So, the info junkie I am loves non-fiction. I don't mind books such as Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc. but I LOVE learning more about something. Books on nutrition, eco-living, spirituality, and the like help open my mind up and see things from a different perspective. I've read a couple books in the last few weeks....some were decent but really were things I already knew and didn't wow me. However, I read two that were complete game changers for me. Ask Trevor...I would send him constant pictures of paragraphs that shocked me, send him texts like "OMG this book is MINDBLOWING" or be dialing my Dad begging him to read books and wanting to discuss topics with him. I'm going to try to be as organized in my review as possible but I have so many thoughts about these it may be scattered. Sorry not sorry! :) So the books...
THE STORY OF STUFF by Annie Leonard
I've talked about before the videos produced by the Story of Stuff Project and how amazing they are. After watching them I promptly posted them to Facebook, talked about them on here, emailed them to my parents, texted the link to Trevor, etc., etc. I was absolutely thrilled when I was googling Story of Stuff to find out more about the project to see that there was a book. Immediately I placed a hold through inter-library loan to get it.
The book addresses the 5 parts of the life of stuff, based on a systems thinking approach: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption and Disposal. From books my dad has loaned me (Where Am I Wearing") and just research in general, I knew that not everything was produced kindly. There are sweatshops in Sri Lanka, deforestation in Central America, and the like happening. However the detail and the information provided in each of these chapters is eye-opening. Think of a cotton t-shirt, the amount of water, soil, chemicals used to extract the cotton, then the process, chemicals, labor that goes into the production, then the distribution (not only of all these materials but also the finished product) of the t-shirt, the person driving to the store to get it after being targeted through marketing and then the disposal once we are done with it. I am just grazing the surface of the information Annie shares. For example, the amount of water poorer communities have to use to water cotton (which is one of the thirstiest plants in the world), and then the fact that this water is then dirtied and can not be used again when these communities already have scarce water supplies. All so that richer communities can have more and these communities have nothing. Think of the new thing (shirt, gadget, pants, video, coffee mug, kitchen utensil etc.) you just HAVE to have. It is on sale for $10. Do you think that $10 really represents the true cost of that item? Does it include the labor (and healthcare and good working conditions) of someone to extract the materials from the earth, to produce the product, to clean up the water/air/garbage from the extraction, production, distribution of it? Does it really take into affect the amount of earth's finite resources being used? What about the packaging as well? And then when it is time for this product to be discarded of, can it be completely reused or recycled?
Annie talks about the Bhopal disaster in which one night a poor town in India woke up in the middle of the night screaming, running, dying because of a gas leak from a nearby factory. 25,000 people have died, people dropped like flies. The company knew they weren't meeting all of the safety codes and they didn't warn the people or help with any medical costs. Google it and see all the children who died...the eyes that were burned out...the community that was destroyed. How can we continue to buy, buy, buy and not think about the whole life process of things?
So Annie isn't anti-consumption and she isn't anti-production, etc. What Annie calls for is things like EPR (extended producer responsibility) where if your laptop dies, you can send it back to the company and they can take it apart and reuse parts for a newer model instead of "designed for the dump" where you just toss it at the end of it's life. Or better design where you can replace a chip in your cell phone or the lens of the camera so that you don't have to discard the whole thing and just update the new technology. Or biomimicry where products are made to replicate nature and that can break down easily once they have been used completely. She also calls on more equitable consumption. Some of us need to be using less and some (third world countries) need to use more. I have to say she has completely shifted our household's look at things. I calculated our carbon footprint, re-evaluated needs/wants, have a renewed commitment to veganism and minimalism and look at products completely differently now. Trevor and I are happy to shop second hand, to donate much of what we have and REDUCE our consumption, REUSE what we have, and RECYCLE (as a last resort). I want to check out Material World: A Global Family Portrait that has homes from around the world emptied out to show possessions. Really makes you wonder if you need one more sweater, cup, toy, book, etc.
I really, really, really recommend reading this book.
