|
|
|
|
Home > The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change
|
|
The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change
|
|
By Annie Leonard
|
 (83 Reviews)
|
|
List Price: $26.00
|
|
Our Price: $17.12 Eligible for FREE SHIPPING on orders over $25.00. Details
|
|
You Save: $8.88 (34%)
|
|
From our affiliated sellers:
|
|
|
|
|
Availability:
|
Usually ships in 24 hours
|
|
Publisher:
|
Free Press
|
|
Published:
|
December 31, 1969 |
|
Binding:
|
Hardcover
|
|
Pages:
|
352
|
|
|
|
|
We also have these Versions
|
|
|
| |
| Product Description: |
|
| |
|
We have a problem with Stuff. With just 5 percent of the world?s population, we?re consuming 30 percent of the world?s resources and creating 30 percent of the world?s waste. If everyone consumed at U.S. rates, we would need three to five planets! This alarming fact drove Annie Leonard to create the Internet film sensation The Story of Stuff, which has been viewed over 10 million times by people around the world. In her sweeping, groundbreaking book of the same name, Leonard tracks the life of the Stuff we use every day?where our cotton T-shirts, laptop computers, and aluminum cans come from, how they are produced, distributed, and consumed, and where they go when we throw them out. Like Rachel Carson?s Silent Spring, The Story of Stuff is a landmark book that will change the way people think?and the way they live. Leonard?s message is startlingly clear: we have too much Stuff, and too much of it is toxic. Outlining the five stages of our consumption-driven economy?from extraction through production, distribution, consumption, and disposal?she vividly illuminates its frightening repercussions. Visiting garbage dumps and factories around the world, Leonard reveals the true story behind our possessions?why it?s cheaper to replace a broken TV than to fix it; how the promotion of "perceived obsolescence" encourages us to toss out everything from shoes to cell phones while they?re still in perfect shape; and how factory workers in Haiti, mine workers in Congo, and everyone who lives and works within this system pay for our cheap goods with their health, safety, and quality of life. Meanwhile we, as consumers, are compromising our health and well-being, whether it?s through neurotoxins in our pillows or lead leaching into our kids? food from their lunchboxes?and all this Stuff isn?t even making us happier! We work hard so we can buy Stuff that we quickly throw out, and then we want new Stuff so we work harder and have no time to enjoy all our Stuff. . . . With staggering revelations about the economy, the environment, and cultures around the world, alongside stories from her own life and work, Leonard demonstrates that the drive for a "growth at all costs" economy fuels a cycle of production, consumption, and disposal that is killing us. It is a system in crisis, but Annie Leonard shows us that this is not the way things have to be. It?s within our power to stop the environmental damage, social injustice, and health hazards caused by polluting production and excessive consumption, and Leonard shows us how. Expansive, galvanizing, and sobering yet optimistic, The Story of Stuff transforms how we think about our lives and our relationship to the planet.
|
|
|
| |
Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 We are what we buy, March 10, 2010
By C. Lerza (Berkeley CA)
|
|
Annie Leonard's book tells us so much about our world and about, as it says on the cover, the environmental and social impacts of "our obsession with stuff." But it also tells us about who we are and what we think is important. Not preachy or judgmental, Annie creates a new way to think about the choices we make in our own lives and how they connect to everyone and everything. It's really a book about community and how to create one, and how to make choices --both personal and political --that can lead to a healthier, safer and more sustainable world for all of us. Loved the mix of personal stories and analysis and the detailed footnotes and citations. You can read the whole book, or just dip into individual chapters. It's well written and tells a great story. A great read that will make you see the world differently -- and open up many opportunities to make change. My only criticism is that the pages are very dense --would have loved more graphics and white space -- and I don't like the feel of the paper (100% post consumer recycled of course) but I know the author wanted to walk her talk by insisting on the highest possible green standards for publishing. This book picks up where the video leaves off with lots of discussion of solutions and what we can each do to create a more sustainable life for ourselves and the planet. One more thing: this book is not anti-stuff or anti-profit. The message is that life is about more than stuff or profits --that we should honor and appreciate everything we have (Who made those shoes? Where? How did they end up in my closet? Who raised the beef in my hamburger and how? How did it end up on my grill?). And of course businesses need to make money, as do we all. It's just not the only thing that life is about.
45 of 51 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
 Good concept, some problems with execution, March 27, 2010
By M. L Lamendola (Merriam, KS USA)
|
|
The author presents some good concepts and has ideas and ideals worth exploring. But unfortunately, she relies too heavily on disinformation and logical fallacies in making some points and prescribing some solutions. The book isn't rife with such things, but it contains more of them than it should.
This does two things. First, some people are going to zero in on the errors and go sour on the whole book. Second, the book falls fails to realize its potential in being a persuasive work that motivates and empowers readers to do something about the problems presented.
In short, her approach weakens most of her message. This is a shame, because she makes several points that I feel need to be heard. She characterizes our "consumer culture" with pretty fair accuracy, and correctly hits on a core problem (television). She talks about reducing waste by reducing it at its source. This is really the best way.
An example of "reduce at the source" is aluminum cans. These are most often used in the USA to package a toxic brew known as "soda," but which I prefer to call osteoporosis in a can. The junk inside the can serves no purpose except maybe as an industrial solvent. The can itself has value, but gets thrown away after only a few minutes of use.
When people are passionate about something, it's easy for them to lose healthy skepticism about "facts" and arguments that support their viewpoint. And they are also more likely to be swayed by logical fallacies. I saw evidence of this throughout the book. What Ms. Leonard states as fact is, in some cases, simply not true. And in some cases, the conclusion doesn't necessarily follow. I had to keep reminding myself that she's generally got the right idea.
Some of her points reflect a narrow world view derived from statist propaganda. Sifting those out of the book requires some patience.
On many points, I think she's right on. I'm fairly in synch with her ideas of how people can live in less slavery to material items and the consumer culture.
I especially appreciate her take on the brainwashing machines that many people voluntarily install in their homes. These machines are euphemistically referred to as "televisions." Brainwashing via these machines has something in common with washing wool in your clothes washer: shrinkage. Chronic television watching significantly atrophies the reasoning structures of the brain, and in fact a medical examiner can tell the brain of a reader and a typical television watcher apart just by looking.
As I'm partial to my brain (we've been together a long time), I don't expose it to the ravages of television. I'm always delighted when an author provides yet another reason or three to avoid this mentally damaging activity.
But just when I was thinking she must have taken the red pill (allusion to The Matrix), she would to revert to blue pill thinking on some issues. On several points, there is a big gap between what she sees and what is. The statist propaganda and Democratic Party talking points did more harm than good to this book. If she publishes a second edition or a sequel, I hope she will replace those bits with real information and thus be more persuasive to thinking people.
This book is about 300 pages long. It consists of 5 chapters, an epilogue, 3 appendices, and end notes. The five chapters each address a different aspect about the flow of "stuff" that is trashing the planet. These are:
1. Extraction.
2. Production.
3. Distribution.
4. Consumption.
5. Disposal.
In each of these five areas, there are problems ranging from significant to insignificant. The author's discussion of each would be better if she stuck to what she can address accurately. Where she's right, it's not necessary to add material that's questionable (or worse).
My recommendation is to buy the book and seriously think about the major points Annie Leonard makes about "stuff." If you want to pursue things further, the extensive end notes will help you with that
41 of 55 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
 Dissapointing, March 12, 2010
By James K. Rinehart (Topeka, KS, USA)
|
|
I purchased this book after seeing the author on the Colbert Report. I had high hopes for it as I thought it would offer something insightful on how to live a happier life in a materialistic culture. I'm not impressed though. The book offers nothing new on the subjects of globalization, environmental science, or poverty. Unless you have little more than a high school understanding of these subjects, I wouldn't recommend the book. It rails against corporatism and capitalism, stating that they've done nothing to end poverty. On the contrary, read "The End of Poverty" by Jeffrey Sachs and you'll see that the out-sourcing of jobs caused by globalization has done more to close the global poverty gap than any force in history.
The writing style is fine but riddled with boring personal stories. The author describes trips to the forest she conducted when younger, talking about how great forests are. She even says, "I love trees." That's great. I love trees too. But how do statements like that add value to the thesis of the book?
Finally, she goes on to say how we need to "go green" on everything, which I agree with, but, like many bad environmentalist books, offers no practical ideas on how to do it.
33 of 51 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
You need to know this story!, March 17, 2010
By Robert J. Monn (NY,NY USA)
|
|
Annie Leonard and Ariane Conrad bring essential details to light about our stuff!
In this important book I finally caught on to the concept of "real cost." While it is nuts how much stuff people buy that they can't afford the really crazy thing is that we pay nowhere near the real cost of almost anything that we buy. We don't pay to treat the poisoned children in the developing world that have no clean water because of the techniques used in materials extraction, we don't pay for a living wage for the oppressed peoples that manufacture our goods and we certainly don't pay for our goods to be "disposed of" in any kind of a way that would keep more pain and suffering and damage being done.
This isn't a political screed (and don't believe anyone that tells you that it is) -- this is the story of how our very real stuff interacts with millions of people and the environments of nations all over the world. Point being that it is not a story about governments or ideologies. It is about people and materials and how we can make things better.
The book is very well written and has the 'flow' that Annie has when she speaks on her film (which is very good -- google it if you haven't seen it yet) and goes into all the details. It also has a lot of really good stories from Annie's travels all over the world gathering the information that she has put in this book.
Honestly, I think that this is an essential book -- buy it and read it, then make the changes that you'll know you should.
30 of 35 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
 Pure rubbish, no pun intended, March 15, 2010
By John Gaylord
|
|
Don't waste your money on this book, its nothing more then far left indoctrination with misquoted statistics, basic math mistakes and straw man arguments throughout. The author has about as much grasp on basic economics and supply/demand systems as a 4 year old. I cannot but believe the willful logical mistakes rampant throughout this book was anything but intentional, either to push a radical environmental agenda or to just make a buck, the same thing she scoffs at anyone else doing.
My only question for the author is how many resources did you consume to create this book, how many trees died so it could be printed, how many corporations aided you in publishing it?
So by all means potential reader, if you've not had your fill of hypocritical drivel then purchase and enjoy!
25 of 118 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Patient: Know thy self, March 13, 2010
By Eco-manblue (Takoma Park, MD United States)
|
|
I heard Al Gore on the evening news once describe the climate change trend as the "Earth has a fever." In her book, The Story of Stuff, I found that Annie Leonard explains -- with sobering, and yet hopeful clarity -- why our planet is overheating from, in part, massive over-consumption by a relatively small part of Earth's human population. Without diminishing the appropriate emphasis on "how are we going to get out of this mess and not just survive, but thrive," the author illuminates the materials cycle, from extraction all the way to the dump. Clive Cussler or Robert Ludlum, it's not, but it kept me interested enough with anecdotes and a sense of humor rarely present in most tomes about how we're screwing ourselves and the 3rd Rock. I was happily surprised, and even energized, by her inclusion of a basic roadmap of sorts for reversing the over-consumption cycle -- one of our species most damaging trends. Here in the U.S., we are at the vanguard of a trajectory that threatens to make us consumers of the world, instead of citizens of the world. WIth more and more power and rights being ascribed to irresponsibly bottom-line-only-focused corporations (witness the recent Supreme Court Citizens United decision), I found the Story of Stuff entirely refreshing with its practically presented idea that I can take charge of my behavior, and increase the quality of my life by shifting how I consume. This is a handbook for crafting a better way of living with ourselves, families, and the Earth. The Story of Stuff would make a great curriculum for K-College students. Beyond the classroom, I hope everyone gets this book and then we can begin to make this important transition together!
