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Mongo
Mongo: slang che indica materiali di scarto raccolti, recuperati e riutilizzati. Le ragioni per raccogliere mongo sono tante: alcuni lo fanno per divertimento, altri per arredare la casa, alcuni come atto politico, altri per dipendenza. Mongo è un’indagine, un’inchiesta, un viaggio per le strade di New York alla ricerca di quanti, per scelta o necessità, frugano tra i rifiuti. Un campionario umano inaspettato: dalla casalinga all’homeless, dal ragioniere al consulente informatico, dall’impiegato di banca al collezionista a tempo pieno. Ci sono ragazzi che si procurano la cena nei cassonetti dei ristoranti, c’è chi trova gioielli nelle fogne e chi ha creato una delle più grandi collezioni di libri rari della città. Mongo apre nuove prospettive nell’analisi di un fenomeno mondiale, restituisce l’immagine di un’epoca in cui, indiscutibilmente, il capitalismo è sempre più sommerso dai rifiuti che produce. Tanto da non poterne fare a meno.
224 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 28, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 21, 2008
MONGO: Adventures in Trash by Ted Botha
In carefully-researched digs at old brownstone privies, amateur archeologists find a porcelain doll, antique medicine bottles and ivory buttons; going down an alley on the upper east side, hunters in minivans pick up a matched set of old chairs and some paintings; another ambitious hunter brings a crane and “rescues” stone columns and architectural features from buildings that are being razed. The hunters are out for New York mongo, and New York is the mongo capital of the world. Mongo is the term applied to items—from food to priceless first editions—found, or some might say, rescued, by intrepid people brave or foolish enough to sort thorough other people’s garbage, trash, and discards. When Ted Botha, a young South African emigrant, recently settled in New York City, he found the cost of furnishing his living quarters amazingly steep, so he set out in the tradition of generations of brave opportunists to find furniture and other household goods in the trash piles of the city. He furnished his apartment easily, and along the way, he became fascinated by the resourcefulness and ingenuity of a breed of people he didn’t expect to encounter: the mongo collector. This book is a compelling look at the real work the collectors do; it presents a brief but intriguing picture of some of the collectors themselves.
The author talks about the “anarchists,” a mixed group of students, drop-outs, street-circus performers, musicians and others who somehow live in a fairly expensive flat (at no charge, of course). They have a daily set routine for gleaning food from bakeries, pizzerias, restaurants, pricey little sushi shops, patisseries, and candy stores. They are very careful not to tear into bags so that shopkeepers (not to mention sanitation workers) will not get angry and sabotage their efforts. They have, in fact, converted some of the shopkeepers to their philosophy of “why waste?” so that when the uneaten, discarded food is set out at night, it is put in clear plastic, not mixed with wet garbage, and made available for those who glean what the elegant eschew. The anarchists and the survivalists—who load themselves down with vast heaps of recyclable cans—have a great deal in common: they do not seek items for collection value, they go after their particular mongo to stay alive.
The “dealer” makes a fairly good income—and certainly keeps his mind sharp--by visiting the trash bins of wealthy apartments, sometimes finding wonderful first editions, rare playbills, and old contracts signed by glitterati of the past. Dave, the “treasure hunter,” finds incredible old bottles, rare gold coins, and even items like a remarkably intact tricorn hat from the American Revolution—later seen on Antiques Roadshow. He found a 1939 Superman ring that sold on eBay for over $9,000. But Dave does not have the most ideal working conditions: he must triple-glove and wear a protective suit when he visits his hunting grounds—the landfill and sewer sludge removed from the buried detritus of 300 years of city life. The dealer and the treasure hunter have benefited enormously from the introduction of internet auction sites such as eBay. No longer is the provenance of their finds questioned as if their found treasures were stolen.
A fascinating read.
