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joakley's review
5.0
Loved it! Admittedly given that this is more of a philosophical approach, a lot of this did go over my head. But the core message is something that will inform my thoughts on consumption, the environment, and how to participate in this thing we call society and I’ll likely carry that message for the long haul
evadienke's review
4.0
Important message and thoroughly argued, it added fire and depth to my hopes for our future. However, the focus on consumption alone comes across as tunnel vision. Though a pleasant intellectual challenge, the language is overly academic. I so wish it were more accessible, I would have recommended it to everyone I know.
wall0w's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
-1 star for the first 40ish pages being filled with far too much academic language that made it not flow and barely readable. Otherwise, gave an insightful view into alternative hedonist perspectives in economic degrowth for environmental and social progress. Pretty lit content, has me seriously considering taking the pay cut of dropping a day of work per week for the increased real-world productivity ("leisure time") to have the energy for gardening or mending.
Definitely recommend but take it slow!
Definitely recommend but take it slow!
kinddog2073's review
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Clearly articulated cultural revolutionary vision of internalised degrowth values. Excellent in that respect. In others, I'm still unconvinced. Specifically, Soper focuses heavily on individual responsibikity and seems to shirk existing, useful socio-political units like labour unions. She writes them off as entirely hamstrung by needing to preserve jobs, but the only way to wrest a just transition is probably through an advanced, socialist, post-growth labour movement. She has such expansive vision for the individual, I don't really see why that isn't extended to such a useful coherent political group unit.
Her derision towards virtue ethics was strange to me, though my understanding of VE is probably a decade out of date with the mainstream. VE is the only secular ethics system that can position individuals to internalise values in a way that would actually lead to alternative hedonism securing itself in the individual. I don't think Utilitarianism is as self-transforming as VE (and is far more cynical and inhumane, in my opinion).
Her derision towards virtue ethics was strange to me, though my understanding of VE is probably a decade out of date with the mainstream. VE is the only secular ethics system that can position individuals to internalise values in a way that would actually lead to alternative hedonism securing itself in the individual. I don't think Utilitarianism is as self-transforming as VE (and is far more cynical and inhumane, in my opinion).
hmpioske's review
4.0
A great little book. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how to shift my own consumption patterns to be more sustainable, and I appreciated the clear vision this book presented for a way of life that is richer because of its rejection of consumerism. It’s also pretty clear about what personal and political actions should be taken to bring about this future, which I liked.