23 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Really fun to read, March 10, 2010
By Marianne Manilov (San Francisco, California)
|
|
This absolutely changed how I walk through my day! Now I am looking at things I might want to buy and thinking "who paid for this?" I hope someday that products come with tags that show pictures of the places they are made and names of people who made them. I'm really grateful to Annie Leonard for making me think about stuff, time, my life and what I value!
19 of 25 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Misses the basic problem, November 27, 2010
By Paul Dueweke
|
|
This is a poorly written book about an immensely important topic. Leonard makes government a critical element of her solution of the over-consumption problem without even acknowledging that government is actually the major problem.
I could find no place in the book where Leonard makes the simple statement that we consume too much stuff because stuff is too cheap. That is such an obvious economic truth that it is stunning that she missed it. But having missed that truth, a corollary truth was also missing--stuff is too cheap because of government subsidies. Just name a resource, and it is likely that the United States Government and/or many other governments contribute heavily to the resource's production via direct contributions of money, land, and legal rights; plus free or subsidized military protection, market promotion, employee health care and education, R&D, transportation, environmental cleanup, assassinations, loans, tax breaks, central bank manipulations, and so on. The maintenance of cheap prices of labor and mineral resources in third world countries has been the principle focus of American foreign policy for well over a century. For example, several economic studies have found that the real cost of oil considering all subsidies at all levels of government and society is anywhere from three to six times the sticker price.
It is easy to imagine the kinds of actions and sacrifices we need to make to bring common sense back to both our political and consumption decisions. The good news is that our western life style is so wasteful of energy and so rich in non-essential consumption that it would be very easy for us to dramatically slash our consumption. By the same token, our political election process is so user friendly that it is easy for us to re-direct our government, once we realize that no change for the better can ever come from mainstream candidates.
What a shame for such a good writer to spend so much time writing such an important book merely to miss the point.
12 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
We're doomed..., March 31, 2010
By judylynnsbooks (jamestown, ky United States)
|
|
This book will give you nightmares and make you feel totally helpless. There is so much trash in the world that it is destroying our planet. I'm sure the author is correct in everything she says, but I'm not sure how we can help with the problem. Even if you go green and recycle, you aren't helping much according to her. The recycling plants are useless as most of our trash is going to Asia to destroy their country. Everything we use is toxic in some way...my bathroom is a killer for sure because of my plastic shower curtain, vinyl floor and all the personal hygiene stuff that is either in a plastic bottle or contains some bad chemical in the making (I don't know why we still have hair on our head since it's in our shampoo too!). My bed is not much safer since the mattress and pillows probably have some toxic in them too. My plumbing is pvc which is the biggest no no, so I figure this is a doomed house. I'm afraid to think about the kitchen because there really is a disaster waiting to happen with all the plastic that our food comes in.
She thinks we should all go organic and grow our own gardens (I wish we could). But that would even hurt also as we would have to use so much water (the main shortage on earth). We would be slightly safer if we went back to living like our ancestors (no cars, no electronics) but there would probably still be problems like waste disposal, etc.
The main problem seems to be how much we buy...mostly junk. How it's made, who died in the making of it, how much water was used, how we dispose of it. She thinks places like amazon (yes, this amazon where she is selling her book) and Walmart are a big problem because they sell so much stuff. She lives in California where there are a lot of shops everywhere (all we have is Walmart and I love amazon so I'm not giving up either of those places to shop). And I have to buy that toxic shampoo somewhere!
After scaring us to death thru most of the book, she offers very few solutions that the common person can use. I thought I was contributing by recycling my books as an online bookseller, but the author thinks this is not actual recycling because the mailman is putting gas fumes in the air delivering them.
As I said, she is a great writer and the book is a real eye opener, but it's very depressing too because you feel like you haven't been contributing as well as you thought (by recycling) and saving water and energy as much as you hoped, because the problems are too big for that. I hope she can make a difference with this book but when you can't get people to even stop littering the highways, I don't see how any big impact can be made. And if we aren't supposed to have gadgets like computers (so we can buy this book as our nearest bookstore is a 100 miles away...to far to bicycle), then the word will be slow in spreading. Of course some will see it on that tv that is also destroying the earth...and she can't spread the word by plane or car (fuel fumes) and there's some places she can't ride her bike to get at...pretty hopeless, huh.
Read it though, because the more that reads the book and spreads the word, the better. Maybe we can make some difference.
12 of 16 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Preaching to the Choir, April 22, 2010
By C. Huddleston
|
|
I'm not sure who Annie Leonard thinks her audience is for this book, but if it was someone like me, she's missed her mark. It is a well-written, meticulously-researched dissection of the environmental impact that our "stuff" has on the world and its people. She follows the entire lifecycle of consumer products in order, from extraction of the raw materials used to make the stuff, through distribution, consumption and ending with disposal. Through each chapter she relentlessly points out the harm that America's consumer culture is doing to the environment, and offers things that we can do to try to minimize our impact.
All of this is very well-documented and I don't doubt any of it. Terrible atrocities have been committed to the land and to workers around the world, I agree. Something needs to be done, it's true. But I don't want to be the one to do it. And this is where I think Leonard stumbles. If she's writing this book for fellow environmentalists, people who are motivated and interested in getting together to fight this fight, then she's done a superb job. But if she's writing for the average, selfish, apathetic American who has grown up with the capitalist system entrenched in his/her bones, then she hasn't won.
I'm sorry to say that I am one of those selfish Americans. I try to care about the environment, but when I read over 250 pages of how I'm helping to destroy the world, I react by feeling guilty, then getting resentful and even more apathetic. Leonard gives lots of examples of what we can do to help, mostly by going to a website or looking up an organization, but if she really believes that everyone who reads her book is going to do that, I think she's wrong. Even if only a few people follow her lead, I don't think it's enough. The entire world would have to be on board for real change to happen.
Leonard says that she wants to change the capitalist system, too, but I don't think she goes far enough in her ideas. I believe we would need an entirely new system of government in America to even begin to stop the problems, but Leonard shies away from pushing anything more radical than joining "green" organizations and writing letters to corporations. And some of her ideas (like "end wars") are simply never going to happen.
Leonard also tries to give the book a personal touch by interweaving her own story through the chapters, but to me she comes off as a typical Berkeley hippie who wants to lecture me about everything I'm doing wrong in the world to upset her utopian view. At the end of the book she gives an example of an ideal type of community, but when I read that, I thought, "Whose ideal is this? Not mine."
On a positive note, Leonard does touch on many things that I see that are wasteful and should be changed yet are never talked about, like the excessive packaging of most products, and the planned obsolescence of so many gadgets and appliances we buy. A lot of the things that she says make perfect sense, they just don't inspire me enough to try to change anything by myself.
So I guess if you're an environmentalist or someone who really feels like they can help change the world, then this book will be great. But if you are the average American consumer, even one with a conscience who tries to do the right thing when your can, your eyes might glaze over and you might feel that wall of resistance start to rise up like it did with me.
11 of 13 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Do You Over- Consume?, April 27, 2010
By Bryan Carey (Houston, TX)
|
|
Excess consumption is a common occurrence in many western nations, especially in the United States. People are obsessed with the accumulation of merchandise and many will buy things, not because they really need them, but for some other superfluous reason, like keeping up with trends, keeping pace with the accumulation of others, etc. This obsession with owning and accumulating things is evident all around us, and while the recession has slowed the progress a little, it is still a widely agreed on fact that most of us purchase more than we need.
Give our penchant for overconsumption, it isn't surprising that some authors have chosen to publish books on this concern and The Story of Stuff is one such book. Author Annie Leonard has observed the accumulation of stuff all around her and she has seen the destruction that this obsession with stuff has had on the environment, on other countries, on health, etc. She is rightfully concerned that this accumulation of so much stuff is going to have long- lasting effects on the human race and the planet if nothing is done to reverse the trend.
The Story of Stuff makes some valid points throughout the book relating to stuff and how it impacts each and every one of us. The concerns about excess consumption are valid, and I like the book's proposal that recycling of waste would be best handled at the source instead of at the level of the consumer. The book is also correct in its assessment that excesses and wealth are not what makes most people happy and there is plenty of evidence to back up this and other claims. However, there are other aspects of this book that reduce its overall appeal and while I can certainly sympathize with the book's good intentions, the persuasive strategies it employs are not the best and individuals who support the book's basic philosophy will likely be disappointed that this book doesn't more effectively deliver on its promise. For instance, the book attempts at one point to argue against the need to have so many different consumer choices. People like having lots of choices, so a book must carefully articulate the reasons not to have a plethora of choices if it has any hope to convince the reader. But the best The Story of Stuff can do is claim that it is childish to want so many different choices and that having fewer, better options is more ideal. This rationale isn't going to be enough to persuade very many people. The same is true of the book's recommendation that we all try to purchase goods produced locally. This is a good idea, because it helps keep money local, but the book needs better and more compelling reasons to back its point of view. Admitting that, for example, fresh produce costs more at a local farmer's market but you get the joy of talking to a local farmer isn't going to convince many people to stop shopping at their local discount store, where they would pay less for the same items.
Another problem I have is the way the book is written. The book is grammatically correct for the most part, but the style is a little on the elementary side and the author talks to the reader like he/she knows next to nothing about the subject matter at hand. I like that the author intertwines her own experiences throughout the book, and they include some good, eye- opening experiences living in poverty- stricken areas and highly polluted areas. However, she comes across as a little arrogant and preachy. Her point could have been made better with a different approach and more attention to practical, logical, reasons to support her point of view. Then, there is the problem with the book's solutions. Too often, it promotes government force as the only workable means to an end.
Materialism and living to excess is an important topic and The Story of Stuff is a book with a good premise and some valid observations. Unfortunately, the book's basic persuasive techniques are not very good and the author too frequently wants to resort to government force to make her will the law of the land. Those who already agree with the author's points will like the book and consider it preaching to the choir, but those who don't will not be persuaded to consider her opinions.
9 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A great read for everyone concerned about Stuff and its impact, March 29, 2010
By I. Liljegren (Gothenburg, Sweden)
|
|
Annie Leonard has spent her career chasing dangerous waste handling and it shows in this book. With a no-nonsense, straightforward prose she covers the impact of Stuff through all steps from extraction of resources to disposal. As a European reader, I find the perspective rather US-oriented but that is okay, considering we basically participate in the same cycle of Stuff as Americans do.
For an environmentally aware person, most of what Ms Leonard writes is no news. However the best about her book is not the factual contents but her writing style. She totally stays away from the tiresome drama and speculative horror narrative, which you find in so many environmental books. Hence the book is very well suited for anyone who is concerned about the impact that all our Stuff is having on Planet Earth and what to do about it. Ms Leonard is very practical and solution oriented, and provides plenty of links to find out more details. So I figure this book would be very well suited for classroom/college use, study/discussion/community action groups or, as mentioned, most anyone concerned.
By the way ask your local library to get a copy ;-)
8 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Worthwhile. Important., March 24, 2010
By Julie S.C.Y,
|
|
We have to change.
This isn't a message that everyone wants to read--or why we need to do it--now, not later. It's not a cliche (or overstated) to say that our "stuff" is destroying our world, our health and our lives. The authors make their case factually and clearly. Is it entertaining reading throughout? No, not really. (For that approach, we are lucky to have George Carlin's "Stuff"). But do we have to be spoonfed ideas as if they were baby food? I hope not.
This is an informative, thought-provoking and very worthwhile read. Any change for the better as a result of thinking about the examples the authors give makes the effort worthwhile. Recommended.
