The Dirt on Clean

The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars


Since I only made it through half the book, this isn't a proper review. Rather, I will be sharing my impressions.

This book is a history of bathing and the varying importance placed on a clean body. The author was very thorough, which made some of the passages repetitive. Bathing was good, then bathing was bad, then bathing was good again, etc. Ashenburg's writing style isn't as dry as some history books can be, but her attention to detail still made it dense. I only made it up to the 18th century before the book had to be returned to the library.

This is not a book I would buy for myself. However, I wouldn't mind receiving it as a gift, if only to be able to skim it at my leisure and share the craziest excerpts with my husband.


View all my reviews.