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Not Buying it: My Year without Shopping (Paperback)

by Judi Levine (Author)
2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 286 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books; New edition edition (2 Jan 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1416526838
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416526834
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 67,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #12 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Social Issues > Consumer Issues

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Product Description

Product Description

Many of us have tried to call a halt to our spending at one time or another. But what if we decided not to buy anything for a whole year? Obviously, we would need necessities like food and soap, but how would be manage without new clothes, treats, entertainment? Funny, smart and self-deprecating, Not Buying It is a close look at our society's obsession with shopping and the cold turkey confession of a woman we can all identify with - someone who can't live without French roast coffee and expensive wool socks, but who has had enough of spending money for the sake of it. Without consumer goods and experiences, Levine and her partner Paul pursue their careers, nurture family relationships and try to keep their sanity and humour intact. Tracking their progress and lapses, she contemplates the meanings of need and desire, scarcity and security, consumerism and citizenship. She asks the big questions - can the economy survive without shopping? Are Q-tips a necessity? A thought-provoking account of the pleasures and perils of the purchase-driven life, Not Buying It will get readers talking about their reliance on the act of buying and the possibility of getting off the merry-go-round.
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.7 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Dull and wishy-washy, 1 Sep 2007
By moon tree (UK) - See all my reviews
  
Like many reviewers, I found Not Buying It a disappointing read. Disappointing because Judith Levine embarks on an extraordinary adventure in buying nothing but essentials for a year, and yet she shares so little of the experience. I was hoping for ideas and inspiration in my own battle to get out of debt and break free of consumerism. Instead, I got a lot of rather dull musings on economics and American politics, most of which were over my head (and I'm a university graduate).

In places the book reads more like an academic report than a biography, but then Levine's project was academic. She and her partner didn't need to cut down on their spending, not did they choose to do so for ideological reasons. Instead, they set up an experiment with an arbitrary set of rules (tissues weren't considered a necessity, but newspapers were, and they thought nothing of building a large extension on one of their properties during the year). By the end of the book, I didn't have a very favourable impression of Judith Levine. I was irritated by her constant intellectualising over ethical issues; she always seemed to talk herself out of taking any action. This is a woman who appears concerned about the environment, yet regularly commutes between Vermont and New York.

If you're interested in politics, economics or sociology you may enjoy this book. But if your interest is in saving money, my advice is to do just that and leave this book on the shelf.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars If the going gets tough, go skiing, 20 Jun 2007
By Lovage (Sussex) - See all my reviews
I have to agree with those reviewers who were disappointed by this. I, too, skipped a lot of the political stuff to get back to her lifestyle, but didn't get much out of it. As an avid anti-consumerist myself, I found it difficult to empathize with her and her partners' situation. They had a comfortable city home as well as a place in the country where they could play at the simple life, once the agony about having the right sort of sock abated. She may well make her mascara last a long time, but I got the feeling that taking your own sandwich rather than buying one was a big deal for her!
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Big disappointment, 5 Mar 2007
I had high hopes for this book - but very quickly it disappointed. It's not all that relevant to the UK Market for a start. When Ms Levine gets bored, and wants to do something that won't involve spending money, she does what any ordinary Brit would do - goes ski-ing. Hm.

More seriously, this is badly written, self indulgent, and just doesn't keep the interest more than a couple of pages. Spend your money elsewhere.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars With the recession at hand, could you do it?
An ingenious concept, born well before the current wave of books cashing in on the recession. Levine and her partner make the decision to purchase nothing but necessities for one... Read more
Published 9 months ago by E. Potten

2.0 out of 5 stars Bought it!
Whilst this was an easy read and the author had some interesting things to say about consumerism, I can't help feeling slightly cheated for having 'bought it'! Read more
Published 19 months ago by Annabel Gaskell

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a lot of use really!
I received this (on request) for Christmas, and really wish I'd asked for Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle instead. Read more
Published 22 months ago by I read lots

4.0 out of 5 stars insight into one person's personal year
I really enjoyed this book - which I borrowed from the library - as she says herself - marketing a book about not buying unnecessary items is difficult! Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2007 by chocolate lighthouse

2.0 out of 5 stars A Boring Read
I was more than a little disappointed with this book. I am an avid skinflint and really bought this publication for the possibilities of finding further suggestions for saving my... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2007 by Dr. J. Sims

2.0 out of 5 stars Over My Head
I am intelligent but I found this to be way over my head in many parts, it was more an indepth study of consumerism than anything else. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2007 by booksdingle

5.0 out of 5 stars thought provoking
Ok, not many of the readers of this book are going to be much like the author - an intellectual New Yorker with a penchant for synthetic fabrics and skiing. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2007 by D. C. Harold

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and thought-provoking
A challenging, intelligent and interesting account of questioning what is really necessary for life and what is just consumer-driven conformism. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2007 by F. Amrani

3.0 out of 5 stars Borrow this from your library
I was really intrigued by the notion behind this book. I am a compulsive shopper myself and I have often wondered whether I could really give it up for a week let alone a whole... Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2006 by Daisy Goodwin

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