In carefully-researched digs at old brownstone privies, amateur archeologists find a porcelain doll, antique medicine bottles and ivory buttons; going down an alley on the upper east side, hunters in minivans pick up a matched set of old chairs and some paintings; another ambitious hunter brings a crane and “rescues” stone columns and architectural features from buildings that are being razed. The hunters are out for New York mongo, and New York is the mongo capital of the world. Mongo is the term applied to items—from food to priceless first editions—found, or some might say, rescued, by intrepid people brave or foolish enough to sort thorough other people’s garbage, trash, and discards. When Ted Botha, a young South African emigrant, recently settled in New York City, he found the cost of furnishing his living quarters amazingly steep, so he set out in the tradition of generations of brave opportunists to find furniture and other household goods in the trash piles of the city. He furnished his apartment easily, and along the way, he became fascinated by the resourcefulness and ingenuity of a breed of people he didn’t expect to encounter: the mongo collector. This book is a compelling look at the real work the collectors do; it presents a brief but intriguing picture of some of the collectors themselves.
The author talks about the “anarchists,” a mixed group of students, drop-outs, street-circus performers, musicians and others who somehow live in a fairly expensive flat (at no charge, of course). They have a daily set routine for gleaning food from bakeries, pizzerias, restaurants, pricey little sushi shops, patisseries, and candy stores. They are very careful not to tear into bags so that shopkeepers (not to mention sanitation workers) will not get angry and sabotage their efforts. They have, in fact, converted some of the shopkeepers to their philosophy of “why waste?” so that when the uneaten, discarded food is set out at night, it is put in clear plastic, not mixed with wet garbage, and made available for those who glean what the elegant eschew. The anarchists and the survivalists—who load themselves down with vast heaps of recyclable cans—have a great deal in common: they do not seek items for collection value, they go after their particular mongo to stay alive.
The “dealer” makes a fairly good income—and certainly keeps his mind sharp--by visiting the trash bins of wealthy apartments, sometimes finding wonderful first editions, rare playbills, and old contracts signed by glitterati of the past. Dave, the “treasure hunter,” finds incredible old bottles, rare gold coins, and even items like a remarkably intact tricorn hat from the American Revolution—later seen on Antiques Roadshow. He found a 1939 Superman ring that sold on eBay for over $9,000. But Dave does not have the most ideal working conditions: he must triple-glove and wear a protective suit when he visits his hunting grounds—the landfill and sewer sludge removed from the buried detritus of 300 years of city life. The dealer and the treasure hunter have benefited enormously from the introduction of internet auction sites such as eBay. No longer is the provenance of their finds questioned as if their found treasures were stolen.
A fascinating read.
September 17, 2012
According to the author, "mongo" is a New York expression for any discarded object that is retrieved. It's an entertaining book about people who scrounge stuff from the streets of New York (under them, too) and the reasons they do it. From "canners" who live by gathering and selling cans, to a man who knows wood and uses parts from demolished buildings to do renovations, to a woman who learned how to work on computers by working on ones she found on the street, to a man who gets stone pieces from demolished buildings (five trailers full), this is a great look at the world of mongo. I've picked up furniture left on sidewalks but the people described here who dig in excavated construction sites or who sift through sewage are way, way beyond that.
June 23, 2024
What an interesting and quick read. As someone who does not live in NYC but is fairly familiar with it, this was still incredibly eye-opening. To come to appreciate this - no pun intended - "underground" culture of people who collect has led me question how we as a society have come to see the material. The fact that a small insiginificant object can go from pure trash to a priceless item (and vice versa) just based on its origin, age, history, or assigned value. I have come to question what trash even is and why do we classify objects as such. Although sightly outdated, these anectodes have aged well and continues to be an enlightening book.
February 4, 2025
I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up to read. Turns out it's not fiction, but nonfiction, and quite interesting. So many people in my own family would qualify as "collectors." Is it genetic or environmentally induced? Whatever it is, I feel a bit better about my own inclinations.
June 12, 2019
Super interesting read! First time reading about this topic and I thought it was well put together, had a great flow and was informative. My favorite chapter was The Treasure Hunter - Dave, the main person in the chapter, was especially interesting to me.
February 13, 2021
This is about collectors in New York, of discarded items. From dumpster divers to a team of diggers of old privies from the 1800s. I found it very interesting. The thrill of the treasure hunt lives in many of us.
