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The Scavengers' Manifesto (2009)

by Anneli Rufus(Favorite Author)

3.01 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1585427179 (ISBN13: 9781585427178)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Tarcher

review 1: This is NOT a "how-to."Great stab at describing a lifestyle that doesn't rely wholly (or at all) on retail consumerism. The authors tried to make scavenging into a religious experience (whilst debunking true religion), which may be their experience. I tend to look out for bargins, shop at thrift stores, barter and trade out of necessity, and also in small part, out of rejection of "all new, all the time." And out of respect for the resources that God has given us. They've turned thrifting into a religion; I thrift because of mine.From the intro:"We're trash-pickers. We're treasure-hunters. Bargain shoppers. Beachcombers. Recyclers. Freecyclers. Sample-sifters. Coupon shoppers. Swappers. Wherever we are, wherever we go, we find ways not to shop. We don't steal... more. We don't scam. But we don't pay full price. We don't pay at all if we can help it. In which case, to be true to our ethics, the authors feel like saying: Psst. Scavenge this book. Find it in the street. Buy it for spare change at a yard sale. Snatch it from a free box. Fish it from a Dumpster - although we hope it would never end up there. Borrow it from the library.Whoops, there goes our future income."
review 2: I finished about 100 pages of this book and got rid of it. What I was hoping for was a helpful guide to figuring out how to go about redirecting my purchasing to getting used items and a "how-to" guide on where to find good buys that are used. What I got was a book that felt like it was written by a 16-year-old rebellious punk telling me why he is awesome for dumsterDiving and being a pack rat, and why I'm just a mindless consumer with no soul. I really liked rufus' other book ("stuck: why we can't (or won't) move on"), but this one felt condescending. It also felt like it glorified picking up anything that could be useful (in the next millenium) and becoming a packrat- hoarding junk just so you can claim to be a master of creativity. Sorry- obsessive compulsive hoarding is not for me. less

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