Shitting Pretty

International travel is growing in popularity but sometimes exacts a price. Activities we take for granted - eating, bathing, and going to the bathroom - can range from challenging to risky in unfamiliar territory. Dr. Jane Wilson-Howarth knows plenty about the third of these quandaries, having spent six months in the Himalayas fending off parasites and leeches while doing research. In Shitting Pretty, she takes a humorous, sympathetic approach to one of the most basic of human activities, interweaving anecdotes from fellow travelers with sensible tips and techniques for how to avoid diarrhea, parasites, malaria, and scarier diseases such as encephalitis and pulmonary edema. She covers the basics of how to eat and drink safely, explains symptoms and cures, and also tells why gastrointestinal diseases - the traveler's most common complaint - occur. More than just a how-to (though it is that), the book aims to inspire the traveler to be adventurous and not embarrassed in dealing with foreign toilets, and to pay heed to the fascinating cultural lessons to be learned from the simple act of going to the bathroom.