Rose George

As the author of The Big Necessity, The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters, British journalist Rose George brought a global perspective to toileting practices and behaviors on a world-wide basis. Her book describes the cultural, bacteriological and psychological landscape of this rarely explored topic, citing examples from London to Johannesburg to Mumbai to Moscow. The Economist judged the book to be the best science publication of 2008, while The New York Times called it "always articulate and persuasive," and "an extraordinary book."

Publisher's Weekly said, "With irreverence and pungent detail, George breaks the embarrassed silence over the economic, political, social and environmental problems of human waste disposal… an intrepid, erudite and entertaining journey through the public consequences of this most private behavior."

George's previous book, A Life Removed: Hunting for Refuge in the Modern World, focuses on the realities of life as a refugee in Liberia. The book was longlisted for the Lettre Ulysses reportage prize and the Glasgow Herald said, "George's exploration of what it means, in practical terms, to be a refugee in some of the most harsh areas of the world is truly compelling."

George began writing in 1994, as an intern at The Nation magazine in New York. Later, she became senior editor and writer at COLORS magazine, the bilingual "global magazine about local cultures" published in 80 countries. Since 1999 she has been a freelance journalist, contributing to The New York Times, Financial Times, Guardian, Economist and many other publications. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo, on topics ranging from Saddam Hussein's birthday party to the alternative world cup soccer final in Bhutan.

Her latest book is "Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry that Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car and Food on Your Plate." Sharply informative and entertaining, Ninety Percent of Everything reveals the workings and perils of an unseen world that holds the key to our economy, our environment, and our very civilization.