>> Back to Tacky Topics >> Books and Records

Fart Happens: A Selected Review of the Literature of Farting

Introduction - General Works - Humor - Biography - Children's Books - Medical Advice - Miscellanea

Introduction

"I think I hear the Curious Reader exclaim, 'Heavens! That the brain of man should be set to work upon such cursed nonsense -- such damned low stuff as farting; he ought to be ashamed of straining his dull faculties to such a nasty absurd subject.'" -- Charles James Fox, 1749-1806. An Essay Upon Wind.

Fart happens. For the average human being, it happens about a dozen times a day. Anyone who tells you that they don’t fart is either a liar or is on an extremely strict diet of non-gas producing foods. Personally, I’d rather eat interesting food whenever I want and learn to cope with the gastrointestinal consequences.

Perhaps you are wondering why I undertook this project to review books on farting. I have been intrigued by the taboo on the subject ever since I submitted a fart joke to the Washington Post humor contest called the Style Invitational. They refused to print it, even though its editor gave me a prize anyway, calling my contribution "...a hilarious entry too revolting to be published on any planet inhabited by sentient beings." I still don't think it was that bad. In fact, a portion of my entry makes up the title of this selected review of the literature of flatulence.

This review is divided up into categories: general works, humor, biography, children's books, medical advice, and a category for miscellanea. The full bibliography is listed here. As time permits, I will compose reviews of more of the works from the bibliography.