What I've been reading of late
First, some books.
Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture
(by Ellen Ruppel), was sort of like Overdressed, except that it had a much broader focus. I thought it was very interesting to read about the history of cheap products...basically how we got into the mess we're in now. Ruppel also addressed some of the major problems with our cheap culture (like the fact that many companies are cutting costs by treating employees poorly, and sourcing goods from places that treat people poorly.)
I think I'd have liked a slightly more solutions-based end to the book, but Ruppel did highlight some companies who are bucking the trend and are managing to successfully run a business that treats their employees fairly and also offers a fair price to the consumer (I remember that Wegman's, a grocery chain, was one such company that she mentioned.)
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Zero Waste Home
, by blogger Bea Johnson, was a fun read. It's a very practical book, and Bea comes across as really approachable and down to earth in the book...the book gives you a bit more of a, "She's in the trenches with you." sort of feel than the blog does because you get to hear the story of how she and her family used to lived instead of just a snapshot of how they live now.
There are some good ideas in here, but Bea is a little (ok, a lot) more committed to this than I will ever be. For instance, she makes her own tooth powder to use instead of toothpaste, and she makes her own eyeliner by using the ashes of something that I can't remember at the moment (I hope I'm remembering that right.)
I think the important thing is to do SOMETHING. Even if we all just do the easier stuff (use cloth bags, choose foods with less packaging, buy used whenever possible, buy quality items that will last) and don't make our own eyeliner, we can have a huge impact.
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The The Zero-Waste Lifestyle
is also written by a blogger, but it reads more like a textbook on green living than Zero Waste Home does. It's really informative, but just not quite as personal as Zero Waste Home.
The one slight beef I have with these books and with the zero waste movement in general is that they tend to talk about how going zero waste simplifies life and saves money. However, I think that's only true if you've previously been living a typical American life...big house, lots of shopping, etc.
If you've been living a fairly pared-down existence like many of us in this blog community have, going zero-waste complicates things and usually ends up costing more. That's not to say that I think living a less-trashy lifestyle isn't worth pursuing, but I hesitate to sell it with a, "You'll save time and money!" promise.
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I found The Town That Food Saved
(by Ben Hewitt) at the library when I was looking for his book Saved (which is about how he quit worrying about money). It's a well-written book about a local food system in Vermont, and now I really do want to read his Saved book.
(Ohhh! I just checked again at my library and they do indeed have this book now. A hold has been placed. Yay!)
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And to wrap things up, two links:
I liked this post from Mr. Money Mustache about how small efforts add up over time (warning: Mr. MM does occasionally use colorful language.)
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I've known for a while that microbeads are very bad news environmentally speaking, but I didn't know that they're sometimes in things like sunscreen and toothpaste. (Thanks to a reader for sending me that article.)
Happily (sort of) some big companies are going to stop using microbeads in their products, but it's going to take them up to three years to phase them out.
In the meantime, do try to avoid products that have those little beads in them. People have managed to get themselves clean without microbeads for quite a few years, so we probably can too. 😉
(and if you want an exfoliating soap, give a natural one a try. Third Day uses oatmeal and cornmeal as exfoliators.)
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What have you been reading lately? I always love to get good book recommendations.
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Joshua's 365 post: Disclaimer: This Post May Contain Snakes
(Actually, uh, it does. I found a small snake when we were a block or two into a walk last night, and we called Joshua on the cell phone to come out and see it! Fortunately, he had his camera in hand.)
If I need really clean, I use either Boraxo or Lava. Both work just fine. 😉
Also, since we're talking exfoliation ... http://tinyurl.com/5w3vlal
Thanks for the reviews. I may check out a few of these books. Right now I'm reading Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal about a stay at home dad. So far it's good!
This sounds great! Who's the author?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1938170156/scott0ba-20
Interesting. It should be clarified, though, that the microbeads are those made of _plastic_. My favorite facial cleanser uses jojoba beads, which do not have this impact.
I had no idea that "microbeads" are actually plastic!
Micro-beads are such an unecessary problem, and are one of those things that really, um, annoy, me! You can just use sugar or salt for exfoliating, or look for a scrub with walnut shell or another natural product.
I'm currently reading A Dance of Dragons, the fifth Game of Thrones book. It makes a nice change from reading scientific papers all day at work 🙂
Shouldn't these all be ebooks to be zero waste? 🙂
Ha! Well, these authors usually have considered that, but decided that publishing a paper book would reach more people, and reaching more people will hopefully change enough lives to offset the environmental impact of printing a book.
Beth Terry from"My Plastic Free Life" has a book called Plastic Free. Full of great information.
She does an amazing job living a life free of plastic.
I downloaded Dr Brene Brown's book 'Daring Greatly' after listening to her second TedTalk about vulnerability.
'Putting yourself out there' or in 'The arena' as she describes it is very scary for me. Dr Brown spoke about having a 'vulnerability hangover' and I could relate (aka it made me laugh so sincerely as I know that particular feeling so well) hence the download.
The books I enjoy tend to be those that make me look at things in a different light and open up new possibilities. The books above look really interesting. I reckon Bea's is definitely one for me to check out.
