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sunscour's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like cleaning out a closet.
I also feel embarrassed......
I also feel embarrassed......
daceymacminn's review against another edition
i can’t renew it anymore and it is too slow right now so i will come back to it later
yiddish_anarchist's review against another edition
2.0
Really strange choices of quotes/references. Choppy writing style- choppier than my review.
niniane's review against another edition
3.75
Easily digestible message about spending less money on flashy items and more on healthy food. Get more time in nature and with loved ones.
My score wasn't higher because they had some info about GMOs that I found questionable. They were a bit easily persuaded in some areas.
I liked the cheerful tone and the anecdotes.
My score wasn't higher because they had some info about GMOs that I found questionable. They were a bit easily persuaded in some areas.
I liked the cheerful tone and the anecdotes.
elizaed's review against another edition
5.0
Great book with a wide range of information about switching to a less consumer-oriented lifestyle. One example of something I found interesting -- and sad -- was learning how close the US came to having a thirty hour work week. In the 1930s the potential law lost by only a few votes in the House. We might have developed a much different more balanced lifestyle like much of Europe now has. Just one example of subjects the book touches on. An excellent read.
shanellewrites's review against another edition
3.0
Excellent points, great information, and it really inspired me to want to change.
My issues with it, however, were two-fold:
First, this book was based off a documentary. Obviously a book requires a lot more material than a documentary. In addition to it reading more like a documentary (which I don't think is a good thing), there were many points where I could kind of feel or sense the padding. Not a big deal, and it didn't make or break the read for me. I still learned a lot and consider a very valuable read.
My second issue was that I felt it was a little exaggerated. I felt the authors took extreme examples (like couples that would fly somewhere for a weekend for the sole purpose of shopping at a particular place, where they spend thousands of dollars in one weekend) and projected that as normal American society. I don't think this is fair or accurate. I don't disagree that hyper-consumerism is a huge problem, but...you know.
But like I said, I still really enjoyed the read. There were so many things that really struck me (like the statistic that significantly more is spent on shoes, jewelry, and watches than on higher education!) and, for those that allow it to be, has the potential to be a life-changing book.
My issues with it, however, were two-fold:
First, this book was based off a documentary. Obviously a book requires a lot more material than a documentary. In addition to it reading more like a documentary (which I don't think is a good thing), there were many points where I could kind of feel or sense the padding. Not a big deal, and it didn't make or break the read for me. I still learned a lot and consider a very valuable read.
My second issue was that I felt it was a little exaggerated. I felt the authors took extreme examples (like couples that would fly somewhere for a weekend for the sole purpose of shopping at a particular place, where they spend thousands of dollars in one weekend) and projected that as normal American society. I don't think this is fair or accurate. I don't disagree that hyper-consumerism is a huge problem, but...you know.
But like I said, I still really enjoyed the read. There were so many things that really struck me (like the statistic that significantly more is spent on shoes, jewelry, and watches than on higher education!) and, for those that allow it to be, has the potential to be a life-changing book.
tensy's review against another edition
3.0
The college where I work is using this book as a campus wide reading project and it has led to interesting discussions among the student body. In essence, John De Graaf want us to take a close look at how consumption rules our lives. In Affluenza, he lists ways to do a self-audit of our habits and lifestyles, and then ask ourselves whether our lifestyles are making us happy, and the world a better place to live. He wants us to take note of the diseases and environmental problems caused by an affluent lifestyle. The writing style is very rudimentary and more like a news report than an informative text. This may be due to the fact that this book was originally based on a PBS documentary. Many of the doomsayers' predictions in the book have come to bear fruit in our post-2009 economic debacle. Perhaps it takes a major event such as this to make us change our ways (smaller cars, less shopping and more saving, alternative fuels), but it seems like most Americans prefer to live in denial until events out of their control require them to change.
kathryn_mcb's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
I fully agree with the message in the book in terms of reduction of the accumulation of stuff and focus on community and climate over capitalism. I just feel that it’s delivery through the text was very “kids these days and their damned devices” in a lot of places. While research or other books were were highlighted a lot of the examples were not backed up with a bibliography. Some stories were anecdotal as opposed to statistical, which then led to generalisations being made For example, telling a story about a child, who is scared that a plant touched them being used to generalise about all young people, not being in touch with nature. I find the letter chapters about action that can be taken and different groups and organisations that have already done so much stronger than the earlier chapters which felt quite repetitive.