiction books, or just even poop jokes!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for an advanced copy of this look at how everything we leave behind, from crumbs, to waste to even our bodies, helps the ecosystem in so many different ways.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. A pleasant way of saying from the Earth we are born, and to the Earth we shall return, continuing a cycle that began well before us, and hopefully for my nephews and their descendents will continue long after we are gone. However what gets missed is all that stuff happens in between the ashes, all the eating we do, all the wastes we eliminate, and the body that can be used before it turns to dust. And I am not excluding the animal kingdom, for their cycles of eating, waste, and decay create new life all the time, life that maybe can be used to help humans hold of climate catastrophe, if it is not too late. Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World by conservation biologist, academic and author Joe Roman, is a look at animals, the natural world, and what animals and humans leave behind and how it could help the planet.

The book begins with a smell of sulfur as a underwater volcano begins to erupt off the coast of Iceland. Soon the material lava rock is rising above the water, and creating a new island, Surtsey off the southern coast, and taking about 4 years to form. For a while it was just lava rock, but soon life began to appear on the island. As the island cooled, seeds carried by both air and water began to land, and nature being nature soon began to happen. As birds stopped to rest on their flights, and not being bothered by humans, began to leave their waste, which helped to enrich the soil, and allowing seeds to grow. Slowly on a barren rock, in the middle of the ocean, life took hold, and the author details the how and why, much better than I can write. The book travels the globe, looking at the Hawaiian islands, wolves in Yellowstone, and their influence on both flora and fauna. Roman looks at the consequences and benefits of what we leave, and how it can be used to enrich our future.

A very interesting look at a subject that many are not comfortable talking about, and I don't mean climate change. Human and animal waste is not a subject many like to think about, nor I am sure read about, but Roman makes it very interesting, with plenty of examples and uses. What really comes across in his writing is the problems the planet is having. Going to Yellowstone and being almost washed out in rains that flood the area. Weather problems in Iceland. This past summer is enough that most people should acknowledge there is a problem, and Roman points this out, in his writing. Another thing that is obvious is that many of these places are changing, and some of them might be appearing in this book for the last time. This is an interesting book for kids interested in biology and science, as title might make it more open to their minds. Recommended for climate and fans of animals as there are a lot of interesting places Roman travels to, and the writing makes the subject very easy understand.