From Foreign Policy, a look at the world’s healthiest countries. A review of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power by Mark Schapiro. An excerpt from The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg. A brief history of the WC: The seventh World Toilet Summit kicks off in New Delhi, and its message is clear: people in the developing world need lavatories. A question of convenience: Authorities may blame society, but it's simple logic that as toilets disappear people do their business in the street instead. Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel examined overlooked trends, while The Toothpick settles arguments no one is having. Looking for a good toothpick, for 2 million years: Since the dawn of humanity, inventors have searched for the perfect teeth-cleaning tool. Stick Figure: An article on the marketing genius who brought us the toothpick. A review of The Toothpick: Technology and Culture by Henry Petroski.
