Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine

The idea of not buying anything for a year other than the essentials of food and shelter was too unbelievable for me to contemplate. But reading about Judith Levine's experiences inspired me. She talks about how much stuff she and her parter Paul had accumulated, and they decide to consciously scale back and conduct a year long experiment of not being a consumer. In between her personal experiences are some interesting facts and theories about American consumerism and the counter-culture of Simple Living. And she isn't the kind of person who tells you how you should be thinking. She tells you how she thinks, what the facts and theories are, and lets you decide for yourself. She did not become an rampant anti-consumerist at the end of the year, but she was much more mindful about what she purchases and for what reason she shops. Very interesting idea. I don't think I will attempt the same project, but I know there are things I can to to cut the clutter and waste from my life.