Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping

I was surprised to see the number of negative reviews that people have given this book. Expecting to read a book of what it's like to resist the urge to spend frivolously, I was pleasantly surprised to find an entertaining, deeper reflection on culture that surrounds consumerism and buying. I noticed many people seemed bothered by Judith Levine's "hypocrisy" and I feel they have failed to miss the point of this book. Levine is not preaching her experience, instead, sharing it as a human being with elements that show she is every bit as human as anyone, which in my opinion makes this all the more inspirational. I greatly enjoyed the authors witty style, and she brought up an number of intriguing statistics and facts. It does get a little political at times, but it's a true reflection of the circumstances that surround the book. While I'm not about to embark on a similar social experiment after reading this, it has made me reflect on how buying is defined in society and ask myself why do I want to buy the things I want to buy, and are they necessary?

I loved this book. The author explores not only her own challenges to do without, but the psychology behind why we buy and what we each consider to be "essential." It can be illuminating to examine why a $2.00 package of Q-Tips is a luxury, but a $50 haircut is a necessity. But Judith Levine takes the reader through that process, revealing her own personal set of values. If nothing else, this book encourages you to look at your OWN spending habits with a more critical eye. And, to me, a diehard patron of thrift shops and public libraries, that's step one to being: 1. a more insightful consumer 2. a better steward of the environment

I LOVED this book. Buy it! What I expected: A preachy moralistic diatribe about how Americans buy too much stuff, and consequently save too little, accumulate debt and destroy the environment. (Been there, done that.) What I found: A witty, thought provoking story about the ways that our personal choices and national economic policies are interrelated. I'd never considered before that the time and energy I put into being a consumer detracts from the time and interest I have in being a citizen. This book explores the personal side of being (or not being) a consumer. And it asks us to consider whether we might feel wealthier if we as a nation decided to invest more in education, public resources, and access to health care, even if it decreased the amount we could spend on ourselves. Good question, worth asking.

Many of us are trying to figure out what we want, what we need, what are the "essentials" and how do they play in our having good lives. It's easy to forget how much the media, capitalism, and politics, influence our choices, desires and ideas of necessity. The book talks about all of this. It's personal, it's funny, and it's smart. It's inspiring to see someone take on and tackle these issues in order to understand it for themselves. Poverty is devastating, not only in terms of lack of resources, but in how people are made to feel for not having. The messages out there, the preoccupation with consumption, abundance, choice, affect all of us, no matter where we are along the economic spectrum. Very few of us escape the underlying message, that our significance, sense of worth and accomplishment, is tied into how much and what we have. With humor, warmth and insight, Judith Levine takes these issues on. Her honesty is refreshing. Whether or not you agree, or identify, with her life and choices, this is an experiment worth reading. It's got heart and vision. Go buy it!

Levine won't cure your shopaholism. But she sure will entertain you and make you think about your own buying, its effects on yourself and on the whole world. It's personal, it's political.. It's funny, it's brilliant. It will hit you where you live. I COULDN"T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!