Trash!

The New York Times’ 2026 “Summer Nonfiction We’re Excited to Read”
The New York Times “Most Anticipated Nonfiction Books for 2026”
A Midwest Independent Booksellers Association Bestseller
A Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association Bestseller
A New England Independent Booksellers Association Bestseller

“Raffish and spirited … a nonconformist cri de coeur … Usually, comparisons to Bourdain are fatuous. This time it’s accurate … It’s been a long time since I’ve read so good and rowdy a memoir about blue-collar work.” — Dwight Garner, The New York Times

”…a sparkling little gem of a book about the lives of men who wallow in a city’s muck and “scrub clean the stains of our consumer society.” — Tunku Varadarajan, The Wall Street Journal

“Exhilarating on every page.” — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic

“Imagine if Anthony Bourdain were your garbage man.” — The Los Angeles Times

”… [a] modern-day Margaret Mead (with French-Canadian swear words) observing the absurdity of our consumption. He’s a sociologist who celebrates physical labor. A philosopher-king hauling our garbage and analyzing our waste. It’s a voice from the trenches. It’s funny. It’s honest. And it’s short.” — Diane Brady, Fortune

“Simon Paré-Poupart’s gem of a memoir reveals society’s dirty secrets and reckless wastefulness… Trash! is full of unexpected if sometimes pungent surprises. It proves the old saw that one man’s trash is another’s treasure.” — Stephen Smith, Financial Times

“A withering critique of how modern societies have come to generate trash, conceive of trash, and dispose of trash.” — Joe Keohane, The Boston Globe

“Enlightening, unpretentious, and gently political, Pare-Poupart’s fascinating account will help readers view their garbage in a whole new light. It’s a treasure.” — Publishers Weekly

“Arresting.” — Kirkus Reviews

Simon Pare-Poupart became a garbageman in Montreal to pay for his college education. After graduate studies in sociology and international business, and work experience as a journalist and social worker, he returned to the job and has been a garbageman for twenty years. He lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Pablo Strauss has translated numerous books from Quebec French into English and is a three-time finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for translation. He lives in Quebec City.

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