This book takes a measured look at the 'crisis of waste' in modern society and it does so historically, sociologically and critically. It tells stories about past and present 'crises' of waste and puts them in their appropriate social and industrial contexts. From Charles Dickens to Don DeLillo, from the internal combustion engine to fish fingers, from kitchen grease to the Tour de France this book digs deep into society's dust piles and emerges with untold treasures of the imagination.

Martin O'Brien is a sociologist who has spent the last twenty years working on public policy - including health and social policy, criminal justice policy and environmental policy. He is the author (with Sue Penna) of Theorising Welfare: Enlightenment and Modern Society (London: Sage, 1998) and editor of several books, including the most recent Integrating and Articulating Environments: A Challenge for Northern and Southern Europe (Swets & Zeitlinger, 2003) as well as numerous articles on social theory, social history and social policy. He is currently a Reader at the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Central Lancashire, UK.

Introduction: Rubbish Society? 1. Rubbish Histories 2. Rubbish Literatures 3. Rubbish Industries 4. Rubbish Households 5. Rubbish Relationships 6. Rubbish Idealism 7. Rubbish Materialism. Conclusion: Rubbish Society!