March 28, 2022
Found this to be super interesting actually...Definitely thought that it could have been a bit more focused during certain chapters, but I really enjoyed the one about the book collector and the archeologists. Glad I picked this one up at Goodwill.
July 5, 2023
I REALLY enjoyed this book. It was so insightful into the lives of collectors, historians of the modern age. Really interesting class commentary as well. Ate through this. It’s not garbage, it’s ephemera of modernity!!
February 10, 2008
In decorating his first New York apartment from scratch, author Botha offers words to live by in New York regarding furniture acquisition: "The streets will provide." Combine that sentiment with the more astute general observation that "great wealth makes great garbage", and you have the premise of the whole book.
Botha initiates you into the day-to-day life and motivation for various strata (yes - a hierarchy exists even in trash collecting) of 'mongo' hunters. Mongo is anything reclaimed that was originally thrown away, put out to be picked up by trash collection, or excavated. So, in its own way, Mongo explores an alternate path to recycling.
In the world of Trash Culture, the mongo breakdown includes "black baggers", "canners", and "anarchists." The highest rung on this particular ladder is shared by both the white collar former executives who refashion their lives by finding and reselling rare first edition books and a collector whose business revolves around retooling and reselling discarded computers.
My sadly frequent act of diaper disposal triggers my memory of a part of this book that has lingered since reading it a few years ago. One of the people interviewed for the book was retelling how her "black bagger" friend had a practice of going through trash "unprotected" (without rubber gloves) until he ran into a lethal combination of mounds of filthy discarded diapers and syringes in the same bag. Her friend swore off black bagging it in favor of a less compromising form of mongo collection after that experience.
So, whether it's contemplating the reformative powers resulting from the potent combination of massive quantities of dirty diapers and syringes, the beckoning of a potential life change through the yet-unfound treasures beckoning you, or exploration of trash collection with an scholarly, anthropological bent, Mongo is there for you.
Botha initiates you into the day-to-day life and motivation for various strata (yes - a hierarchy exists even in trash collecting) of 'mongo' hunters. Mongo is anything reclaimed that was originally thrown away, put out to be picked up by trash collection, or excavated. So, in its own way, Mongo explores an alternate path to recycling.
In the world of Trash Culture, the mongo breakdown includes "black baggers", "canners", and "anarchists." The highest rung on this particular ladder is shared by both the white collar former executives who refashion their lives by finding and reselling rare first edition books and a collector whose business revolves around retooling and reselling discarded computers.
My sadly frequent act of diaper disposal triggers my memory of a part of this book that has lingered since reading it a few years ago. One of the people interviewed for the book was retelling how her "black bagger" friend had a practice of going through trash "unprotected" (without rubber gloves) until he ran into a lethal combination of mounds of filthy discarded diapers and syringes in the same bag. Her friend swore off black bagging it in favor of a less compromising form of mongo collection after that experience.
So, whether it's contemplating the reformative powers resulting from the potent combination of massive quantities of dirty diapers and syringes, the beckoning of a potential life change through the yet-unfound treasures beckoning you, or exploration of trash collection with an scholarly, anthropological bent, Mongo is there for you.
December 5, 2008
I found this to be a very interesting read. The author covers all the different types of dumpster divers that exist and what they collect and why. It shed a lot of light on a subject I didn't know much about. The stories are well written, and engaging, and many of them take place near the area where I work in Manhattan, which I found interesting. After reading this book, I stopped to talk to this guy who always has a shopping cart full of scrap metal near my office building and I asked him where he collects his mongo. He knew the term and was amused that I knew what it meant. This led to a conversation about where he gets his scrap metal and where he brings it and how much he gets for it. This book also make me think about how much waste we generate in this disposable culture in which we live. Before throwing something out, I now try to think of a way to re-use it if I can. Bottom line... the stories are fascinating and enjoyable to read and it makes you THINK.
April 5, 2010
Or: People Who Collect Trash and the Reasons They Do So.