8 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
An excellent piece of work marred by bits of scientific illiteracy, March 30, 2010
By Brian Connors (Yarmouth, MA)
|
|
First, let's take this back to what Leonard says in her introduction: though the book talks about capitalism and its problems, this wasn't the main point of the project. Fundamentally, it's about awareness of what it takes to create the things we use every day, something that the media gives us some concept of with carbon footprints, but is seldom something we look at in depth. For example, carbon neutrality is nice and all, but what about the vast amounts of water used in everyday processes? What about the toxic substances used or created in mining or electricity generation? This book covers all of that ground, and even for someone used to thinking about carbon footprint, the impacts are staggering.
Along the way, the author pierces some balloons -- for example, trash-burning power plants turn out to be far from carbon-neutral, and biodegradable plastics usually never get the chance to; even economic growth is shown to be overrated, since an economy can only grow as far as its population can sustain it before leveling off or crashing. And she also writes scathingly of the plans and expectations of large multinational groups such as the IMF and WTO and how they make it difficult for countries to control their own trade policies and for their people to support themselves without outside aid (the example of USAID discouraging rice farming in Haiti being particularly tragic in light of the recent earthquake's devastation). Unfortunately, as astute as her general observations on production, waste management, and economic policies are, I can't give the book the five stars it should deserve; Leonard is rather klutzy about basic science, and seems to share a lot of less-informed environmentalists' fear of chemicals in any amount, without regard for dosage. For someone who is so well-informed about everything else she studied for her film and book, the scientific errors, though not particularly common, are jarring when they appear.
That's not enough to disrecommend this book, though, and for someone who wants to understand the implications of our modern way of life and the forces that support it, this is an excellent introduction. Just make sure you look up some of the science bits to make sure you know the whole story.
8 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Delicously ironic, June 15, 2010
By Kavity Killer (denver, colorado United States)
|
|
Does anyone else see the irony in writing a book about how there's too much "stuff" in the world? The book itself is just more "stuff"! Kind of like those magazines that are supposedly about simplifying your life. A simple lifestyle doesn't include magazines on simplicity. The first step in reducing your own consumption and consumerism is to stop buying things like gimmicky "stuff" books!
8 of 42 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Worthwhile. Important., March 24, 2010
By Elisa 20
|
|
We have to change.
This isn't a message that everyone wants to read--or why we need to do it--now, not later. It's not a cliche (or overstated) to say that our "stuff" is destroying our world, our health and our lives. The authors make their case factually and clearly. Is it entertaining reading throughout? No, not really. (For that approach, we are lucky to have George Carlin's "Stuff"). But do we have to be spoonfed ideas as if they were baby food? I hope not.
This is an informative, thought-provoking and very worthwhile read. Any change for the better as a result of thinking about the examples the authors give makes the effort worthwhile. Recommended.
8 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Sounds interesting but a big disappointment---Boring, March 19, 2010
By pdbrsf (Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA)
|
|
Like another reviewer, I saw the author on the Colbert report and I purchased this book as an [...] audiobook--for the first time ever, I don't believe I can compel myself to finish one of my audiobooks. From the very first chapter, I have a multitude of complaints. #1--the author cannot capture your attention--she is so boring. #2--she speaks to her readers as if we were in grade school #3--I have learned absolutely nothing of interest so far from this book. She has no interesting insights whatsoever. The topic was attractive to me, otherwise I wouldn't have bought the book, but I think you will be really disappointed and find yourself struggling to get beyond the first 20 pages.
Since we all have a limited amount of hours in our life, why waste them on this book.
7 of 19 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
An important message hampered by atrocious writing, January 7, 2011
By BayAreaReader (BayArea_CA_USA)
|
|
This book could have been so great and I was looking very forward to reading it. Unfortunately, it is so poorly written (bloated prose, condescending tone, etc.) that it was all I could do just to skim the chapters. Do yourself a favor, check it out the library (thus consuming less and not wasting water, paper, trees, minerals) or just watch the movie on the internet.
5 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
why not have it available on the kindle!?, July 10, 2010
By callie
|
|
It's amazing that a book about owning too much stuff only comes in form in which it adds to the amount of stuff you own!! Why is this book not available for download on the kindle, or some other device?
5 of 12 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Lots of enthusiasm, but not much vision, September 15, 2010
By Edward Durney (San Francisco)
|
|
Some people are very good at explaining a complex idea using stories and concepts that make the idea seem simple. Their enthusiasm becomes persuasive. You feel like you understand what they are getting at. It all sounds really good. You get a warm feeling inside.
Leonard does that with this book. Her enthusiasm shows through. What she says makes a lot of sense.
But when she comes out with her vision, there is not much there. I felt she had oversold her ideas. In short, she says we should get along with less stuff. That's like telling someone who is overweight that they need to eat less. Not much vision in stating the obvious.
The important question is, how do we do that? How do we fight the urge to buy more stuff? How do we convince ourselves that we have enough clothes in the closet? That we do not need the bigger television? The vinyl wading pool for our kids? The new car?
We humans gain status by gaining stuff. And the search for status seems ingrained in all of us. (See Status Anxiety.)
Leonard condemns our obsession with stuff, and says it is harming us. But how do we change? That question Leonard does not answer.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Thought Provoking, March 17, 2010
By www.bookbargains.. (New York)
|
|
This is a thought provoking book dealing with the environmental and social impact of our purchases. To be honest, I never even thought of how my purchasing a certain brand of clothing might have a negative affect on the people who made them. This book made me think about it! The book is not only a well-written thesis, but is full of personal stories that bring this topic home.
~Reviewed by [...].
4 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
AMAZING, March 21, 2010
By Kristin Bauer
|
|
What a tremendous book in execution, topic, research...A must read!!! I take my hat off and all the other stuff I don't need, to Annie. THanks for reminding us that you can't take your stuff with you!
Kristin Bauer
4 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great idea ruined by polemics, May 27, 2010
By Tim Martin (South Bend, Indiana United States)
|
|
I was looking forward to reading this book. I was hoping for a good description of how our society wastes its resources and creates products that are sold relentlessly by marketing companies and advertising agencies. I did get that, but I also got a bellyful of leftist propaganda that believes that any government solution is a good solution.
The author obviously puts a great deal of faith in the power of governmental (and UN) agencies to solve our world problems. By pointing to the government as the primary solution and vilifying corporations and capitalism, she alienates a good portion of her audience. The book is an exercise in preaching to the choir.
The book would have been much better if it would have focused on our consumer society and why it is so detrimental (both environmentally and spiritually). Our consumer society is a reflection of the shallowness of our society's spirituality. If the author had spent more time examining this point and not so much time polarizing her audience, she would have been much more successful. The working assumption of this book is that only leftists are interested in the environment and that is just not true. If you want a polemic with some good information, go ahead and buy the book. Otherwise, pass it by.
4 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Compelling Story that Affects All of Us, April 19, 2010
By scholarly bureaucrat (Sacramento, CA)
|
|
If "The Story of Stuff" doesn't turn you into a radical environmentalist, nothing will. The author makes a very good case that the corporate mentality would like nothing better than to sell us junk until the entire world is used up and poisoned, which would be fine with most short-sighted corporations, as long as they can profit by our demise.
My first impression from reading the book was that the author was possibly a little too attracted to conspiracy theories, except that the intent to sell us stuff at any cost to our own health is actually quite an open secret. Many business leaders really do believe in consumption for the sake of consumption. After all, we are told it's good for the economy, and we must never question the status quo thinking.
The most intriguing story was the one where the World Bank was actively discouraging Haiti to be self-sufficient in food, in order to reduce the number of rice farmers, so that the U.S. could gain a larger share of the international grain market by selling rice to Haiti. The displaced farmers were supposed to find jobs by making cheap clothing for sale to the U.S. Guess who loses out? Right, the Haitians were hit by a doubled rice price a few years ago, forcing more of their people into even more abject poverty. It would be a conspiracy theory if it weren't all quite true.
As an environmental professional who has studied resource management and waste management for thirty years, I can vouch that the author doesn't appear to be exaggerating anything in her book. There's only two downsides to this book, which include the apparent lack of solutions to the problems she outlines, and her near-obsession with polyvinyl chloride plastic. She really, really, doesn't like polyvinyl chloride plastics.
I'd recommend the book highly to high school or college students who are still formulating their life philosophy. If you are a dedicated liberal-progressive, you may not find much that's new here, and if you are a dedicated conservative, you will not find much to agree with.
This book did make me want to read "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith, which is of course the original best book on economics, and is credited with creating the modern study of economics. Ms. Leonard claims that most people who quote the book have no idea what it really says - Adam Smith did not believe in laissez faire capitalism, he believed in regulated capitalism. Mr. Smith was also not opposed to taxes. I bring this up because The Story of Stuff is very much about the collision course capitalism is on with a sustainable, livable planet. If we do not find a way to make sustainability pay for itself, we are in for some very interesting times indeed.
3 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A good example of Chicken Little environmentalism, September 6, 2010
By Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA)
|
|
Let me get that review title out of the way right away. A "Chicken Little" environmentalist always sees terrible consequences for people and the environment in all things. Leonard is a good example of that - - the little cartoon figures holding up "Hope" signs in the text reinforce the fact that the usual message consists of doom and gloom. The book is also a *good* representative of the genre in that Leonard does try to think about solutions, and does try to identify signs of hope in addition to the hope signs. It's also good in being well-written and organized.
That said, I'm not too keen on Chicken Little environmentalism. Often a chemical is treated as bad just by being named - - this product is horrible because its manufacture emits huge amounts of dihydrogen monoxide!
Often products and processes are *absolutely* bad without Leonard investigating whether they might be *relatively* bad. I remember only one case where Leonard takes alternatives seriously, asking whether online bookstores that run tight inventories and use existing shipping networks might be better for the environment than more wasteful, dispersed and duplicative bricks-and-mortar bookstores. She sides with the physical stores, which is OK; I'm more interested in the exercise, the explicit consideration of trade-offs. I'd have liked to see her address the trade-offs between wasteful food packaging and wasteful food spoilage from insufficient packaging. She does too little of this kind of analytical work.
Leonard also has a strong bias against the market economy. She almost always recommends regulations and prohibitions instead of market-based measures. In many cases, such as a carbon tax, using prices is simple and (presumably) effective; detailed emissions regulations are complicated, subject to political manipulation, and often violated. She has a similar bias in favor of whatever labor unions like - - indeed, that preference, instead of the environmental balance sheet, drives her preference for bricks and mortar bookstores. I'd rather she kept to the environmental issues.
Ideological bias makes the world simpler to understand but it doesn't necessarily make for better policy. The world is complicated. This book, all too often, is not.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A whole book?, June 26, 2010
By poetrydaze (Seattle, WA USA)
|
|
While I think this would have made a fascinating magazine article, I think it becomes a bit long-winded in book form.
The information is STUNNING and the narrative is well told. The author and editor deserve praise, but it is a bit long-winded.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Eye Opening Look at Stuff, May 22, 2010
By Author, Speaker, Mediator, .. (Missoula, MT)
|
|
"The Story Of Stuff: How Our Obsession With Stuff Is Trashing The Planet, Our Communities, And Our Health - And A Vision For Change" by Annie Leonard, host of the Internet film sensation "The Story of Stuff" is an extremely well researched and eye-opening book about our lifestyles and obsessions with material products and the impact on all our "stuff" has on our world. Even if you don't agree with Leonard, I don't know how you won't look at certain things differently after reading this book. I was aware of some of what Leonard wrote about, but much of the information she presents was more than I realized was going on. I really shook my head at times.
