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alhara's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. I think it would appeal to many. I'd definitely recommend it to any 'greenie' and I'd have to say its the most all-encompassing book I've yet to read (or try to read) about trying to make sustainable, ethical choices, while being entertaining, interesting, and easy to stay interested in. The book is divided into segments (ie clothes, waste/recycling, food) and then each segment has 4-6 stories a few pages long so its easy to read a little at a time and not get overwhelmed. I really couldn't say enough good things about this one! And I think non-greenies who are interested in how things work would be also interested.
megami's review
3.0
This is a rather strange book. Posited as an environment tome, with the author endeavouring to find out where they things he uses come from, it ends up coming off as a bit of a 'I am a middle-class person who can afford lots of nice stuff and gee I care, hence the fact I am going to do a lot of environment-destroying flying around the world to prove my point'. Pearce gets angry at the way a lot of things are done, and does a bit of soul-searching, yet the end result seems to be he thinks that it is all a bit too hard, and we need to do our bit, as long as it doesn't curb journalists flitting around the world.
The impression I get is that the author (or his publishers) couldn't really decide on whether this was a book about 'green' issues, or if this was to be part of the popular non-fiction 'life of an object' genre. The end chapter about demographics, while probably the least 'dumbed down' of the chapters still doesn't seem to be thought through particularly well. All up, it smacks of a well meaning, rather knowledgeable journalist with a great idea that was not particularly well executed, with a smattering of pretentiousness thrown in for good measure.
The impression I get is that the author (or his publishers) couldn't really decide on whether this was a book about 'green' issues, or if this was to be part of the popular non-fiction 'life of an object' genre. The end chapter about demographics, while probably the least 'dumbed down' of the chapters still doesn't seem to be thought through particularly well. All up, it smacks of a well meaning, rather knowledgeable journalist with a great idea that was not particularly well executed, with a smattering of pretentiousness thrown in for good measure.
satyridae's review
3.0
Another for the "everything you are doing is wrong" shelf. Pearce decided to investigate the ways his consumer goods were manufactured and disposed of. The usual suspects are on display here, and some less usual. It's always a little troublesome to see someone log tens of thousands of air miles to report on how the environment is going to hell, but it feels like his motives are pure- and points to him for acknowledging his footprint as considerably larger than average for his cohort.
There are a lot of short chapters, all are interesting. For my money, all would be more interesting if they were handled a bit more thoroughly. It's a good introduction with some light bits balancing an overall grim topic.
There are a lot of short chapters, all are interesting. For my money, all would be more interesting if they were handled a bit more thoroughly. It's a good introduction with some light bits balancing an overall grim topic.
jady's review
5.0
This is a book I think everyone can learn from. It's informative, very eye-opening, thought-provoking, and written in a wonderfully engaging style. It covers a huge amount of territory, both geographical and informational, yet it is quite concisely written. I thought I had already been fairly aware in terms of my shopping habits, but this book clearly showed me that I still a lot more to learn! I haven't read anything else by Pearce, but I'd definitely like to - he's a very enjoyable writer.
Pearce obviously did a ton of research, which I greatly appreciate, but I also love that he is pretty much content to let the facts just speak for themselves. He highlights things that should be obvious to everyone (but somehow aren't, like rampant consumerism), and he also talks about solutions - ways to be proactive instead of reactive.
I will definitely be recommending this book to all and sundry!
Pearce obviously did a ton of research, which I greatly appreciate, but I also love that he is pretty much content to let the facts just speak for themselves. He highlights things that should be obvious to everyone (but somehow aren't, like rampant consumerism), and he also talks about solutions - ways to be proactive instead of reactive.
I will definitely be recommending this book to all and sundry!
laureng's review
4.0
I think the first half of this book was a little more interesting than the second half. Also, I know he has a blurb in there about how he doesn't do footnotes, but I would have really appreciated footnotes. I feel like the stuff I want to talk to other people about, I'm going to have to find my own sources.
This book does give you a lot to think about, though!
This book does give you a lot to think about, though!
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