An interesting social history, in which Botha tags along with the various people who root through the garbage of New York City and collect whatever special item they fancy. Whether it be WTO-protestor types who scavenge food outside restaurants, immigrants who earn their living collecting and selling insane amounts of cans, book dealers trolling the Upper East and West side, restoration experts culling mahogany doors from dumpsters, found art creators, and so on, Botha treats all with respect and bemused awe. It seems as if the various types of collectors don't mix interests, either: the book collector cares not for the antiques, the foodies don't give a fig for the cans, and so on. It's astounding to hear what treasures are thrown out. I also liked the references to the Collyer brothers and the Five Points section, both subjects I've read about previously. A fun, quick read.
An interesting social history, in which Botha tags along with the various people who root through the garbage of New York City and collect whatever special item they fancy. Whether it be WTO-protestor types who scavenge food outside restaurants, immigrants who earn their living collecting and selling insane amounts of cans, book dealers trolling the Upper East and West side, restoration experts culling mahogany doors from dumpsters, found art creators, and so on, Botha treats all with respect and bemused awe. It seems as if the various types of collectors don't mix interests, either: the book collector cares not for the antiques, the foodies don't give a fig for the cans, and so on. It's astounding to hear what treasures are thrown out. I also liked the references to the Collyer brothers and the Five Points section, both subjects I've read about previously. A fun, quick read.
October 20, 2012
A series of studies looking at the various collectors of 'mongo' - what drives them, how long they foresee themselves collecting, and what unites them all together - that can and will make you take a second look at that trash heap on the curb. Botha does a very good job of painting a sympathetic but relatively unbiased portrait of all of his subjects. Each act in this book contains characters seemingly unconnected save for their stage (New York City), but Botha uses each story to build a case for caring - caring about the world and how we use the materials around us. In this age of global connectivity, it should be easier than ever to offload unwanted goods locally (be they food, furniture, or building materials), but you must have the initiative to put the information out there for someone to find and the patience for them to pick it up rather than consign it to the weekly trash haul.
July 16, 2013
As someone who has trouble resisting the siren call of "mongo" (basically, slang for junk people are tossing out) from furniture to "free food," I had more interest in this subject than most. But I still got bored and started skimming towards the last 1/3 of this book. Botha devotes each chapter to a different "type" of mongo collector: a book dealer, homeless can dudes, anarchist dumpster divers, etc.. He goes for breadth over depth and can't keep it all tied together. Nor is there a concluding chapter to give you the answers to the essential psychological questions about the motivations connecting the various mongo collectors and a dissection of their image in society. Every chapter runs a little long with detail, more like a sociological research study than something you'd pick up for entertainment. That said, it's nice that he obviously has respect for these people, whether they're stinky or mentally ill, and jumped into this subject with enthusiasm.
July 24, 2010
My return to the daytime world sparked a revival of interest in, well, living well, I guess. After my past few years of circus hedonism, I want to sleep -- a lot -- and play outdoors. I want local fruits, nuts and vegis to be staples, replacing my standard diet of bread, wine and cheese. I want to use what I've got or recycle junk instead of buying new.
The ARC of "Mongo: Adventures in Trash" has been hanging out on my bookshelf for the past six years. The author tells the story of different sorts of street collectors. He interviews pack rats, book collectors, dumpster divers, anarchists, bottle pickers, landfill diggers, privy excavators, and a schizophrenic bag lady. This is a fast read, an entertaining read, and it made me happy.
The ARC of "Mongo: Adventures in Trash" has been hanging out on my bookshelf for the past six years. The author tells the story of different sorts of street collectors. He interviews pack rats, book collectors, dumpster divers, anarchists, bottle pickers, landfill diggers, privy excavators, and a schizophrenic bag lady. This is a fast read, an entertaining read, and it made me happy.
May 26, 2015
I enjoyed this. I personally have rescued things from being thrown away, as have many of my friends, and so I thought I could relate to some of what the author explores in this book. The casual rescue of a chair or box of books, however, is nothing in comparison to the behaviours of the people Botha meets in his adventures involving "mongo". Botha devotes a chapter to each of the different type of people he met who go through the public trash (on street corners, in dumpsters, in landfills, etc) to find their own "treasures". In these pages we meet book collectors, foodies, furniture scavengers, and several others. Botha compares and contrasts them at times and, in general, gives us a look at just how much useable items are discarded every day. An interested read indeed.