The book is divided into five main parts or chapters. Essentially, the author follows the life cycle of "stuff." The chapter are: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, and Disposal. In these chapters you learn what it takes to get the ingredients to make all the stuff we purchase. You learn how those ingredients are then used and turned into the stuff we buy. Then you'll find out the skinny on the supply chains that get the stuff to the stores where you shop. And shop we do, the chapter on consumption, or should it be over consumption, not only discusses the sanctity of shopping, but tricks of those selling us things such as planned obsolescence and what advertising has become. Finally, disposal of all the stuff we decide we no longer need or want is discussed. Again, the information Leonard presents in this book is eye-opening and disturbing.
I'm not suggesting you quit buying things, and neither is Leonard. However, she does suggest some solutions for the problems she outlines and exposes in her text. The Epilogue and Appendix contain hope and actions people can take to help lesson environmental health impacts on our families and workers and to reduce our ecological footprint a bit.
I will point out that Leonard has an obvious point of view and the book is biased toward that point. A lot of people will disagree with her, and some will be offended. However, even if you don't buy into everything she says and believes, I still think the book will be eye opening regarding things that go on. It was for me, and no I'm not going to now sell everything, quit buying, and live totally "green." Whatever that would be.
I mentioned at the beginning of this review that the book was extremely well researched. The Endnote section contains 776 references. For the person who wants to delve deeper into this topic, there are enough sources to keep you busy for quite some time.
One thing about this book is that it is extremely easy to read. One might thing with all the endnotes and the topic that it would be a dry, boring text on environment. It's not. It's actually engaging and enjoyable to read, even if at times you become appalled at what we, as a race, do to each other and our planet. I enjoyed the book, found it eye-opening and enlightening, and it has definitely made me think about things, and most importantly "Stuff" in a different manner. I appreciate the research and work that went into it. I'm going to check out the author's film of the same title.
If you have any interest in "stuff" and how it affects our world, I recommend you read this book. In fact, I hope many people read this book, and are motivated toward change that will lesson the damage "stuff" causes to our health and planet.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.
2 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great stopgap, March 11, 2010
By genx66
|
|
This is a great book. It's a stopgap that we can look to until we figure out how to coax some of the 5 or 6 billion excess people who, by their sheer numbers, threaten the planet, to step aside.
2 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff, February 24, 2011
By bibliophile (Texas)
|
|
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
--John Muir, wilderness advocate
This book may garner intense reactions. You may find yourself vowing to make drastic changes to your life. You may throw the book aside in disgust and chalk it up to environmentalists' hysteria. You might become paralyzed by the staggering scope of problems our industrial complex has created, and simply do nothing and hope a miracle gets us out of this quagmire.
I live in Baytown, Texas. The population here is roughly 70,000. It is the home to one of the biggest oil refinery-complexes in the world: ExxonMobil. It is also home to several other refineries like Chevron Phillips and Bayer. When you drive about 15 miles southwest on Highway 146 then take the Highway to 225 to Pasadena, you run smack dab into a wall of stench that seems to be a solution of rotten eggs, steamed cauliflower and rubber.
They don't call it Stink-adena for nothing.
And while the industry is the bread and butter for many residents, we are very aware of the environmental implications. The Baytown Nature Center is what was formerly known as the Brownwood Subdivision, an affluent neighborhood in the 1970's. That is, until the ground dropped a foot and a half due to a depleted water table. What depleted resources started, Hurricane Alicia finished. The houses were then condemned, the area was vacated for about 20 years, and then ExxonMobil and the community worked together to turn it into a nature preserve.
We know about consumption. We know about waste. We know about depleted natural resources.
But when I read Annie Leonard's book, I could feel a chill go up my spine. And the more I read, the worse I felt.
Annie herself discusses this:
One friend told me me that reading this kind of information actually makes her want to go shopping because it is such a relief to be in a situation where your biggest concern is if your shoes match your purse. People everywhere are experiencing crisis fatigue. Heck, there are flu pandemics, freak storms, unemployment, and foreclosures to worry about. The thing is, we don't have a choice.
No, we don't. We live on this planet, and if it goes, we go. We haven't yet discovered a habitable place for human beings.
And still:
We use 98 tons of various other resources to make 1 ton of paper. Yes, you read that correctly.
The Fresh Kill landfill on Staten Island is said to have a volume comparable to that of The Great Wall of China and is taller than the Statue of Libery.
In trying to reduce our reliance on petrochemicals for fuel, we have destroyed the environment in other ways. Now, tropical rainforest are being cut down in order to creat farmland to grow those very biofuels. You're kidding me right? Sadly, no.
In the US, we spend more than 20 billion dollars on our lawns. Get this: with power motors "so inefficient they 800 millions of gasoline a year."
This is just a small sampling of the facts you will find in here. There are many, many others. You will never look at your cheeseburger in the same way. You will wonder at the true cost of that pair of shoes, or that watch, or this leather purse.
Because it's paid for all right. And not just with your money.
But Leonard isn't just doom and gloom. She actually gives you a list of ways you can help contribute to a better environment.
Reuse. Noting the effects of mineral extraction, the author has her fiancee buy her an antique ring instead of a new one. I really like that idea.
Don't buy teflon nonstick pans. (Did you know their fumes can kill your household birds? What are they doing to your kids?)
Reduce your waste. Buy reusable water bottles.
Compost. Your trash won't stink and your garden might look a little nicer.
Get a clothesline. I have such fond memories of helping my grandmother take down the laundry off the line. I'd love to do that with my girls.
Avoid PVC. period.
And for those of you that would like to take it a bit futher, write a letter. To companies, congressmen, your local politicians. Remember they work for you. Leonard even provides a sample letter to PVC retailers, manufacturers, and lobbyists.
We're all together on this rock hurtling through space. Let's take care of our home.
Start with a little. Make a resolution to change one thing. Then add another.
If we all do this, we can start a chain reaction. It's better than sticking our heads in the sand hoping a miracle will save us.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Important message, but disappointing read, January 31, 2011
By Hsuan Chen (Atlanta, GA)
|
|
I was very excited to read this book because I thought I have finally found a book that addresses the biggest problem in the US. From the first glance of the book (title, short description, etc), I thought this book would dissect why our society is as wasteful as it is and offer a potential solution/direction to change this behavior - However, after reading this book I disappointed. I totally agree with the fundamentals of this book - we are an over-consuming society, GDP is not a good indicator for economic growth, etc; this book receives low remarks from me because it presented the problem without giving realistic solutions that could potentially end this vicious cycle.
When I picked up this book, I was most interested in finding out what the 'Vision for Change' in the title was referring to. Instead of offering a 'vision' (a big picture to resolve the problem), the author merely offered 'tips' that would do very little to end this cycle. I found myself more and more annoyed at the book as it repeatedly states 'don't use this', 'don't support that', 'don't buy these', 'don't do that'. I am no expert at solving world problem; I was just hoping that someone who has seen as much as Leonard can offer more out-of-the-box ideas/visions through her experiences not shared by most other Americans. I did not find myself inspired after the read, because most information presented (facts and 'solutions' alike) are old news to me.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A fine survey suitable for any general lending library, June 11, 2010
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
|
|
THE STORY OF STUFF: HOW OUR OBSESSION WITH STUFF IS TRASHING THE PLANET, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR HEALTH - AND A VISION FOR CHANGE examines all the things we use daily and its hidden costs to our health and the lives of millions around the world who work in unhealthy situations to create it. If we don't change our extraction and production systems - we will kill the planet: this is the contention of a fine survey suitable for any general lending library.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Help! I'm Surrounded by Toxic Material and I Can't Get Up!, April 15, 2010
By coolartsybabe (Beaverton, OR USA)
|
|
"The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard really made me think, think again, and then rethink it all over again. Recycling is great, BUT, many of the things being recycled have toxic materials in them. One of the mantras I really liked is not to recycle more but to waste less.
The amount of garbage produced, per person, in the United States far exceeds the amounts of garbage per person in any other country in the entire world. Containers and packages make up a majority of what we are putting out by the curb for the Garbage man to take away.
We know very little about the history of how the items we buy came to be before taking them off the store shelf, putting them in the shopping cart, and taking them home. When we are done with them they are tossed out and out of our minds. Couldn't wait to buy it, get it home, and next we can't wait to get rid of it.
Many of the items we have in our homes, and will have in our homes, are manufactured using toxic chemicals along the way. Even the paper you write notes on or read from had chemicals used to make it. What about you TV? Your computer?
There are several good ideas each of us can do to help make the world a better, healthier, more sustainable place. Even though I thought I was already doing a lot to help the earth, it's seems there is even more I can do.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Easy-to-digest breakdown of a complex topic, July 4, 2010
By Muse (Crescent, Iowa, United States)
|
|
If you've seen Annie Leonard's ten minute online video of the same name, you'll already know the gist of the book's topic. Too much stuff is choking our world, and change is needed.
Just like the video, too, Leonard takes what is a *huge* topic -- the whole production/trash cycle in both environmental and economic spheres -- and makes the complexities easy for almost anyone to understand. She tells her personal story of how she got interested in the topic, and where her research led her throughout her life, and then breaks all of the confusing bits of how it all works into easily-digested, well-presented explanations that is nothing short of eye-opening.
I generally consider myself fairly well informed about environmental issues, but Leonard's book pointed out things I hadn't even thought of, much less connected. The appendix section on laws, and discussion of what you *should* buy were somewhat lifechanging for me -- I'm seeing new ways of breaking the consumption cycle, and that, in itself, is worth the time it took to read the book. I'd highly recommend it for anyone wanting to reduce their footprint on the earth, or who is interested in the politics behind consumerism.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Stuff, Stuff, Stuff....How Much Stuff is Really Enough?, June 10, 2010
By wildcatcreekbooks (Central Valley, CA)
|
|
The story of stuff in this book is really a look at a number of things regarding stuff, including the manufacture, transportation and disposal of all the stuff we buy every year. The author did a good job on covering some aspects of the overloading of material items by consumers, yet at the same time, she seems to have missed the fact that nothing is black and white. There are numerous shades of gray and to be effective in the environmental movement, you really need to acknowledge that fact. That is sad, because much of what the author has to say is valuable and could act as a wake up call to people about their buying habits. Sadly, the author comes across as someone who would ban all chemicals, severely limit the number of choices that consumers have and make the world change to fit her view point.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Most Important Book I've Read This Year, June 2, 2010
By Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA)
|
|
This book is an in-depth exploration of the problems associated with modern consumerism. Leonard has been passionate about waste disposal issues and an environmental activitist for her entire adult life. In this book, she details what she has learned in a lifetime of studying stuff, where it comes from, how it is used, and where it ultimately ends up. The main text of the book is comprised of 5 long chapters: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, and Disposal. In each chapter, Leonard brings out the issues, and includes resources for further information or ideas for alternatives. End material includes appendices with suggested policy initiatives, actions individuals can take, and sample letters about the dangers of PVCs. Sources of information are cited throughout the text with extensive endnotes.
I found this book extremely informative and thought-provoking. Although I try to be a conscious consumer, or non-consumer, as the case may be, I was only aware of a fraction of the issues that are tied to consumption and the environment. Leonard highlights the problems caused by PVC manufacture, use, and disposal, and notes many other toxic materials that we have accepted as part of our everyday lifestyles. She also discusses the problems of solid waste, how nothing ever really goes away and we don't have any good or truly safe ways to dispose of our trash. Thus, before you buy, you should really be thinking of an "exit plan"--is this item manufactured in such a way that minimizes environmental costs, can it be disposed of at all when it is no longer useful, and does the need truly justify the environmental costs that the purchase will incur? Throughout the book, Leonard provides numerous suggestions for how to avoid toxic materials and bad choices, referring readers to resources such as the Good Guide ([...]), for instance. Overall, this is an excellent book, highly recommended for all.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great Book, May 18, 2010
By ShoeFiend (Philly, PA)
|
|
Very well thought out and gets down to the bottom of deep seeded issues. Thoughtfully looks at how environmental, economic and social problems are interrelated. Must read!