Oh and also I'm listening more than reading of late. In a desperate attempt to get some of the mundane and soul-destroying but necessary household jobs out of the way I'm downloading podcasts. But as this is new to me I'm getting mixed results in terms of good and not so good quality. If anyone has any suggestions on good downloads purlease let me know and save me some time! Thanks!
Have you tried audio books? I listened to one that my friend got from the library and it was great!
My local paper had a front page story today on microbeads and their problems. The local aspect is that the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester, VA is working on this problem - how it affects marine life and trying to find a substitute. One more thing to try to avoid.
Just finished Simplicity Parenting, and I loved it. I'm working on implementing the recommendations one at a time ... so many things I've been pondering and trying to do with our family, but now I'm motivated to make them all happen for a calmer, happier home.
I second your sentiments on this book. I also like that she's very upfront about the fact that using less plastic is not always easy.
Oops-this was supposed to be a reply to Rebecca's comment : "Beth Terry from"My Plastic Free Life" has a book called Plastic Free. Full of great information.
She does an amazing job living a life free of plastic."
"The one slight beef I have with these books and with the zero waste movement in general is that they tend to talk about how going zero waste simplifies life and saves money. However, I think that's only true if you've previously been living a typical American life...big house, lots of shopping, etc."
Couldn't agree more.
"the Joy of Less" a Minimalist Living Guide
By Francine Jay
Those books sound interesting especially Saved (I just put it on reserve at the library). I found a couple of the audiobooks through my library, too. I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and read so I've mostly been listening to audiobooks. Lately, I've listened mainly to history and classical literature (right now it's a George Washington biography and The Prince and the Pauper - I'm on a Mark Twain marathon right now) so that gives me something different to listen to.
I agree that if you live a pretty simple life going "zero waste" doesn't necessarily save time and/or money. I make my own bar soap and people sometimes ask me if it saves money, it sure doesn't save time. I explain that the savings are relative - it cost me about a dollar a bar to make so compared to cheap bar soap in the store it is more expensive. If I buy soap of similar quality at the craft fairs that costs $5, then yes, I'm saving a lot of money.
I love reading Mr. Money Mustache's blog. Yours and his are the only ones I regularly read. Since you both promote simple living, I don't feel like I'm so weird because I'm not a big consumer like everyone around me. I wish I could focus on retiring early like he did but since I homeschool my kids being home is more important at this stage of my life (I do work part-time 1-2 shifts a week). It definitely gives me a goal for when the boys go to college. So your blog helps give me that balance that it's okay to make less but be home more.
Hi, Cynthia: Our perspectives are interesting. I make bar soap, too, and start to finish including setup and cleanup, it takes maybe an hour (although you have to add the non hands-on time of waiting for it to cure and harden for a few weeks). I've actually been feeling like it's less work to make soap than to run out to Target and buy some. 🙂
I need to check out Mr. Money Mustache's blog.
What about your time buying the ingredients? 🙂 I still think it takes less time to buy it because I would get it as part of my grocery shopping so it wouldn't be any additional time. Also, if I was just getting a couple of things, I can go to the store and back in 10 min., so, for me, it's still less time either way.
Just finished The Laterhomecomer. An absolutely beauriful and mezmorizing read!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Latehomecomer-Hmong-Family-Memoir/dp/1566892082
Am now reading The Winter of Our Disconnect, on the advice of this blog! I'm laughing my head off! The author tells if "the experiment" with such humor! Incidentially, we are putting our television in storage tonight. Alas, not our other screens-lol!
Take care,
Emily
I just downloaded a free copy of 'Walden' onto my Kindle, written by the grandfather of the simplicity movement, Henry David Thoreau. I'm expecting this to be a pretty significant read, and I look forward to walking away with much to contemplate.
Otherwise, I'm reading 'I, Claudius' by Robert Graves, and it's excellent. Here's one review on it that made me laugh,
"You've seen The Sopranos, so you think you know about gangsters.
But Imperial Rome didn't get its reputation by organizing knitting circles.
No, it didn't."
My husband's reading Walden right now -- he picked it up at Goodwill. From what he's told me about it, it's amazing.
That blog post from Mr. MM was perfect. Been thinking a lot about the small efforts, and try to teach my clients the same. So hard to continue small efforts when you don't see immediate results. Thanks for the reading suggestions.
Thanks for the book recommendations/reviews! I've really been wanting to read "Saved," and I'll add some of your other suggestions to my list too. (Right now I'm reading "The Astronaut Wives' Club" -- what a great bio of the original astronaut wives! What does this have to do with frugality? Not a lot -- though they were '50s frugal -- but I thought I'd mention it. :))
Thanks for the heads up on these, will go and check them out, am new to all this frugal stuff, although I do a lot of sewing - make do and mend and make patchwork quilts.
Thanks
Angela
Author of http://smallholdingpleasureorprofit.blogspot.co.uk
I read both Zero Waste Home and Zero Waste Lifestyle recently. I love the idea of zero waste but there aren't enough places near me that sell in bulk to be able to pull it off. Our family is down to approximately a one-gallon bag of trash a day, sometimes less. Much better than the 13 gallon bag we filled up most days two years ago :).
I just finished a book called "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh. Fabulous, excellent book on decluttering your home, life and mind! He makes so much sense, and it's super readable.
Thanks for the recommendations, it's great to hear them with the reviews.
I would recommend everyone check out Ben Hewitt's website, too: http://benhewitt.net