Strangely, this is also one of my favorite books of all time. Required reading during a class on 18th century literature, this book was the highlight of the class! This book is "rich in facts and anecdotes" about the harsh and bawdy reality of life in London! I was laughing and gasping as I imagined a life in which people bathed annually or semi-annually if they were lucky; a life in which the streets and sidewalks were covered with human and animal waste and one might get a shower from an upstairs apartment's chamber pot while walking down the street. Highly recommended to anyone about to study 18th century lit or anything by Samuel Johnson. ( )