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Compelling despite a strong bias, May 13, 2010
By Jack of Trades (Hoboken, NJ)
|
|
'The Story of Stuff' is a compelling look at our consumer-based society. Annie Leonard provides concrete evidence of the negative impact our wasteful economy operates. Although environmental impact is a major focus of the book, she also examines social and economic effects. The 'moral of the story' is more equitable distribution of wealth, transparency of hidden costs, reduced consumption by the middle and upper class, and a responsible and respectful treatment of the environment. While I found Leonard's arguments heavily biased and even weak at times, I must wholeheartedly agree with her objectives.
Leonard seems to have a good deal of experience tracking toxic waste, working with greenpeace and experiencing the divide between 1st world and developing nations. Her insights are valuable and will hopefully raise awareness of the problems outlined in 'The Story of Stuff.' Despite the general preachy nature of the book, it is a captivating read, with heaps of substance, more intelligently and effectively presented than I expected. A look at things from the opposing side would have added more credibility to this book. However, I believe, not incorrectly, that Leonard views the opposition as only caring about the bottom line. And that is in a sense how you could view this book as a critique of capitalism as well.
Doesn't capitalism incentivize the rapacious bankruptcy of natural resources and large scale abuse of power? As well, we have constructed such immense companies that they are competing with their own products. This has led to inefficient multiple SKU's where the only difference are disabled features that cost the company money to disable. Even worse, it pays for companies to decrease the longevity of their products and they've discovered many ways to do this - incompatible/unavailable replacement parts, inability for 3rd party to repair device, using an inferior component as a weak link. Those are the kind of things this book has made me more aware of.
How can we eliminate these backwards practices? Do we want to interfere with our markets and businesses to achieve a more efficient economy? Is it rationale to hope that advances in technology will eliminate our need or more responsible business and personal choices? I'd be interested in a follow-up to 'The Story of Stuff' about where we go from here based on interviews with experts in various fields.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Over-stuffed, May 7, 2010
By Author of "Whale Falls: A.. (Asheville, NC USA)
|
|
Annie Leonard's delightful, spot-on video "The Story of Stuff" made the rounds on the Web a couple of years ago. If you missed it, use your search engine to find it. Amazon doesn't include urls in reviews.
Leonard's book of the same name is neither delightful nor spot-on. In terms of alerting the sleeping masses to humanity's disastrous over-use of resources, the video does the trick in a much more palatable manner. For anyone who has followed the unfolding calamity of despoliation that is modern technological society with even half-interest, most of the corroborating material offered in the book is old hat. Leonard isn't wrong, she's utterly right!, but late to the table, and, lamentably, manages to get kind of boring in the process.
In the end, her appendix labeled "Examples of promising policies, reforms and laws" isn't so much examples as a list of "shoulds." Not much evidence of actual promising policies, reforms or laws in concrete terms. Her subsequent appendix concerning what one can do at home starts out debunking the idea of offering "ten easy things" and then offers a list of easy things most of us with an environmental bent have been doing for thirty years.
I hoped for more from Leonard based on her video splash, but I really can't recommend this book.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Story of Stuff: what we all should know!, April 10, 2010
By Dw De Zwart
|
|
This is quite a confrontation with reality. Well writen.
Vast amount of facts en unmistakable interpretations.
We, as a people, shouls all be aware of how and why we consume so much.
1 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Straight Talk on the Environmental Damage of Over-Consumption, November 16, 2011
By The Seeker (Ferndale, Michigan, USA)
|
|
This book struck a chord with me because it basically explains how constantly buying and discarding "stuff" ultimately damages our planet and, in the process of doing it, keeps us unhappy. Like the author, I don't buy much stuff, at least not new stuff. Years ago, I discovered Rummage Sales and yard sales. I am lucky to live in one of the wealthiest counties in the US (I live in the poorer south end of the county, just a mile from the border with the City of Detroit). The discards where I live are very plush, and I am not shy about taking stuff that other people put by the curb for the trashman. I think every room in my house has things I rescued from the curb, from trash barrels or from debris piles in the abandoned neighborhoods of Detroit where, believe it or not, there are endless piles of "stuff." People throw away usable furniture, new clothes, perfectly good dishes, flower pots and all manner of useful items. I confess to being a scavenger, and I really enjoy the stuff I find that others have thrown away. But I am also shocked at the monumental waste it represents when these items actually end up in the garbage truck.
But the point of this book is not just about buying less, but about realizing the impact of an economy that values making ever more stuff and encouraging people to buy more and to throw away more to make room for buying more, etc. This means society is constantly extracting resources from the planet to make stuff that will be lightly used and destined for landfills or incinerators - the take-make-waste syndrome. A huge advertising and marketing industry in the US bombards us with messages urging us to buy things and subtly telling us that the stuff we have is sooo yesterday.
The really bad news about this over-consumption of goods is that it is unsustainable. We cannot go on using up our planet, which has finite resources. What we extract from the raw materials of mother earth should be going to the parts of the world where more stuff is actually needed. I enjoyed the personal stories the author provided about her time living or working in places like Bangladesh and Haiti where there is so much poverty. She describes how poor people have little waste because they reuse everything; even packaging can be turned into a toy; and they repair gadgets and tools when they break rather than throwing them away and buying something new. I was surprised to learn that international organizations like the IMF and the World Bank are not helping these places become self-sufficient, but instead are promoting the capitalist view of economic growth. The author feels they provide loans for "investment" in capitalist enterprises with doubtful benefits to the local population. It is difficult to see how encouraging poor people to live in crowded cities and work in sweat shops making clothing for export to the US is better than helping them live on sustainable farms near clean water, which would provide for them and their children.
The author actually dares to take on that sacred cow of corporate culture - capitalism. It has always bothered me that what is good for me - living within my means and only buying what I actually need - is bad for the economy. Economic growth demands that all of us do our duty and buy, buy, buy. GDP does not measure our quality of life, just how much stuff got bought. And it doesn't bring happiness either. Being grateful for what we have will go a lot further.
I recently read a wonderful book that also takes on this sacred cow of economics, and it was written by an economist! Annie Leonard, if you haven't read Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street by Czech Economist Tomas Sedlacek, go get the book and read it. He tells us Economics was once considered part of Moral Philosophy and he takes us into the past to see how we got to a place where Economics is all about growth charts. He too debunks the "invisible hand" of capitalism as a means to a good society.
I think the author underestimates what it might take to actually begin to live differently. The large multinational corporations will not loosen their grip on our economic life and will continue to urge us to work harder and buy more. They will say we need the jobs that consumption provides (and the "planned obsolescence" of products the author documents). It is better, they will say, to throw stuff away and buy new stuff instead of repairing the old stuff. It is not "worth it" to repair your phone or your old lawnmower, and who can argue with that? Only when you grasp the author's argument about this system "externalizing costs" can you look at this in a new way. The price tag on the goods we buy does not include the cost of the damage to the environment its production might have caused or the cost of its storage as waste when we throw it away.
People are caught on the treadmill, even when they decide to live with less stuff. They have to work, they have get to work (where I live, we have no effective public transportation), and they are going to worry about maintaining an income and access to health care. It is fine to say, "Let's work less and consume less," but that choice is rarely offered. In the world of work, you get ahead by working more and proving yourself reliable and being there when important projects require your presence. In our current tight employment market, turning down work or refusing an assignment is going to go heavily against you. Being satisfied with part-time work and less money makes you a slacker who lacks ambition. This is our culture, and it will be very difficult to change it.
The author ends her book on an optimistic note, and I hope she sustains that optimism. She has done a service with her internet site and this book. So, Annie, keep on fighting the good fight and when your jeans wear out, look for a Rummage Sale and get replacements. That's what I do.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Immensely Important Work, June 25, 2011
By Greg Patterson
|
|
I am now well into Robert Putnam and David Korten's work referenced in this book and last week saw Wasteland which describes graphically the end of what we consume. Leonard's book is very clear and comprehensive, accessible and well-researched. I will be teaching it to our dinner/church/discussion group in the hope that it motivates them as it did me.
I sent a copy to Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and have been buying it on Amazon and giving it to others who have the wealth, power, and influence to change things. The recent Supreme Court decsion in the women's class action suit was but one in an increasing number of indicators of the radical shift in the balance of power which must be tempered by citizen action. The Story of Stuff is an essential book for the common man to help understand the effects of our utilitarian way of life on Earth and mankind.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Annie Leonard is My Hero!, June 22, 2011
By Whomping Willow
|
|
This is the best book I have picked up in a while. Ms. Leonard's ability to tie together so many complex and interrelated topics is incredible. Her big picture view with all the facts and details to back it up has changed my consumer ways already. What I find inspiring is that she can make the complex seem simple, the impossible seem feasible, and moves an otherwise depressing topic into a way to empower all people. She should get the Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Read it, get empowered, and change this world!
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Richie's Picks: THE STORY OF STUFF, March 17, 2011
By http://richiespicks.com (Sebastopol, CA United States)
|
|
Annie Leonard expands upon her groundbreaking video about the need to stop trashing the planet. As we watch the crisis unfolding in Japan -- whose roots are in the insatiable need to power more stuff -- this becomes an even more timely look at how we need to change the world.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
BookHounds http://maryinhb.blogspot.com, March 12, 2011
By BookHounds (Huntington Beach, CA USA)
|
|
The Story of Stuff isn't exactly a page turner, it will make you think about stuff and how it impacts your daily life. Stuff can either make or break this planet and at the present time, it looks pretty negative. This handbook will help you understand and figure out what you can do to make your world better. I think that the author has a lot of things right in this book. Television causes people to increase their wants and not necessarily their needs.
Annie Leonard explains how each step of the manufacturing process creates waste and the chemicals involved are poisoning us and the earth. So far, I think there has been several things in the book, like certain plastics that are now being outlawed. She sites one idea that mailing back unrecyclable items back to the manufacturer to protest. However, I don't see how mailing back items to manufactures can make them stop manufacturing the item. That seems like a waste of energy to me.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story Of Stuff, February 15, 2011
By VioletMay
|
|
Fast shipping & the book was in great condition...Thanks!!!
Great book to read. It gives a good insight on how "stuff" is made, how we buy it, and how we throw it away. It is an easy read. Everyone should read it!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Truth Hurts, February 4, 2011
By Kat J (Charlotte, NC)
|
|
A very polarizing book because it criticizes the very foundation of our American economy and way of life. It is like having your parents tell you that you were really adopted and your real father was a serial killer - you have to start all over with your asumptions about who you are, how you want to live and wonder if you have a future or if you are doomed by your past. Unfortunately most people would rather put their head in the sand than know that their way of life might come to an end, and that the way they are living now is depriving others of a decent life. The book is both thought provoking and guilt producing (for those who tend to those feelings.) Although most people say they don't trust the government, really they want to believe that the government is looking out for their best interests, health and well being. They hope to achieve the "American Dream" of owning an enormous house, having a huge wardrobe and owning a fleet of cars and being the envy of all they know because of it. Everyday they are bombarded with advertisements that tell them that they will be happier if they just buy more stuff. This book takes all the fun out of that- which is a good reason to hate it and find fault in it.
