Book Review: Affluenza

I've dropped the # after my book reviews.

Readers of Crunchy Chicken's blog chose their newest book club selection to be Affluenza by de Graaf, Wann, and Naylor. Good thing! I’ve read this book twice now (a rarity for non garden-related books), and happen to consider it among my favorites. It makes me want to go out and start a close-knit livable community!

This book starts out really strong, and makes you consider your actions and what impact they are having on us, our families, and our planet. It was a really great book to read over the Christmas season, because it made me consider the effects of all the items we gave as gifts on the recipients and our environment. (We tried really hard to give gifts that were meaningful and reusable beyond their typical lifespan).

Spend! Grow to beyond the size of your fishtank, and then use credit for what you can’t pay cash for! Help our economy! Jobs are created when you spend money! Nonsense, say the authors.

It borders on a little preachy sometimes, and much of the info is not so new – you’ve heard much of it before in differing ways. But the anecdotes and interesting facts scattered throughout the book are interesting and make you want to keep reading. The effect of this book for me is this: You’re sitting in a dark room, trying to ignore the fact that you’re in a dark room when someone comes along and says, “Turn the light on dummy!” Yep, that’s what it awakened in me.

I'd like to share a really telling part of the book that opened my eyes: page 190

The Bioregion Quiz

1. Trace the water you drink from precipitation to tap
2. Describe the soil around your home
3. What were the primary subsistence techniques of the cultures that lived in your area before you?
4. Name five native edible plants in your bioregion and their seasons of availability.
5. Where does your garbage go?
6. Name five resident and any migratory birds in your area.
7. What animal species have become extinct in your area?
8. What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?
9. What kind of rocks and minerals are found in your bioregion?
10. What is the largest wilderness area in your bioregion?

I'm not perfect and I'll admit that I can't fully answer a couple of these questions. But I like that the book takes a look at the natural environment around us, and doesn't solely focus on consumption. In that way, it reminds me of another one of my favorite books, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.

Some people say that the book doesn’t give any solutions, but I think the solution is loud and clear: simplify your life, you’ll be happier for it and the environment will benefit too. This theme permeates the book. But the authors suggest many large-scale changes as well – the 30 hour workweek, a national healthcare system, etc. I hope to such paradigm shifts in my lifetime, but won’t hold my breath. Simply put, the changes have to come from individuals. The more individuals that make said changes, the more “critical mass” these ideas will become.

The first time I read it, I skipped the last chapter. It just totally lost my interest. The book ramps up its message loud and clear and then dies off suddenly. I actually read the last chapter this time and felt as though it was an unnecessary part of the book, superfluous. Like a last-minute addition.

For me, this was a life changing book the first and second time I read it. I recommend it to everyone, even though I pointed out some of its flaws here. [You can read more reviews at Amazon (most are highly positive).] Because this book was part of what made me change my life in the last year, I have to give it a:

Grade: A-