Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping (Hardcover)

by Judith Levine (Author)
Key Phrases: cell tower, New York, Voluntary Simplicity, Bridgman Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
If you've ever contemplated cutting down on your consumerism but couldn't bring yourself to do it, Levine's volume allows you to witness and learn from this drastic experiment without going through the withdrawal yourself. Since giving up shopping entirely is impossible in North America (buying food requires money), the most interesting aspect of Levine's adventure is the process of defining necessity. High-speed Internet access, Q-tips and any soap fancier than Ivory, for example, are all ruled out as luxuries. With chapters divided by month, the book witnesses Levine's journey from enthusiastic experimenter in January to a still game but weary participant by the fall, as favorite luxuries run out and clothes become shabbier. As Levine trades in movies and restaurants for the public library system and dinner parties at home, she is forced to reflect on not only the personal indulgences she's become used to but also their place in defining her social space. Since this book is about exploring consumerism rather than economizing (although she does manage to save $8,000 by the end of the year), Levine investigates several anticonsumer movements—she joins her local Voluntary Simplicity group, participates in Buy Nothing Day and consults experts on issues of consumerism and conservation. Yet the most insightful aspect is Levine's account of her own struggle to keep down her day-to-day consumption of goods and to define the fine line between need and want. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Other than phenomenal willpower and maxed-out credit cards, what does it take to simply stop purchasing for 12 months? Levine took the plunge--and found it irritating, exhilarating, thought provoking, and humiliating--among many other conflicting emotions. What's an inexpensive substitute for Q-tips? How to best gift a soon-to-be college graduate without spending any money? How to avoid the consumption seduction that lurks in every corner? Levine chronicles her feelings in this almost-weekly diary of the year of nonpurchasing. Many of her points are intentionally provocative; for instance, not buying makes her feel vulnerable and having to ask for help. Plus, her secondary sources, from the recently issued Trading Up (2003) to federal deficit projections and Socratic pronouncements, add a great deal of depth to a topic that could be perceived as frivolous. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; First Edition, First Printing edition (February 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743269357
• ISBN-13: 978-0743269353
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #521,874 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

354 of 375 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What you need to know to decide if this is for YOU, March 8, 2006

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

I bought this book after hearing a discussion with the author on public radio on March 8, 2006. If it is still up on the NPR site, I would strongly advise listening to a partial or full transcript of that show. It will help you make a decision to buy this book and whether it meets your needs [...]

In the interview, the author not only discusses her experiences, refusing to buy her usual daily latte, to make do with an old, used truck and to (ouch!) even give up her book buying habit. In short, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, it wasn't a purchase. She also discusses larger political views about consumerism in our culture and this, perhaps, is what is upsetting so many readers. She speaks of achieving balance, of deciding whether an ephemeral object is more important than devoting one's time and money towards larger pursuits, such as improving the school system or contributing to safer parks and neighborhoods or...whatever.

I think that maybe some readers were disappointed because they wanted a "how to" book rather than an exploration of consumerism and one woman's very individual experience. The book provides food for thought, a beginning step in a process rather than an absolute program. Those looking for absolutes should get a "how to" book.

This wasn't an easy process for Ms. Levine. Like so many of us, she had deeply entrenched habits and some seemingly minor daily purchases that were nearly automatic. Changing habits was far more difficult than she could have foreseen.

The author speaks of "unexpected longings" which she felt, longings that could be so easily focused or symbolized by objects or purchases. A new handbag may be simply a practical way to carry one's money and some tissues or it can carry meanings far beyond the obvious, including the desire to be seen as a person with "taste", buying nice items and avoiding the cheap, the apparently tacky.

Certain brands may smack of taste, style and reflect an image. They affect our very identify and sense of self...that's a LOT of emotional baggage to put on a specific object and yet, without those extra layers of meaning, how many expensive consumer items would actually sell?

Shopaholics should definitely buy this book. It may not cause them to completely revise their habits but they may well become more conscious of their motivations.

I will admit up front that I LOVED the book. It was more than an exploration of consumerism but of certain assumptions about "the better life" and what items constitute our viewpoints about ourself and reflect our values. Why do we surround ourselves with the possessions we have? Why do we buy the homes we do? Why do we spend far more than we really need to?

Yes, as some critics here have pointed out, the author has a political agenda and, yes, it is admittedly on the liberal side. If that bothers you, do not buy this book. This book is about making you THINK about your values, what motivates you to shop and buy what you do. It will help you reconsider both your conscious and subconscious motivations for doing so.

However, if you are looking for a HOW TO book, a guide to getting you out of debt or a program for saving money, don't expect this book to provide that structure. It isn't about that. It is simply one woman's experience (and experiment) with trying to do without for a year, as much as possible. It touches upon greater political and social issues and how our choices affect the world, not just our personal lives.

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why Free isn't Always Good, February 11, 2007

By	M. Spencer (Rocky Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let me begin by saying that, in the main, I am on Ms. Levine's side of the political aisle. I certainly think of myself as a liberal and a feminist.

That being said, this book was not a cogent call to arms for likeminded activists, a reasoned diatribe against consumerism, or even a mildly entertaining look at how Americans live (and buy) in the early part of this century.

Instead the book is a poorly written, self-indulgent, and condescending look at "doing without". While the author and her partner enjoy the benefits of two homes, three cars, and a plethora of options not possible to the working class, Ms. Levine is nevertheless ballsy enough to embark on a book about doing without. I think one of the moments that best summed up this entire failed experiment was when the author mentioned how often her friends are shocked to hear she is doing without films.

In the real America, when we "decide" to do without, we make decisions about whether to let our prescription drugs lapse or buy food for the family, whether to make an ER trip because we couldn't afford to go to a primary care physician, and whether to pay the heat, electric, or water bills this month. I know I don't get to decide that the New York Times and $55 haircuts are necessities. Let's talk about real decisions. I don't begrudge the author her $1,000/year diabetic cat, or even her non-processed organic foods (another option many of us simply can't afford), but I most certainly resent that Judith Levine holds up this year of her life as anything more than a cute and patronizing indulgence of her own whims.

As my husband pointed out when I was discussing the book with him, "They aren't buying anything, but they can't even cut their own hair? They have a forty-acre place in Vermont and can't even grow SOME of their own food?"

I don't know that I picked up this book (from the library) expecting a book that would teach me how not to buy, or solve the big problems of the world. But I think I should get more than this book had to offer. Like some of the "g*dawful" free entertainments the author substituted for her usual round of paid theatre and film performances, I expect more than this book has to offer. Even when I don't pay for it.

86 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable..., March 26, 2006

By	M. Nichols (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Judith Levine's "Not Buying It" is an enjoyable read, a tale of how the author saved $8000 in one year (and paid off her debt) by cutting her expenses to a mere $3900, not including rent and utitilties. This meant a pretty drastic cutback -- everything from DVD rentals to new socks were nixed for a period of one calendar year. The project wasn't motivated merely by financial burden. Instead Levine was sick of the mindless consumption she was partaking in and vowed to do something about it.

The book is political in nature, and is filled with socio-political details. During her year she meets various eco-friendly types, and engages in some local politics, such as a public debate over whether to allow a cell tower in a rural area.

This isn't a book that is full of answers, but it is an enjoyable memoir. Fans of "Your Money or Your Life" will welcome the chance to experience this year vicariously.