中文简介：

深入研究污垢的历史和科学。地球上数以百万计的人以同样的方式开始他们的一天：起床，上厕所，洗漱。但这并不总是标准的惯例。古希腊和古罗马人很喜欢在公共浴池里嬉戏，但从14世纪瘟疫袭击欧洲开始，许多欧洲人错误地认为水会传播疾病，于是常年不洗澡甚至不沾水。直到18世纪，路易斯·巴斯德（Louis Pasteur）才证明病菌实际上潜伏在污垢中。即使学校开始教授卫生习惯，课程也**于洗脸和洗手，因为这些是每个人都能看到的部位。深入了解污垢的历史和科学，发现世界各地的人们（以及太空中的人们！）是如何让自己和周围的环境远离污垢的。数世纪以来，我们对什么是干净、什么是不干净的观念是如何改变和发展的，以及为什么有时候有点污垢也是一件好事……

英文简介：

A deep dive into the history and science of dirt. Millions of people on Earth start their day the same way: we get out of bed, go to the loo and wash ourselves. But this hasn't always been the standard routine.Ancient Greeks and Romans were happy to splash about in public baths, but by the time the plague struck 14th-century Europe, many people believed that water spread diseases. It was not until the 18th century that Louis Pasteur proved that dangerous germs actually lurk in dirt. Even when hygienic habits began to be taught in schools, lessons were limited to washing faces and hands, because those were the parts that everyone could see.Dive deep into the history and science of dirt, discovering how people around the world (and out in space!) keep themselves and their surroundings free from filth, how our ideas of what's clean and what's not have changed and developed over the centuries, and why a little dirt can sometimes be a good thing...