I saw the terrific "Stuff" video which inspired me to read the book. The book is not perfect except to set out a case for more action by detailing the way our "stuff" is made and to "out" those who make it. Enough consumer pressure and public outcry and good old American ingenuity will force those perpetrators to come up with more sustainable solutions to providing the goods and services that Americans expect. No matter how smart Annie Leonard is, there is no way she can solve all these problems. I think her "Hope" tips are her way of saying that we are smart enough to fix things but really we (collectively) have to want to do it first. This book is a wake up call for all those who keep hitting the snooze alarm.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story of Stuff, January 24, 2011
By Lauenstein
|
|
This book delves into the problems caused by our insatiable quest for ever more stuff. Anyone seeking to understand why it's important to get involved in finding sustainable solutions should read what Annie Leonard has to say. And by the way, you'll learn how to live more healthfully and sustainably.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Doomerism through Consumerism, October 28, 2010
By Solvitur ambulando (Helena, Montana, USA)
|
|
We are pretty much programmed from the first toy and cereal commercials we watch as kids to what coffin choices we make on our departure. That's our only real worth to TPTB, buying their stuff and making them rich off our zombiesque greeds and needs. This book covers the issues real well: the life cycle of "stuff" (extraction from the natural world, production, distribution, consumption, disposal), legal aspects, and suggestions for collective and individual action. Worth reading --and worth giving to a shopaholic who might fancy themselves as one who cares about the direction the world has taken or environmental destruction. Action speaks louder than words, eh?
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Thought-Provoking and Terrifying, October 21, 2010
By ephemeral
|
|
Annie Leonard is well known in the environmental community, so the book version of her video The Story of Stuff is sure to garner a great deal of attention. On the one hand, that's incredibly important because the book is certain to make almost everyone who reads it sit up and really examine the products that they are buying, using, and disposing of on a daily basis. On the other hand, if those people are anything like me, after doing that thinking, they'll probably end up pretty depressed.
The Story of Stuff is, not surprisingly, about stuff: where it comes from, what we do with it, and how we dispose of it when we don't want it anymore. Using a combination of statistical evidence, anecdotes, and case studies, Leonard walks us through the world we are living in in terms of consumption. She breaks the cycle of consumption down into five parts and devotes a chapter of the book to each: extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Each section of the book tells of the environmental and health dangers of our current practices. While she does try to tell us about the good things that are going on in each chapter and includes promising laws and possible helpful individual actions in the book's appendices, the overall tone of the book is dark.
Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking what a dramatic change we would see in our environment if every person in the world would be willing to make even a few changes to their lifestyles. Unfortunately Leonard has no easy solution for how we can make people change who either don't care about or don't belief in the global environmental issues. As such, it seems hard to imagine how the few people who are really trying to live a cleaner, greener life can ever make a big enough change in the world. Still, that clearly isn't the author's fault. I'm sure The Story of Stuff will open more than a few eyes to the world around them. I just hope that everyone who reads this book is prepared for a bit of unpleasant truth.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Fascinating as a Short Video - A Bit of a Stretch for an Entire Book, September 9, 2010
By M. T. Vancampen (Houston, TX)
|
|
This book originally came to my attention (as is the case with many others who read this book) via the documentary video of the same name. Part of the power of its message come from the fact that it is short, direct, and to the point about the true impact of our current culture of hyper-consumerism. I was thoroughly intrigued by it and hoped to learn more from the book version since it was written by Annie Leonard, the author and narrator of the film. There is a lot of additional information in this book. But there is also a lot of repetition and additional information that does not make a significant contribution to the "story". I think the video was (and is) so powerful because of its brevity. It does not get bogged down in excess information. This is unfortunately not the case with the book. While I admire Ms. Leonard and have shared the film with many, I think the book misses the mark and may have been better served as a in-depth magazine article. Having said that, I appreciate the book as another means for getting this important message out to as many people as possible. I just found myself wishing it were a bit shorter and as direct, powerful, and to the point as the exceptional documentary, which can be viewed on YouTube.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story of Stuff, February 24, 2011
By grumpydan (Andover, NJ United States)
|
|
Annie Leonard's book The Story of Stuff is filled with facts and practical advice on how we can make this a better planet by recycling and managing our consumption of both natural and artificial goods. I believe in what she writes about and am a big fan of freecycling. But to get the rest of the planet to believe is going to b a difficult task. Many people find it easier to consume and throw away than recycle and reuse. One day it will be late. Such is the world of consumerism. Maybe the corporations should learn a thing or two.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Challenging Mass Consumerism, February 20, 2011
By Mandy @ Living Peacefully with Children
|
|
We live in a disposable society, which might not matter if we didn't live in a finite world. Annie Leonard, writer and producer of the now renowned The Story of Stuff video has addressed a deeply polarizing topic. Her informative and non-shaming approach to the global issues of mass consumerism challenges us to think about the way we live our lives. Written in a conversational tone, Leonard manages to incorporate economics, politics, and environmental science in a format which everyone can understand. If we want to make a difference, we must first comprehend the magnitude of the problems caused by our love affair with stuff.
The Story of Stuff offers to change our lives for the better, if only we pick up the call. One person alone cannot combat our global demise, but together, we might just make a difference.
Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Free Press.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Question Authority - Interesting... but readers must be objective., December 31, 2010
By hifivalue on eBay
|
|
The Story of the Bottle and The Story of Stuff make compelling and valid arguments against over consumption and waste. It seems that these arguments are valid, until one begins to check the facts. Please view the You Tube videos for The Story of Stuff as well as the 4-part critique before developing your own opinion. It's fun to do our own thinking instead of accepting someone else's opinion as Truth.
The Story of Stuff:
[...]
Part 1 of the Critique:
[...]
I decided NOT to buy the book, as I already have too much stuff...
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Excellent Book - Must Read for Everyone, December 27, 2010
By Hello NYC (NY, NY)
|
|
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is very well-written, easy to read, thorough, informative, compelling, moving, and inspiring.
Leonard eloquently depicts our current economic model which focuses heavily on economic growth as opposed to social well-being and environmental health. She takes us though the entire process of what's involved in our acquiring of Stuff and what happens to the Stuff once we're done with them. She takes us through different parts of the world where people, communities, and the environment are negatively impacted because of our over-consumption/disposal lifestyle. She recounts stories of real people she met during many years of her investigation of Stuff; the stories are compelling and often heart-breaking, yet they don't bring on the feeling of helplessness and disconnect that sad and tragic stories sometimes bring. She makes them relevant and personal by her own activism in these situations of infuriating injustice. The book is written with compassion and a great sense of humor which make the book really enjoyable to read. She writes passionately and boldly challenges us to take a look at our current accepted paradigm of consumerism and envision a better world that is based on social well-being, social and environmental equity. She also urges us to exercise our citizen muscle instead of our overly developed consumer muscle and get involved and participate in communities and government. She really gets to the core of the problems of the current system and doesn't offer easy green solutions we can take up as consumers. She calls us to civic engagement so that together we can create fundamental change in our system. She also challenges us to reexamine our current accepted definition of success and happiness that says more is better, and offers an alternate vision where people share and spend more time connecting with others - a better world with social and environmental justice.
I really love this book. I highly recommend it.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
This is a tough story to tell ...but Annie Loenard tells it well, October 28, 2010
By Mad Max (Seattle, WA USA)
|
|
This is a fascinating story, and Annie Leonard does an extremely good job telling it. She is a great writer and storyteller, and this book is a great read for anyone interested in the subject of our planet, natural resources, and our current ecological dilemmas.
To be clear, I definitely recommend this book. However, I do wish the book were a bit more detailed in certain areas (i.e., I want to know more about the mountain of "recycled" water bottles that we dump in India).
I also wish the book were a bit more practical in terms of building local communities & consumption-alternatives. She comes very close, but I wish more of the book was full of examples & stories of consumption-alternatives. In my opinion, she needs to explore more into the "why we buy" - the psychology of marketing, the mindless consuming (99% of Americans are guilty of this). Another good book I would recommend is Creating a World That Works for All.
As a final note, I was expecting a lot of visual aids (given the success of the YouTube videos), but it didn't have enough.
But this is one of the most significant books on the "environment" in recent years, because Leonard tries to put it all together & show how the systems in our society function. One other book that is definitely a must-read (and a bit shorter & more concise than Story of Stuff) is: How The Rich Are Destroying the Earth.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Important message - alienating delivery, July 12, 2010
By Mentor coach, www.teachtheso.. (New Orleans)
|
|
Most people are aware that we are consuming our natural resources at a pace that is not sustainable. We are contaminating our planet in so many different and destructive ways. I believe that the core message of this book is important and if we want to planet and the people who inhabit it to survive, we need to change our ways.
However I believe that instead of getting more people on board with her message, her writing style actually alienates the audience she needs to attract. We all need to do our share to protect the planet. But the way she attacks our way of life in general and the companies many people work for, in my opinion she does not convert large numbers to the cause.
Your attitude toward this book will depend on how you classify yourself. If you are a left leaning liberal, this will probably we right up your alley. If you are a conservative, capitalist, you will find some real problems with the way she attacks capitalism.
In my opinion, we must change the culture. Capitalism has given the people what they wanted. Our materialism and consumerism is what needs to change. Capitalism will adapt to what the markets want.
But I do not believe we can change the culture by telling people how wrong they are and how bad they have been behaving. We must work the get people to change their attitude.
I understand and agree with the problems, I do not believe the approach in this book will really change the attitudes of most people.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
LOVED IT~, April 8, 2010
By drop-dead-books (zapperville)
|
|
I have had this theme on my mind for a long time and when I found there was a book on the subject I couldn't wait to read it
It is clear..we have too much stuff and a lot of it is toxic
She outlines the five stages which include
Driven economy
Extraction through production
Distribution
Consumption and
Disposal
But workers across the world pay for our cheap goods with their health, safety and quality of life
We always want new stuff so we work harder and have no time to enjoy it
this all rings true to me, but she does not liave us in the lurch...there is a way out
Bravo Annie Great book
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Towards the sustainable future we deserve, April 4, 2010
By Malvin (Frederick, MD USA)
|
|
"The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard is an eye-opening critique of American throwaway culture and what we can do about it. Written with the intelligence of a person who has spent more than a decade traveling around the world researching these issues first-hand, Ms. Leonard's book empowers readers by informing us about what our consumer culture is doing to the environment and how we can act collectively to change things for the better.
Ms. Leonard's book smartly uses graphical elements from the accompanying web site to more memorably reinforce key points. She achieves clarity by breaking apart the narrative into five parts: extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal. The reader gains appreciation (if not revulsion) for the enormous amounts of materials that are expended to produce stuff like T-shirts, paper and diamond rings. Ms. Leonard raises our awareness by informing us about the contentious labor, environmental and political struggles that are often embedded in these seemingly innocuous consumer items. Meanwhile, the author desribes the treadmill of work-consume-watch accrues enormous costs to our familial and social well-being, making many of us financially indebted, physically stressed and emotionally less happy overall than we otherwise might be.
Ms. Leonard hopes we do far more than think about how we can use materials more wisely as individuals (although we should). Ms. Leonard paints an alternative vision of a sustainable future that could be ours if we want it. To that end, the author describes policy changes and helpfully provides links to worthy organizations we might choose to support. It is difficult not to share in her optimism when we realize that the status quo is unsustainable and that real solutions to the material economy's crisis are available if we can only muster our courage.
I highly recommend this outstanding book to everyone.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
This is a real winner!!!, March 26, 2010
By MotherLodeBeth (Sierras of California)
|
|
There are so many reasons I love this book. Its fair, its enlightening, its wise, its well written, its full of documented facts that make me a wiser person, caring person, happier person.
Having grown up in the 50's and 60's so much of what she says is so on the mark, as I reflect upon how happy people were in the 50's, despite the various problems the country still had.