July 22, 2008
This book chronicles "collectors" in New York City, collectors of trash, that is. The author profiles the different kinds of collectors in NYC - from the "can men" who collect aluminum cans for survival to the preservationists who collect pieces of the City's architectural history. It's a pretty fascinating look at what people actually throw away. Anyone who can't bear to see things thrown away or who has picked something out of the dumpster should read this book. If you have even just an inkling of collector in you, it's inspiring enough to quit your job and start rummaging through other people's trash!
May 19, 2012
This is a favorite book for me. After I read it the first time I got several copies and gave them to friends. My husband creates art from mongo, from way before we knew the term [mongo]. Through the chapters focused on the types of mongo and those who collect it one gets an interesting picture of some of NYC's history. Having just social-networked with a NYC fellow who chooses to collect food from dumpsters I was reminded me of this book, which I recommended to him.
March 18, 2020
Interesting collection of pieces about the various groups of people who collect garbage from the streets of New York City. Covers the can collectors, restoration architects, book collectors, dumpster diving anarchists etc. varies in quality, but all reasonably interesting. Just not enough in common between the groups to make for a narrative, which makes it more a collection of articles than anything else.
March 20, 2008
An intersting look at the different strata of dumpster divers in and around Manahattan. It was layed out well and provided a glimpse into a lifestyle that is as foreign to me as living in China. Unfortunately, the ending was pretty weak; the author tried to make some sappy 9/11 connection. It should really only be 2.8 stars at most.
March 15, 2008
A witty, inspiring look into the habits of folks who collect trash and comb through refuse. Some people do it for fun, some for profit, some for food, some to create art. This is a slim book, but one rarely feels that Botha isn't giving his subjects their due. It's a fun fast read and it'll have you checking the trash for treasures on your way home from work.
March 14, 2010
Interesting look at "trash" collectors of various sorts (from homeless people who collect cans for cash to those who search for architectural treasures). Limited to NYC, for what that's worth, but there are so many different types of collectors, it would have been difficult for Botha to have expanded much.
September 4, 2009
this is a great "natural history" of mongo, stuff that gets recycled, or the recycler. written by a south african, but most all takes place on the streets of new york. from art restorers to canners (dudes who dig through the garbage for aluminum cans). so if you like digging through the dumpsters, take some time off and read this.
April 7, 2010
I read this a few years ago. It's informative, unique, fascinating. It's certainly not anything like what I usually read. And yet - looking around my apartment I see a lot of furniture that was discarded by other people. So I guess I feel a connection to this book, even though I've never lived in NYC or rummaged through garbage cans.
March 21, 2008
I love trash! If anyone is ready to squat a warehouse, buy a truck and troll the streets of NYC let me know. I am in. It is fun and tragic to read about the desperate search to salvage a tiny bit of our vast trashed wealth.
December 26, 2013
This was a fascinating book and a quick read. This book just proves that one persons trash is anothers treasure. I really enjoyed the way the book was broken down into different types of collecting.
April 24, 2011
This book was so amazing. I can't find words to describe why, except to say that in NYC "Mongo" is a street word for finding and using things other people have gotten rid of as unwanted. A combination between the archeology of trash, Antiques Roadshow, and Watts Towers. Absolutely fascinating!
March 21, 2012
Fell off my chair laughing at the mention of a circus performer who does something on a bed of nails. I didn't know anyone else saw that circus! Best circus act ever!
Great book, interesting people, love to read about all the different collectors.
Great book, interesting people, love to read about all the different collectors.
March 3, 2013
I was skeptical at first. While I personally find other people's garbage interesting, and have been trash picking since I was twelve, I wasn't sure a book could be made of it. Ted Botha could and did. I enjoyed meeting my colleagues in each chapter of Mongo.
November 23, 2007
A entire book about trash. It was fascinating to see different views on trash and people who collect it.
February 19, 2008
Very interesting look at dumpster diving and various kinds of collecting in/around the NYC area.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews