"Consuming less is our best strategy for saving the planet-but can we do it? In this thoughtful and surprisingly optimistic book, journalist J.B. MacKinnon investigates how we might achieve a world without shopping"--

Looks at the history of the growth of consumerism, exposing the international nature of its expansion through the last six hundred years, and the challenges it poses to the planet.

"The director of The Story of Stuff Project tracks the life of the 'stuff' we use every day, transforming how we think about our patterns of consumption. This book is based on the author's 2007 internet film, 'The Story of stuff.' With just 5 percent of the world's population, [the U.S.] is consuming 30 percent of the world's resources and creating 30 percent of the world's waste."--Dust jacket.

The documentary reveals how a melting pot of immigrants, creative mavericks, and freedom-seeking African Americans shaped modern consumerism, forever changing the country's behavior and culture.

"As we become a more digital society, the gains that have been made for the environment by moving toward a paperless world with more and more efficient devices will soon be or already have been offset by the number of devices in our lives that are always using energy. But many don't think about the impact on the environment of the "Internet of things." Whether it's a microwave connected to the internet, use of Netflix, or online shopping, these technological...

This work evaluates the costs of low priced clothing while tracing the author's own transformation to a conscientious shopper, a journey during which she visited a garment factory, learned to resole shoes, and shopped for local, sustainable clothing. Until recently, she was a typical American consumer. She had grown accustomed to shopping at outlet malls, discount stores like T.J. Maxx, and cheap but trendy retailers like Forever 21, Target, and...

"A surprising analysis of the decline in consumption of natural resources despite the explosion of goods, prosperity, and population"--

Takes a phase-by-phase journey through life from infancy to old age to illustrate the enormous imprint every American makes during his or her time on Earth. Incorporates surprising facts with playful visuals to reveal our level of consumption and the simple changes we can all make to reduce the impact of our ecological footprint on the world.

"Shake up the fashion world by taking action as conscious consumers and active citizens. We have the power to collectively change the world with a change of clothes! In the UK alone, over a million tonnes of clothes are thrown away each year and around �140 million worth of clothes head to landfill. Learn how to love your clothes by reusing, swapping and mending what you already have and discover how to choose wisely when you do buy something new....