In the introduction she notes, '1. I'm not against Stuff. In fact I'm pro-Stuff! I want us to value our Stuff more, to care for it, to give it the respect it deserves. I want us to recognize that each thing we buy involved all sorts of resources and labor. Someone minded the earth for the metals in your cell phone; someone unloaded the bales from the cotton gin for your T-shirt. Someone in a factory assembled that pair of sunglasses, and they might have been exposed to carcinogens or forced to work over-time.' She then continues '2. I'm not romanticizing poverty. When I point out the flaws in our over consumptive U.S. lifestyle and praise the slower-paced and less materialistic countries that I've visited, I am not romanticizing poverty. Poverty is a wretched and intolerable reality, an outcome
of the broken economic model that maldistributes resources.' 'But once our basic needs are met, it's proven that a focus on getting more and more Stuff actually undermines happiness.
In the United States we work more hours than folks in almost any other industrialized country in the world, and two of our main activities in our scant leisure time are TV watching and shopping. So we
go to work, come home exhausted, and plop down in front of the TV; the commercials tell us we need new Stuff to feel better about ourselves, so we go shopping; and in order to pay for it all, we have to work even more. I call this the work-watch-spend treadmill'.
In Chapter 4 CONSUMPTION the author writes: ' We need food to eat, a roof over our head, medicine when we are sick, and clothes to keep us warm and dry. And beyond those survival needs, there is a level of additional consumption that makes life sweeter. I enjoy listening to music, sharing a bottle of wine with friends, and occasionally doning a nice new dress as much as the next person. What I question is not consumption in the abstract but consumerism and over consumption. While consumption means acquiring and using goods and services to meet one's needs, consumerism is the particular relationship to consumption in which we seek to meet our emotional and social needs through shopping, and we define and demonstrate our self worth through the Stuff we own. And over consumption is when we take far more resources than we need and than the planet can sustain, as is the case in most of the United States as well as a growing number of other countries.'
On page 149 the author writes: ' Unhappy People. Consider that Americans reported the highest level of contentment and happiness in 1957--that is, it was in that year that the highest number of us (about 35%) described ourselves as 'very happy', a level we've never reached since. Even though we are making more money and buying more Stuff today than we did fifty years ago, we're no happier.' ;But once people's basic needs are met (which happens, according to Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2004 report, when people earn and consume about thirteen thousand dollars per year, as a global
Page 151. Unhappy Nation. Even though we're consuming way more resources like energy, paper, and minerals and more manufactured Stuff than most other countries, the United States scores lower on many indices of well being.' 'Out of 143 countries evaluated in the 2009 Happy Planet Index, the United States rates a dismal 114th. Scoring above us are those Scandinavian countries, of course, as well as every European country except Luxembourg and all of Latin America, the Caribbean, and pretty much every other region except Africa. Of the 28 countries that ranked lower than the United States, 25 are in Africa.'
Her chapters on Extraction, Production, Distribution, and Disposal of Stuff are excellent as well. The book (page 307) is printed on 100% post consumer fiber paper, that is processed chlorine free. The text plates were recycled after use, and the ink used contains more than 20% renewable resources, including soy and vegetable based oils. And they are printing a select few review copies. The book will also be available via e-books.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Watch free video will change your life!, March 25, 2010
By YogaKat (Oregon United States)
|
|
I very well made video can be viewed for free on-line at [..].
It will change the way your view your day and your consumption of everything you think we need in your life!
Check out the video and you will want the book...although the book is more stuff :0)
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Why green technologies alone will not save us, October 15, 2010
By Brian Kodi
|
|
Ms. Leonard's vision of the future involves the dismantling of the corporation, drastic reduction in global trade, hefty price increases of products, radical decline in ownership and consumption, redistribution of wealth - massive tax increases, dwarfing of marketing and sales machines, expanding presence of unions, and few to no golf courses.
In return, we will benefit from efficient public transportation, significant reduction in work hours, increased holidays, products that last longer and are repairable rather than disposable, more business co-operation rather than competition, clean environment, bodies free of toxins, vibrant and self sufficient local economies, reduced levels of obesity, depression, suicide and cancer, increased safety and security, healthier and happier lives. Recent studies of happiness indicate owning more stuff (bigger houses and cars) is not a path to a fulfilled life. The happiest regions of the world harbor less individual freedom and more social connectedness and income equality - Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way.
Current price levels are deceptively low and unsustainable because of what economists call externalities, defined as consequences of economic activity experienced by parties outside of the production and consumption chain. The price of gasoline in the U.S., for example, would increase to $15 a gallon from $3 if all externalities were to be included; such things as tax subsidies to oil companies, the cost of maintaining a military presence in the Middle East to secure access to oil, costs associated with climate change etc. Another example of an unsustainable dynamic that if fully priced would result in much reduced consumption. Instead, the cost of these externalities are passed on to unsuspecting indirect participants.
In her vision of life in 2030, Ms. Leonard left out an explanation of how people's retirement funds invested in securities will be replaced. The magnitude and nature of changes Ms. Leonard foresees will result in colossal devaluation of public company earnings and consequently, an enormous decline in the securities market. But perhaps in that world, social programs will fill the gap.
Whether you agree with these visions or not, vast changes in lifestyles stemming from resource scarcity are upon us. So we can either wait, resist and in the end have these changes forced upon us, or we can be proactive and embracing of the inevitability for a smoother transition. Most likely, we will experience a combination of proactive and reactive measures in a world less than radically different as Ms. Leonard envisions.
Regardless of the reader's political affiliation or beliefs, "The Story of Stuff" is depressingly important, well researched and written with evidence that is too compelling to ignore. At a minimum, this book should raise the awareness of readers of any mindset.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great Story about our Obsession with Stuff, August 25, 2010
By ASP (NJ)
|
|
This book is a great read. Very entertaining, organized well into short sections, easy to understand, and does a great job of explaining the problems created by our constant need for new things.
The author organizes the book into five chapters and an Epilogue: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, Disposal, Epilogue. These are the five stages of the life cycle of stuff. The book goes into all the details that entail each of the five stages, such as where the raw materials come from, the workers involved, the effects on the people and land, the by-products and harm that comes from creation of products, the effects of distribution to the masses, and much more. Disposal is a big issue because people use many products, but most products/items are not disposed of properly. The amount of waste created is not fully known by the average person, and the message of the book is that the average person should really understand their impact on the world around them.
There are a few extreme examples in this book, but they are very necessary to raise awareness. When average examples are used, most people will ignore them naturally, but when more extreme examples are provided, it does help in raising awareness and getting people to think. This book is very informative and entertaining. Annie Leonard does a great job in telling the story. People really need to take a look at their lives and understand their effect and how much harm they create just for having many and certain conveniences. There are many people in this world that don't have any of the conveniences that others have, yet they are harmed by the choices of the privileged.
Highly recommended for everyone. 5 STARS.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Excellent, August 10, 2010
By gAME gEEK (Fullerton, CA)
|
|
Excellent. It will change the way you think about all the "Stuff" we (in the U.S.)take for granted. Easy to read and throughly enlightening. Warning: This book will change your life and consuming ways (for the better) and may even move you too advocacy.
Another must read: Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story of Hyper-Consumerism, Resource Depletion and its Toxic Side-effects, August 8, 2010
By Patrick (Los Angeles, Ca.)
|
|
This is the book version of Annie Leonard's fantastic 21 minute video "The Story of Stuff" which can be seen at Youtube or purchased on DVD and was written after the video came out (usually, the other way around). The book delves deeper into the basic premise that we are living in hyper-consumerist societies in most countries with little benefit to anyone except for corporate bank accounts and Wall Street investors and at the expense of our health and our shared environment. The huge downside to hyper-consumerism starts with resource extraction: clearing of forests, raping the land with open mining, etc.- all non-sustainable activities to produce raw materials for manufacturing, which then fowls water, land, and air with toxic chemicals to produce lots of "stuff" we are lead to believe we cannot live without.
This toxic process then ends with the discarded products and packaging going to landfills or incinerators never to be used again. Ms Leonard calls this process "linear", i.e., a non-renewable, non-sustainable resource depleting affair. By reusing, recycling, changing to non-toxic methods of manufacturing and better management of non-renewable resources, Leonard illustrates how the "linear" or dead-end system of stuff can be converted to a recycling, closed-loop, and resource sustainable model.
The book is completed with lists of government and private entities whose mandate and responsibility it is to over-see all aspects of manufacturing and the health and protection of the environment. Regulatory agencies have been staffed for years with corporate moles to dilute environmental rules and regulations, but since the Obama admin has taken over, the regulatory agencies are once again becoming the environmental and consumer protection agencies they were designed to be- Hooray for that! There are many resources for getting involved in helping change the contemporary wasteful models of consumerism to more sustainable, life enhancing models. This book is a good teaching companion to the video version along with the website created for "Stuff".
For those who don't have time to read this book, the video version is a monument to the old adage: "a picture is worth a thousand words". After watching it I was very impressed with Leonard's simple, yet articulate delivery of such important subject matter.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A frightening, passionate plea for resource conservation, April 20, 2010
By Angela M. Hey (Portola Valley, CA USA)
|
|
Annie Leonard is passionate in her quest to create more sustainable and equitable lifestyles.
She has numerous references and footnotes, as well as travel experience to backup her thesis that there's far too much waste. She describes how appalled she was to see Manhattan's waste on Staten Island as a student, and how she loved forests. Her years of traveling with Greenpeace revealed toxic waste dumps, exploited labor and environmental disasters.
Her book looks at product lifecycles, dedicating chapters to extraction, production, distribution, consumption, disposal. She ends with an epilogue that summarizes her vision for a less consumer-oriented society. Appendices list steps that are being taken to reduce waste and conserve more, steps individuals can take to improve the stewardship of resources and a sample letter to purveyors of PVC goods.
I have to disagree with Annie when, in the Extraction chapter she says, "You're unlikely to hear someone wax sentimental about rocks." Passionate geologists, rock climbers and miners, aside, she lucidly describes the perils of mining, conflicts caused by mineral exploration and ugliness of open pit mines. There's a price to pay for extraction, but some will disagree with Annie and say it's worth it. However, you can't argue that some minerals and fossil fuels are in short supply.
In the chapter on Production, Annie gives a great analysis of the real costs of making a cotton T-shirt. She laments the conditions of garment workers in countries like Haiti. Just because Annie wouldn't want to work on a sewing machine for hours, doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad job. "The women described the grueling pressure at work, routine sexual harassment and other unsafe and demeaning conditions." she notes. These conditions could be anywhere, but more seriously she cites low wages, noting that the women received 0.5% of the cost of a garment for their work. She says that by 2009 the minimum wage for these workers was $3.75 per day. That sounds very low to an American audience, but for workers whose alternative is no work, in an impoverished economy it's not all bad.
I've always admired the logistics, size and efficiency of Walmart. Annie's views: "...8000 drivers racking up more than 850 million miles a year...independent contractors ... no health insurance..", "It's one of the top economies of the world, bigger than the GDP of countries like Austria, Chile and Israel...", "Often workers are outright encouraged by Walmart management to get federal assistance like Medicaid, food stamps and subsidized housing". She claims that farmers markets have more of a community feel than a Walmart. Maybe for her demographic, but for plenty of rural towns Walmart may be the mainstay of a community. In the Distribution chapters she also describes the debt burdens and unfairness induced by World Bank, IMF and World Trade Organization cultures. There are good sides and bad sides to these organizations. Tp make its point, the book is biased toward the bad.
The Consumption chapter discusses how people are manipulated by companies and the media to shop. The result is that consumers buy things they don't want. Annie notes that more educated people tend downshift and feel less pressure to "keep up with the Joneses". More could be said about the spiritual and moral values that shape people to be frugal, joyful and less wasteful.
