Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780743269360)

Shocked by the commerce in everything from pet cloning to patriotism, frightened by the downward spiral of her finances and that of the trash-strewn earth, Judith Levine enlists her partner, Paul, in a radical experiment: to forgo all but the most necessary purchases for an entire year.

Without consumer goods and experiences, Judith and Paul pursue their careers, nurture relationships, and try to keep their sanity, their identities, and their sense of humor intact. Tracking their progress -- and inevitable lapses -- Levine contemplates need and desire, scarcity and security, consumerism and citizenship. She asks the Big Questions: Can the economy survive without shopping? Are Q-tips necessary?

Not Buying It is the confession of a woman any reader can identify with: someone who can't live without French roast coffee or SmartWool socks but who has had it up to here with overconsumption and its effects on the earth and everyone who dwells there.

For the humor and intelligence of its insights, the refreshment of its skepticism, and the surprises of its conclusions, Not Buying It is sure to be on anyone's list of Necessities.

Author: Judith Levine
ISBN-10: 0743269365
ISBN-13: 9780743269360
Publisher: Atria Books
Language: English
Published: 02/01/2007
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.57lbs
Size: 7.82h x 5.66w x 0.72d

Review Citation(s):
Entertainment Weekly 06/06/2008 pg. 70
Entertainment Weekly 01/08/2010 pg. 74