How To Poo At Work, by Mats & Enzo

This is a book that one doesn’t want to like but one can easily identify with. Going to the bathroom at work is an aspect of contemporary culture that draws a lot of problems. As someone who, for rather personal reasons, tends to take a fair amount of time on the stool when I go to the bathroom, this sort of book, and the ways that people can try to avoid being seen, heard, or smelled in the bathroom is something that I can definitely relate to. I can even say, somewhat to my embarrassment I suppose, that I have tried some of these methods to avoid awkward scenes in the bathroom, especially in those days when I went into the office every day. It is somewhat strange reading this book in the age of Coronavirus, considering how many jobs are remote and so many people working from home, but at least in the period before the contemporary age, this is a book that really hits close to home. I am not sure what that means, as there is definitely an undercurrent here that is a criticism of the way that many companies handle matters of going to the bathroom. Whether or not the reader is offended by that is, of course, up to each individual reader for oneself.

This book is organized in a logical fashion. First, there is a preface, introduction, a discussion of the book’s expert on bathroom solutions, as well as some golden rules and a key to the symbols on the various proposed solutions to various bathroom difficulties. The book then includes three parts as well as different gender-specific problems. The first part of the book looks at problems that one faces on the way to the bathroom (I), including being stuck into a meeting, running into one’s boss, having the door blocked by a cleaning lady, or even being on a business trip in a foreign country. The second part of the book deals with problems on the spot, such as stall doors not closing or all bathrooms are taken or creating odors or making too much noise (II). The third part of the book then deals with problems on the way out (III) of the bathroom, including not being able to unlock a door, being caught in the bathroom, or smelling like air freshener. The gender-specific problems include using urinals, handbag etiquette, being followed by a colleague, as well as a discussion of safety launch windows and a conclusion. Each of the situations is diagrammed, given a short scenario, provided with a solution, and an expert opinion as well as testimonial of the solution is given along with a rating for realism, difficulty, and potential dangers.