I liked the 10 reasons that Annie gives for why incinerators are the wrong way to go in her chapter on Disposal. She claims that sorting through garbage, as opposed to burning it, provides more jobs - a dubious advantage of Annie's approach to waste disposal. Do we really want our job growth to come from waste handling? I'd much prefer to be a sewing machinist in a sweat shop than sorting garbage around San Francisco. She explains the Zero Waste movement and why Recycling is not always working as well as it should.
In her New World Vision she sees a more relaxed pace of life, more happiness, stronger communities and more equitable resource distribution. Many think they have no option, but in fact they have if they are prepared to make tradeoffs. Anyone can arrange to meet with friends, instead of watching TV - whether in a mud hut or a mansion. Maybe a follow-up book could give ideas for how people in different worlds can build their own communities.
The Aborigines of Australia could get their work done in 5 hours a day and spend their leisure time running and playing games. They don't understand why modern societies work longer. So the idea that we need to spread resources around more equitably can be fallacious. Of course, as the book points out we can do much more to alleviate disease and bring water to communities. However, the book never really accepts that a world in which some are privileged and richer than others is inevitable.
Throughout the book, Annie describes various toxins, some of which have only recently been found to mimic estrogens or have other effects on humans. However, the evidence that these toxins actually kill a population of x, with confidence level y, is missing. How many people's primary cause of death comes from using non-stick pans? There are all kinds of toxins in nature and in products, and some will be prepared to pay the price of maybe a couple of years shorter life for having poisonous furnishings, homes and clothes.
Another need is a sound economic model that shows how Annie's approach works. There are many unanswered questions that a model needs to address: will there be full employment, what is a reasonable salary/wage, what will the demographics look like, how do you provide a moral compass? It maybe that we are heading for a low income, high unemployment economy where bartering, sharing and reusing materials is the norm. Annie doesn't come out and say this, but it could be where we end up if we adopt her views and I'm not sure that's the lifestyle many want.
There is plenty to frighten you in this book and there are plenty of suggestions for lifestyle improvements. In the end, Annie has a pragmatic approach - look through the causes and see what interests you and then support what you Can. This is a well-researched book, if a little fanatical, that everyone should read (using an e-book or shared copy to save trees).
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Sad, true, and a must read, April 15, 2010
By M. Fulkerson (Portland, Oregon)
|
|
Author Annie Leonard doesn't pull any punches with this book, and I found her ability to lay down the facts the best part of this book. She doesn't just point out numbers and facts to shock us into reality, but she also examines why we humans are compelled to be so obsessed with material belongings, and how fast we discard the things we have. She makes some absolutely fantastic observations concerning consumerism, and how our choices are not as broad as we think. Leonard does offer alternatives to rampant consumerism, and but isn't limited too brow-beating the reader. She intersperses her facts and ideas with a nice sense of humor, and by the end of the book I was inspired, amused, and very concerned.
Anyone who is slightly conscientious about the world around them and the state it's in should read this book. It's a fascinating read, and something I'll be returning to!
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Amazing video, and excellent book!, April 15, 2010
By Jesse D. Walker (Logan, UT)
|
|
Annie Leonard is one of my heroes. If you haven't yet seen the story of stuff video, what are you waiting for? It could be the best 20 minutes you've spent in a long time. In the video (and the book), Annie explains the life-cycle of stuff, in all of its life stages: extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. For most of us, it's extremely eye-opening (I know if was for me!), as we're usually focused very narrowly on a small part of the consumption process, and don't know much about all of the other steps involved in the life of stuff. The difference between the video and the book is that the book can go into detail. Annie documents all of her claims with plenty of evidence: both personal experiences and facts and citations aplenty! It's far more instructional than the video (but still easy to read, she's very easy to follow), and has better explanations for every step in the story. It's kind of sad: in the United States, we used to be citizens. Now, we're consumers. Annie helps us understand how that happened, and how we can turn it around.
Here's my suggestion: watch the video first. If you want more detail, then read the book (but get it from a library, or borrow it from a friend). If you buy the book, why not donate it to a library when you're done, so it doesn't end its life-cycle too quickly?
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
this is a great resource, April 12, 2010
By S. Myers (San Francisco, CA)
|
|
This is a great book for anyone who is really interested in how the world works. Approachable, clear, intelligent, the author really weaves a story for the reader to become engaged in, then outlines how we can each make a real difference in how we live our lives. Essential reading for parents, teachers and just about anyone else!
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Story of Stuff - Great Read, April 10, 2010
By William D. Mayo
|
|
The Story of Stuff is written in a simple, compelling, and straightforward manner. Annie Leonard is a courageous and fresh voice for sustainability and stewardship in a threatened planet. She makes a complex consumerism system (along with its pitfalls) easy to understand and motivates the reader to take action! Annie Leonard and her insights are definitely worth hearing.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great tool for teachers, November 14, 2010
By Tax the Rich... free the poor. (Amsterdam)
|
|
This is a book that should be included in parts of the curriculum in science and social studies classes in middle and high school. Students often get bored when the class is too abstract and they are left wondering how the lesson is relevant to their lives. This book prompts the reader to take a look at the world around them, and be aware, for example, that part of the cell phone in their pocket may have been provided by the labor of children. Something is needed to counteract the billions of dollars corporations spend to reach the minds of American youth... this book provides a peek at the other side, the behind the scenes perspective you won't see on a TV commercial.
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Like new, October 29, 2010
By steph2014
|
|
The book was in very good condition, no writing in it, no highlighting, etc. Happy with my purchase.
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A new way of looking at the world, April 27, 2010
By Andy (Berkeley, CA)
|
|
Excellent book.
The author talks about the global economy we are in, and the underlying materials economy (the supply chain).
Must read, if you have thoughts on global economy and our natural environment!
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Good book with a priceless message, April 16, 2010
By M. Collins (USA)
|
|
A great book and I definitely, definitely recommend it to everyone. The message is priceless: stop consuming so much. Live simply so that others may simple live. Thanks for writing a book with a message that everyone needs to hear!
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The cost of unchecked economic development, April 26, 2010
By Charles M. Nobles (Tulsa, OK United States)
|
|
This is one of the most thought provoking books dealing with excessive consumption in the U.S. and the impact on the environment, our health, and the economy that I have read in a long time. I am not saying it is the final word on such matters or even that it is the most scholarly. I am saying it is written in a highly readable style that not only provides ample evidence of the consumption problem but also provides what appear to be some common sense solutions that just might result in less waste, consumption, and improvement in our health and economy.
The author discusses what she perceives as the five stages of our consumption driven economy-extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal-and in a reader friendly style points out the consequences and repercussions of such a life style. She does not preach or provide touchy-feely solutions but rather combines personal experiences with scientific knowledge to show that the U.S. lifestyle based on consumption has, is, and will continue to lead to the degradation of our environment. Whether one agrees with the author or not one thing seems pretty clear: We cannot continue to sacrifice our planet on the altar of economic development without expecting some serious consequences. What this book does is provide a clear, entertaining (without being cutesy) discussion of the problem and what the author argues are sustainable, doable solutions.
The book may not be the final word on the subject but it is definately recommended as a must read for those readers' concerned about Stuff and what it means for the environment.
0 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Very good!, January 8, 2012
By JOFilho
|
|
The book is very good, and very well written. The language is simple, and the contents important. I really recomend. Why not 5 stars? Might the book could be a little bit shorter and goal. But that does not take away the merits.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Story of Stuff, November 14, 2011
By S. J Parker (Edmond, Ok)
|
|
Where others have documented countless challenges to the Earth and its inhabitants. Annie Leonard has accomplished the rare feat of defining the systemic nature of the problems we face and offering solutions that get to the heart of the matter. Whether you are redesigning industry and commerce or simply imagining a better world for your grandchildren's grandchildren, Annie's work will engage you. Read it and be inspired into action. -Ray C Anderson, founder and chairman, Interface, Inc
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story of Stuff, October 25, 2011
By CT
|
|
Eye opening account of the process by which the stuff you purchase is extracted, produced, distributed, consumed, and disposed. After readying this you will be more aware of how purchasing another cotton t-shirt contributes to people in poor countries continuing to live in poor conditions. The book not only reveals the detrimental impact on the environment (carbon dioxide emissions is only a small portion) but also portrays the human impact and how our consumerism drives the poor treatment of individuals. The book is not a book of complete despair, however, as the author includes alternative ways of doing things and signs that some progress is being made. Enjoyable and very informative read.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
The Story of Stuff, September 25, 2011
By RancidAzn (Boston, MA)
|
|
Leonard tells her views of the life cycle of different items. Slightly depressing but really makes you think about the items you own or want. Check out her youtube videos for a peak into this book. One thing I feel she puts too much emphasis on the responsibility of the government and corporate responsibility. So if you're looking for a quick, easy, thought provoking read, I highly recommend this book.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Great Book!, July 17, 2011
By Billie1
|
|
This was a required read for a Political Science class but I really enjoyed it on a personal level! I have actually recomended this book to friends and family. Amazing eye opening information that everyone should be aware of.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Richie's Picks: THE STORY OF STUFF, March 17, 2011
By Richie's Picks (Sebastopol, CA United States)
|
|
Annie Leonard expands upon her groundbreaking video about the need to stop trashing the planet. As we watch the crisis unfolding in Japan -- whose roots are in the insatiable need to power more stuff -- this becomes an even more timely look at how we need to change the world.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
BookHounds http://maryinhb.blogspot.com, March 12, 2011
By BookHounds (Huntington Beach, CA USA)
|
|
The Story of Stuff isn't exactly a page turner, it will make you think about stuff and how it impacts your daily life. Stuff can either make or break this planet and at the present time, it looks pretty negative. This handbook will help you understand and figure out what you can do to make your world better. I think that the author has a lot of things right in this book. Television causes people to increase their wants and not necessarily their needs.
Annie Leonard explains how each step of the manufacturing process creates waste and the chemicals involved are poisoning us and the earth. So far, I think there has been several things in the book, like certain plastics that are now being outlawed. She sites one idea that mailing back unrecyclable items back to the manufacturer to protest. However, I don't see how mailing back items to manufactures can make them stop manufacturing the item. That seems like a waste of energy to me.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
Important message - alienating delivery, July 12, 2010
By Mentor coach (Spring Hill, TN)
|
|
Most people are aware that we are consuming our natural resources at a pace that is not sustainable. We are contaminating our planet in so many different and destructive ways. I believe that the core message of this book is important and if we want to planet and the people who inhabit it to survive, we need to change our ways.
However I believe that instead of getting more people on board with her message, her writing style actually alienates the audience she needs to attract. We all need to do our share to protect the planet. But the way she attacks our way of life in general and the companies many people work for, in my opinion she does not convert large numbers to the cause.
Your attitude toward this book will depend on how you classify yourself. If you are a left leaning liberal, this will probably we right up your alley. If you are a conservative, capitalist, you will find some real problems with the way she attacks capitalism.
In my opinion, we must change the culture. Capitalism has given the people what they wanted. Our materialism and consumerism is what needs to change. Capitalism will adapt to what the markets want.
But I do not believe we can change the culture by telling people how wrong they are and how bad they have been behaving. We must work the get people to change their attitude.
I understand and agree with the problems, I do not believe the approach in this book will really change the attitudes of most people.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
A new way of looking at the world, April 27, 2010
By Andy (Berkeley, CA)
|
|
Excellent book.
The author talks about the global economy we are in, and the underlying materials economy (the supply chain).
Must read, if you have thoughts on global economy and our natural environment!
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
View Cart
Bookmark This Page
Contact Us
