Dumpster Diving: The Advanced Course: How to Turn Other People's Trash into Money, Publicity, and Power [Paperback]

John Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 158160369X | ISBN-13: 978-1581603699 | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

It's been 10 years since the publication of John Hoffman's cult classic of urban scavenging, The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving. Now the Garbage Guru is back with an advanced course in the unconventional economics of exploring the trash for fun and profit. Just some of the lessons you will learn include: the key secret to dealing with locked dumpsters; how to dive for information and use it to humiliate corporations, politicians and other evil-doers; the unusual profitability of diving for movie and celebrity castoffs; the BIG-bucks potential of industrial diving, including the top 10 most lucrative places to do it; how to sell your dumpster-dived wares through the flea market of the 21st century - eBay; how to parlay dumpster diving consciousness into finding cheap property, supporting radical causes, even landing political office; and much more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Hoffman's career as a bona fide fringe writer began with the publication of his cult classic, The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving. His previous employment is equally checkered - he has worked as a psychiatric counselor, printer's assistant, security guard, pizza cook, soldier, activist, newspaper reporter, hotel clerk, apartment manager and city councilman. He is now studying for a law degree.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158160369X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581603699
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,380,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as his first book but a worthy addition, December 1, 2002

By 

A. Burchfield (Conway, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dumpster Diving: The Advanced Course: How to Turn Other People's Trash into Money, Publicity, and Power (Paperback)

I bought Hoffman's "Art and Science of Dumpster Diving" years ago and really liked it (as much as you can like a book about profiting from others waste and laziness)so I decided to get this book when it came out. Both books are semi- autobiographical, telling about how Hoffman was raised doing this subject, but this new book goes a lot more into the political and other commentary stuff. I found that you could almost ignore the first six chapters (out of only nine) of the book and still get most of what there is to learn in the book.
If you want this book as a companion to the first (the readers testimonials here will either fascinate or sicken you depending on your point of view) buy it, but if you really want to learn how people dumpster dive get the first book.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment, February 7, 2003

By 

News Nut (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dumpster Diving: The Advanced Course: How to Turn Other People's Trash into Money, Publicity, and Power (Paperback)

I have to agree with the other reviewer who said that this sequel is not as good as the original. While "The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving" was a great how-to book, "The Advanced Course" is more of a long rant about dumpster diving.
I found that only two of the chapters contained any real information, while the rest of the book only contained interesting stories. One of the biggest differences from this book and the first one is the change in the attitude of the author, John Hoffman. In his first book, Hoffman came off as a far right wing, gun welding, isolationist. While is this new book he has become a left wing, peace loving, hippie. If this is a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. Needless to say this book is a complete 360 turn from its predecessor. I must confess that I was disappointed in this book.

I expected to find alot more useful information, but often the book falls short. Such as in the chapter on finding keys to locked dumpsters. Hoffman simply recommends asking for the key from a person who works for the business that the dumpster is used by. I have to believe that getting the key is not that simple as just asking for it. The rest of the Key chapter is filled with a long story about how useful the key that Hoffman once found (by accident) was in his dumpster diving. The author offers no "plan B" in case the dumpster's owners don't feel like handing over the key to a total stranger.

Also, there is a chapter that is called "The really really weird chapter." This chapter title could not be more fitting. I could not make heads or tails of this acid trip of a book chapter, I ended up skipping it entirely after just a few paragraphs.

I really wanted to love this book. But sadly it left me feeling diappointed. None of the original DIY feeling of the first book is to be found in its sequel. Instead, Hoffman seems to be more focused on telling us about how his first book made him a "cult hero" and all the fame and fortune it brought him. Time after time Hoffman continues to brag about how he is "street wise" and "famous" and "stands still while going down on a dumpster so the reporters can get a good picture." Blah!

If Hoffman's first book left you hungry for more useful tips on scoring great dumpster goodies, I suggest you speak to other divers in your area for the real straight dope. No information will be found here that is of use to the experienced diver.
Read Hoffman's first book, and forget the sequel.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the first., August 7, 2003

By 

Nathan D Larson (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dumpster Diving: The Advanced Course: How to Turn Other People's Trash into Money, Publicity, and Power (Paperback)

This book was not as well-written or as useful as the first. I consider it to have been a waste of money because there was little in the way of practical advice.

Compared to the original, with its no-nonsense prose, clearly-organized chapters, sprinkled with philosophy, this book was a rambling diatribe that went nowhere. It did have some good tips for the EXPERIENCED diver who wants to make money faster by diving behind electronics stores, etc. but if you are not sure whether diving is your cup of tea, I would buy the first book and try those tips first.