mongo n. 1 1970s ]] an idiot. 2 1980s ]] (US, New York) any discarded object that is retrieved. 3. 1980s ]] (US, New York) a scrap-metal scavenger. (The Cassell Dictionary of Slang)

When journalist Ted Botha moved to New York from South Africa, where people constructed homes out of what others considered trash, he decorated his apartment with furniture he found on Manhattan streets. Soon he realized he wasn't the only person finding things of value in the garbage, and he began roaming the streets meeting all kinds of collectors, united by their obsession with mongo-any discarded item that is rescued from the trash.

Here is Botha's remarkable record of his travels among collectors, who are as varied as the kind of mongo they seek. They range from housewife to homeless man, from accountant to computer consultant, from retrenched bank worker to full-time collector. One man finds jewelry in the sludge of New York's sewers; another has built one of the most extensive rare book collections in the city. The myriad reasons for collecting open a window into the range of human desires: some people collect for fun, others to make a living; some to find friends, others to snoop; some to make a political statement, others because it is an addiction. Collecting mongo is a longtime, universal phenomenon, at last receiving a worthy-and appropriately addictive-literary appreciation.

"After moving to New York in the 1990s and furnishing his apartment with bounty from the city streets, the author discovered he wasn't the first or only enterprising scavenger around. In this entertaining narrative, Botha (Apartheid in My Rucksack) delves into a world of avid collectors who forage New York's garbage for everything from empty soda cans and leftover sushi to old coins and first editions. These treasures even have a distinct name — mongo — which The Cassell Dictionary of Slang defines as 'any discarded object that is retrieved,' Botha explains. Each chapter examines a different category of mongo seeker, from pack rats and preservationists to voyeurs and visionaries, whom Botha befriends and accompanies on their mostly nocturnal routes. Some of the most fascinating sections involve Dave, 'The Treasure Hunter,' whose frequent forays to Manhattan's landfills yield precious gems caked with mud; and 'The Anarchists,' a band of bicycle-riding young people who forgo grocery shopping in favor of gathering edibles from plastic bags outside restaurants. Steven, 'The Dealer,' a used- and rare-book merchant whose entire inventory comes from the street, emerges as one of the tour's most industrious characters; he gets up before dawn and 'works more diligently than anyone in an office, seven days a week.' Though some of Botha's observations are repetitive, he's an able guide through the undisputed capital of mongo. His sensitive and nonjudgmental study portrays a previously overlooked but resilient and passionate population as one that's worthy of attention and respect. Agent, Luke Janklow. (June 28) Forecast: This book could have a strong New York following. Botha will conduct NYC mongo walking and collecting tours for booksellers and media, and the publisher will run ads in the New Yorker." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

As a writer who moved back to New York City from South Africa in the 1990s, Botha relates how he joined the culture of collectors of mongo--recovered discarded items. He learned that furnishing homes from sidewalk castoffs is a venerable NY tradition. Each of the ten chapters contains stories focusing on a particular type of this quirky breed: e.g., the anarchists, preservationists, and of course, pack rats.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Focusing on collectors of "mongo" — any discarded item that is rescued from the trash — this is a superbly crafted, eye-opening tour of the weird and fascinating world of people who really do find treasure in other people's trash.