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outcolder's review against another edition
4.0
The author isn't some new convert to the green religion, he's been writing about the environment in mags like New Scientist since I was a kid. Taking each aspect of his life in turn, Pearce knows he's going to find that things are more complicated than they seem and that much of what is 'green' is just 'greenwashing.' He also doesn't shy away from related social issues, and the best parts are when he describes the lives of the ordinary workers who produce and recycle what he consumes, or the people who live in the communities where that work happens.
He doesn't explicitly make the connections between our over-consumption of the earth's resources and capitalism, and most of the little conclusions along the way are along the lines of: well, this green thing isn't perfect, but it's still better than not trying. At the end, when he leaves us optimistically with stories about declining populations, sustainable agriculture, and future cities that sound a little like the recommendations in [b:The Conquest of Bread|1113155|The Conquest of Bread|Pyotr Kropotkin|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328694308s/1113155.jpg|1100145], he poses them all as doable reforms but taken together, they would really mean a revolutionary change in how we as a species relate to our planet.
He doesn't explicitly make the connections between our over-consumption of the earth's resources and capitalism, and most of the little conclusions along the way are along the lines of: well, this green thing isn't perfect, but it's still better than not trying. At the end, when he leaves us optimistically with stories about declining populations, sustainable agriculture, and future cities that sound a little like the recommendations in [b:The Conquest of Bread|1113155|The Conquest of Bread|Pyotr Kropotkin|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328694308s/1113155.jpg|1100145], he poses them all as doable reforms but taken together, they would really mean a revolutionary change in how we as a species relate to our planet.
ewg109's review against another edition
4.0
If you've ever been to a food co-op you've met this guy. He's the older guy with gray hair and beard who wears wool socks with his tevas (he gave up birks years ago), kindly excuses himself when he routes around you to grab another box of Koala Crunch, and is earnest in a comforting way. He may or may not wear wear a dirty fishing hat, drive a subaru, and have a wife with a long braided ponytail. He is smart, a witty conversationalist, and naturally self-deprecating.
And I suppose I should have more to say about the book, but I just got caught up on the author.
And I suppose I should have more to say about the book, but I just got caught up on the author.
titanic's review against another edition
1.0
i lost interest in this so fast which sucks as it sounds so interesting.
mayag's review against another edition
3.0
Fred Pearce chooses some of the "things" in his life and tracks down their source, exploring the people and places affected for him to get his stuff. It's truly fascinating to learn where things from gold to shrimp to cotton come from and what it takes to get them to us. It's also truly horrifying, for the most part.
I don't know anyone who is willing to trade someone else's misery or destroyed land for the ability to buy food or clothes cheap ... but it seems that is what most of us are doing. It isn't quite that simple, of course, but my first reaction is along the lines of "Oh my god, I can never buy anything again." Interestingly, that is not the message the author is trying to communicate and is not the message many of the workers in foreign countries (like Bangladesh) would want us to hear. But even though making $1 sewing jeans is an improvement over making 50 cents a day farming for shrimp (which also harms the environment) doesn't mean to me that it's okay for me to buy $20 jeans and feel good about it.
A wonderful friend of mine from law school, one of the most consistent and ethical people I've ever known did not buy any new products that were made outside of the US. (She did allow herself to buy them used.) For her, workers were the priority and she was not going to contribute her money towards the poor working conditions and pay of anyone.
This book is great for going behind the store, the marketing, the assumptions, and showing (at least in these specific instances) where this stuff actually comes from and what it's costs are. I think it's a great read because it's so hard to figure this stuff out on your own. The global market is complicated, trade routes are convoluted and sometimes hidden, green-washing is rampant, cost does matter, it can be tempting to make like an ostrich and say "I can't figure it out!"
Hiding isn't going to fix anything, and it won't make me less culpable or guilty if I end up spending my money on things I wish I hadn't. I am a long, long way from perfect (just ask my husband) but I'm hoping this book and it's information will help me get a little further on the path I'm trying to follow.
I don't know anyone who is willing to trade someone else's misery or destroyed land for the ability to buy food or clothes cheap ... but it seems that is what most of us are doing. It isn't quite that simple, of course, but my first reaction is along the lines of "Oh my god, I can never buy anything again." Interestingly, that is not the message the author is trying to communicate and is not the message many of the workers in foreign countries (like Bangladesh) would want us to hear. But even though making $1 sewing jeans is an improvement over making 50 cents a day farming for shrimp (which also harms the environment) doesn't mean to me that it's okay for me to buy $20 jeans and feel good about it.
A wonderful friend of mine from law school, one of the most consistent and ethical people I've ever known did not buy any new products that were made outside of the US. (She did allow herself to buy them used.) For her, workers were the priority and she was not going to contribute her money towards the poor working conditions and pay of anyone.
This book is great for going behind the store, the marketing, the assumptions, and showing (at least in these specific instances) where this stuff actually comes from and what it's costs are. I think it's a great read because it's so hard to figure this stuff out on your own. The global market is complicated, trade routes are convoluted and sometimes hidden, green-washing is rampant, cost does matter, it can be tempting to make like an ostrich and say "I can't figure it out!"
Hiding isn't going to fix anything, and it won't make me less culpable or guilty if I end up spending my money on things I wish I hadn't. I am a long, long way from perfect (just ask my husband) but I'm hoping this book and it's information will help me get a little further on the path I'm trying to follow.
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