THE JOY OF LESS by Francine Jay
I already follow Francine's blog Miss Minimalist and am a huge fan of it. I wasn't sure if I would really benefit from reading a "how-to declutter, organize and simplify your life". Trev and I are already good at that...at times Trev is much more minimalist than I am, he shocks me sometimes! This book has four parts: philosophy, streamline, room-by-room and lifestyle. I liked the first and last best because we really are already minimalist and know how to declutter our house and keep it that way. Here are my favorite parts:
You are not what you own: Francine talks about how people buy things/keep things for their "fantasy selves", the ones that might travel the world, host cocktail parties, play in a rock band when really that isn't us, even if we want it to be. I love this paragraph:
"We're told that the contents of our homes are reflections of ourselves-and we should take care to display the "right" things to convey the desired impression. Bear rugs and deer antler chandeliers proclaim our outdoorsy, pioneer spirit; Old World antiques speak to our refined European tastes; Moroccan lanterns and floor pillows reveal our exotic, bohemian side. Yet none of these things are really necessary to communicate our interests or personalities; it's what we do-not what we have-that's far more illuminating."
She goes on to say:
"Truth be told, products will never make us into something we're not. Designer handbags won't make us rich, premium lipsticks won't make us into supermodels, and expensive pens won't make us successful executives. Pricey garden tools won't give us green thumbs, and high-end cameras won't turn us into award-winning photographers. Yet we feel compelled to buy, and keep, stuff that holds a promise-to make us happier, prettier, smarter, a better parent or spouse, more loved, more organized or more capable."
She also discusses that less stuff is less stress and more freedom. Less time taking care of, worrying about ruining, replacing or repairing, no time needed to research, buy and return, less time cleaning and maintaining. This is so true. Once Trev and I did a big declutter sweep we have cut our cleaning time down big time. As Leo Babauta says it takes much more time to clean a room with 50 things in it rather than an empty room. Trev and I have less to dust, vacuum around, organize and keep maintained.
Francine also mentions the idea of "enjoy without owning". So instead of having to research, buy, clean, maintain, etc., we should think of looking at products as if going to a museum. We can appreciate the beauty or usefulness of clothes, accessories, decorations, kitchen products, cars, homes, etc. without the drag of ownership. I really like this idea. She says to act as though you are an art curator and your home is your gallery. You can still appreciate other items, but your gallery is your sanctuary where you keep and display only the essentially beautiful or essentially useful.
Another key point she brings up is gifts. This is hard because not everyone understands or appreciates our minimalism. But her suggestions are great. She proposes asking for gifts of consumables or experiences. I love this idea as does Trevor. For Father's Day we got my dad beer and cigars and Trevor and my dad spent hours that night talking, smoking and drinking and having a fabulous time. Trevor and my dad thoroughly enjoyed their Father's Day night and Trevor said that the experience and time spent with people we care about is way better than any "thing" we could have given my dad or him. We plan to do this with each other and Jack in the future and would certainly welcome anyone else to follow suit that would like to get us anything or any reason. :)
In the end we buy things because we don't feel like we have "enough". But really enough is based on our wants and needs. I am sure most of the people reading, if not all, have their needs satisfied. It is the wants that make us feel like we don't have enough. Francine recommends taking a piece of paper and pen or a computer and making a list of everything we own. Sounds daunting, right? Do you still feel like you don't have enough? This really hit me like a ton of bricks. Really we have all we need and what we want is more time and experiences with those we love. That is definitely where Trev and I will be refocusing money and energy to.
The last chapter she addresses topics like those in The Story of Stuff and mindful consumption. That every time we DON'T buy we are giving a gift to the earth and environment. One less thing that had a huge life cycle and impact on many lives, communities and eco-systems. I really like this idea and will implement it when I am out and about. Additionally if I feel like I have to have something, that isn't a NEED, I will wait on it for 30 days, if I still want it, I can re-evaluate then and think about a mindful way of obtaining it.
Well I know these two books were pretty heavy but I feel like such a more aware, empathetic and caring person now that can make better and more informed choices. I am not saying we have to live in poverty or go back to cavemen times. But voluntary simplicity and mindfulness can really impact how EVERYONE in the world lives and reduce our day to day stress. Personally for me it makes me feel lighter to leave less of a footprint and helps me to focus more on the NOW than the past or future. I hope I have inspired some of you all to take a look at your consumption and maybe to even read these books!
Now on to the next few books awaiting me!:)
