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7+ opere 1,177 membri 37 recensioni

Opere di J. B. MacKinnon

Opere correlate

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2018 (2018) — Collaboratore — 109 copie
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019 (2020) — Collaboratore — 102 copie
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023 (2023) — Collaboratore — 26 copie

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Informazioni generali

Altri nomi
MacKinnon, James
Sesso
male

Utenti

Recensioni

 
Segnalato
Tytania | 2 altre recensioni | May 3, 2023 |
A four-star book in a one-star package

Although I was eager to read The Day the World Stops Shopping, I was appalled when I first opened it up—so much so that I almost gave up on it immediately and returned it, unread, in disgust. Why? Not only is the typeface unbelievably miniscule, the ink is so faint it is virtually impossible to read unaided. I am young and have reasonably good eyesight; I had to borrow my grandma’s lighted magnifier just to be able to read this book…and, even then, it was uncomfortable and made my eyes ache! I managed to stick with it just because I was especially interested in the topic, but I don’t really think it was worth it simply because of the damage it undoubtedly caused to my eyesight. It is unfortunate that poor decision-making on the part of the publisher (Ecco/HarperCollins) will discourage many potential, casual readers from actually reading this book because it does have a lot of important things to say.

This book really does contain a lot of compelling ideas and a fascinating discussion about consumer culture and its impact on the environment, our quality of life, & our mental health. It discusses a wide array of topics such as advertising, whaling, air conditioning, fashion, the Internet & digital goods, happiness, and 20th century light bulb cartels…all within the context of consumerism and its looming, inescapable presence in almost every aspect of our lives.

The author, J. B. Mackinnon, illustrates the dangerous pitfalls of emphasizing “growth” in business with an examination of enduring, centuries-old family businesses and their overwhelming focus on continuity and community rather than unbridled expansion.

He talks about the unintended consequences of “green” products and technologies that actually increase energy consumption and man’s carbon footprint rather than decreasing negative impacts on the environment.

Although he can be vague & he vacillates somewhat on the issue, Mackinnon seems to conclude that consumerism is almost certainly inevitable and unavoidable because civilizations seem to naturally gravitate towards it. Without the complicity of society as a whole, individuals who choose to live simply and to significantly limit their shopping activities will have very little positive environmental impact and will be unable to avoid consumerism altogether; they will invariably get dragged back into consumerism’s soul-sucking cycle to some extent. This was an especially disheartening, yet astute, observation. As operational systems cease to be supported, as employers increasingly oblige jobseekers to complete online applications, as businesses increasingly demand that apps and online services be used for orders and other business transactions, etc. individuals are consistently required to buy new cell phones, computers, and other products they may not want or need, simply because they have to function at some level within society. It really makes one stop and think about the nature of freedom and personal choice, or the lack thereof, in the face of inescapable social forces.

One small part of the book was disturbingly offensive. In Chapter 14, Mackinnon discusses the work of a “do-gooder” community action organization in England. At one point, a fruit tree planting project organized by the group is derailed because of the protests of one of the residents. Mackinnon says he feels it is important to point out that the irate resident who put a stop to the project was a middle-aged, white man. And this was important to point out… why? It seems to be important because Mackinnon wants to dismiss the validity of this man’s opinion as immaterial simply because he was old, white, and male—even though his concerns and complaints were quite legitimate (fruit trees do require a lot of care and can make a huge mess); after all, the trees were just a short-term project for Mackinnon and for the community action group, but the fruit trees were being planted at this man’s front door and would impact his living space for years to come.

It seems important for me to point out to Mr. Mackinnon that he himself is old, white, and male…is he trying to tell his readers that they just wasted several hours reading thoughts and opinions that are thoroughly invalid simply because of his own age, race, and gender? Give me a break. Mr. Mackinnon may want to consider omitting the self-deprecating ageism, sexism, and bigotry from his future writing endeavors.

Nevertheless, The Day the World Stops Shopping is a very thought-provoking work that should be read by everyone, but only if it is reprinted in a normal edition that is actually readable by the average person.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
BlueReading | 2 altre recensioni | Feb 10, 2023 |
This was a really good thought provoking read. It made me ponder a lot about modern consumption. My only critique would be that I wish it contained more actionable advice and tips.
 
Segnalato
thewestwing | 2 altre recensioni | Aug 12, 2022 |
One year, a couple was inspired to try to eat locally for a year. They defined locally based on their geographic surroundings and ended up drawing a boundary that allowed them to eat food withing 100 miles of their home in Vancouver, BC.

This book is the story of the challenges they faced and the lessons they learned. A year of trying to eat only locally grown and produced foods was difficult. Some of these difficulties were due to their geographic location; the area around Vancouver is just not fit for producing sugar or citrus. Other difficulties were more humorous; their 100 mile area included parts of northern Washington. They visited and found that the area produced a variety of wonderful foods, but then realized that they would be hampered by restrictions on taking food over the border (they decided it was worth the risk to smuggle home a wheel of cheese).

One of the most important lessons that the authors learned about food is that you can grow a lot more than you think in the climate of the Pacific Northwest. Our stereotypes about what can grow well are extremely warped by where things can be grown with the absolute highest yield. However, in reality most climates can support a much larger variety of food than they are known for, albeit at a smaller scale. Thus, even eating locally in Vancouver, BC, the authors were able to have a varied and interesting diet all year round (although it did take some preserving and finding wheat was a pain).

The other lesson the authors learned was to appreciate their food more. Spending a year eating locally caused Smith and Mackinnon to really think about the food they ate and helped them to appreciate the simple joys of fresh fruit or the first greens of the season. They learned, emotionally not just intellectually, that our food connects us to the earth and that holds true whether the food comes from your windowsill, a small farmer, or a giant farm.

The main thing I have taken from the book is to just think about my food, where it comes from, and what its production method may be denying me. I am not going to start only eating food that comes from within 100 miles, but I am going to take distance into account when given the choice. I am not going to stop buying lemons, but I am going to acknowledge that a strawberry shipped from California is less tasty than one picked fresh and ripe in Marysville. Mainly, I am going to acknowledge that our food production system is not without real social and environmental cost and try to take that cost into account when I am looking at price differences.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
eri_kars | 22 altre recensioni | Jul 10, 2022 |

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Statistiche

Opere
7
Opere correlate
3
Utenti
1,177
Popolarità
#21,848
Voto
3.8
Recensioni
37
ISBN
38
Lingue
2

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