When we consider the everyday amenities that really make a difference in our well being and happiness, surely good plumbing must rank near the top. But rarely do we take the time to appreciate the engineering marvels that bring clean water into our homes with the turn of a tap and that take our waste products away with the flip of a lever.

Flushed won't let you ever take plumbing for granted ever again - it will help you understand how clean water comes into your home and dirty water leaves it, and you'll never look at your toilet or kitchen sink the same way. A quirky and fascinating history of plumbing and water supply, Flushed takes readers across the centuries and around the globe, uncovering the secret life of the world's most under-appreciated amenity.

Flushed also follows W. Hodding Carter's travels and trials as he attempts to understand the intricacies of the profession, past and present. Carter explores the oldest forms of plumbing in the world, takes us into the luxury of the ancient Roman baths, casts his own Roman lead pipes following the directions of Pliny the Elder, descends by flashlight into the London sewer, installs the most luxurious new Japanese toilet (named Jasmine) in his own bathroom and is generally fearless in his efforts to understand everything about this most underappreciated pillar of civilization.

"Witty, enlightening, and just plain fun to read."
-- Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Delightful."
-- Los Angeles Times
"Hodding Carter has enough charm to fill a toilet tank, and I don't mean the new 1.6 gallon low-flush. No one else could make me laugh heartily while reading about the miraculous lead pipes of ancient Bath.... Got to love it all."
-- Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Spook
"Carter is unfailingly good company throughout this genuinely underground history."
-- Will Blythe, author of To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever

W. Hodding Carter has written for several national magazines, including Esquire, Smithsonian, Newsweek, and Outside. The author of Westward Whoa, A Viking Voyage, and An Illustrated Viking Voyage, he lives with his family in Rockport, Maine.