Book #18

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping - Judith Levine



So, is it ironic/profitic that I got this book from Paperback Swap and didn't actually buy it.



Interesting book. Somewhat guilt inducing. Written in 2004 and included a lot of content focusing on the presential election and campaigns. Actaully a little too much for my tastes, but relavent at the time the book was written and published.



She and her husband really were the perfect test subjects for this experiment. Freelance writers, fifty somethings, no children, split their time between New York City and Vermont (poor things). So, they decide that they are not going to buy anything but essenttial itmes for an entire year. This is including entertainment like movies, concerts and theater, unless they are free performences. They managed and saved a bunch of money in the process and learned to enjoy different experiences that they probably wouldnt have tried if not for the project.



It is a study of how deeply engrained shopping is in our culture and how hard it is to not shop in our culture. Shopping is a competative sport.