The Scavengers' Manifesto [Paperback]

Anneli Rufus (Author), Kristan Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 19, 2009

Destined to become the bible for a bold new subculture of eco-minded people who are creating a lifestyle out of recycling, reusing, and repurposing rather than buying new.

An exciting new movement is afoot that brings together environmentalists, anticonsumerists, do-it-yourselfers, bargain-hunters, and treasure-seekers of all stripes. You can see it in the enormous popularity of many websites: millions of Americans are breaking free from the want-get-discard cycle by which we are currently producing approximately 245 million tons of waste every day (that's 4.5 pounds per person, per day!).

In The Scavengers' Manifesto, Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson invite readers to discover one of the most gratifying (and inexpensive) ways there is to go green. Whether it's refurbishing a discarded wooden door into a dining-room table; finding a bicycle on freecycle.org; or giving a neighbor who just had a baby that cute never-used teddy bear your child didn't bond with, in this book Rufus and Lawson chart the history of scavenging and the world-changing environmental and spiritual implications of "Scavenomics," and offer readers a framework for adopting scavenging as a philosophy and a way of life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: Scavenging 101: Ten Steps to Becoming a Successful Scavenger by Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson, authors of The Scavengers' Manifesto

1. Pause and Save. Before every transaction, ask: Can I do this/get this/go there more cheaply or for free? Make this a reflex. Scavenging soon becomes second nature.

2. Find your niche. Are you an urban forager? Thrift shopper? Garage saler? Treasure hunter? Coupon clipper? Seed exchanger Bargain hunter? So many new identities to choose: What kind of scavenger are you?

3. Open your mind. Scavenging means learning to be flexible. Spontaneous. Adventurous. Taking what comes means accepting what comes. Never wore a poncho before or listened to Turkish techno music? If that's what you find, that's what you do. Lose the squeamishness and learn.

4. Open your eyes. Scan every surface, every crevice, because lost and cast-off stuff is usually not in plain sight. Honor your ancient ancestors; become a hunter-gatherer. Find other (legal) means of getting stuff besides brand-new, full-price. Make your new keywords "sale," "half off" "discount" and "free." The more you see, the more you save.

5. Repurpose. Found something you think you can't use? Think again. Then turn it into something else. Doors become tabletops. Calendars become giftwrap. Cut-up mouse pads become coasters. Trophies, bolted to walls, become coat-hooks. Be resourceful.

6. Swap, don't shop. Ask friends, family, neighbors or coworkers to trade their unwanted items — clothes, books, tools, seeds, art, anything — for yours. Your trash is my treasure. Your hated crying-clown portrait is my raison d'etre.

7. Free yourself. From not knowing the difference between want and need. From the insistent ache of buy-more-now-again. Just say no.

8. Wait. Instant gratification is not an option for scavengers, as scavenging means pretty much never knowing what you'll get — or how or where or when or even if. But patience is a virtue. Revive the meaning of "worth the wait."

9. Follow the Scavenging Commandments. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not scam. Thou shalt not leave disorder in thy wake. Thou shalt not hoard. Thou shalt stay safe. Thou shalt not bring shame upon fellow scavengers. Thou shalt not go to extremes just to prove a point.

10. Give thanks. Consumer culture is all about getting whatever you want. Flip that dynamic. Scavenging is about wanting whatever you get.

Review

"The eco-minded 'Scavenomics' philosophy that takes 'recycle and reuse' to a new level."
-Chicago Tribune

"Forget haggling. In this economy, scavenging is the new closeout sale."
- Boston Herald

"Practical ideas and tips pop up amid theories about Darwin, economics and fashion industry trends. With its "live-in-the-moment philosophy," and list of do's and don'ts for scavenging, "Manifesto" provides an insightful if roundabout guide to environmentally friendly living."
-Florida Times Union

"With retailers desperate for consumers' money, and consumers increasingly holding onto that money more tightly, paying full price has become about as uncool as wearing mom jeans. In their new book, The Scavengers' Manifesto, Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson explain how to live for less by becoming a scavenger, which they define as anyone who collects what other people discard, or, more broadly, people who avoid paying full price for just about everything."
- (web site for US News & World Report)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; First Edition edition (March 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585427179
• ISBN-13: 978-1585427178
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much background, too little content July 14, 2009

By freedom reader

Format:Paperback

Rufus and Lawson go into exhaustive detail over the history and sociological biases against scavenging, as well as the economic implications of it. More time is spent on anecdotal reminiscing about the authors' own scavenging experiences. Very little space is given to practical information. Further, while a lot of lip service was paid to repurposing, there was very little in the way of advice in that area. Worse, there was no mention of Make magazine or the Instructables site, both of which dovetail nicely into the repurposing theme.

The authors advise this may be the last book you ever buy. When libraries may well carry it, why bother buying it? (At least I got it used.)

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It must be hard to sell a book on getting things for free March 30, 2009

By Ron

Format:Paperback

It seems like the obvious joke, right? How do you sell a book about getting things for free?

Hopefully in large numbers, as fear of economic downturn prods folks into a bit of frugality!

The book takes on a lot of different topics, all related to scavenging. I found the histories of scavengers across the world and how this related to ethnicity, social standing and portrayals in religion and literature to be the most interesting part of the book. In many places the history of social outsiders and the history of scavengers are one in the same, for reasons that are oftentimes obvious (the poorer classes doing it to survive) but at other times surprising.

The parts on being a modern day scavenger weren't exactly ground breaking for me, but I've been a cheap sort since a young age and have never balked at the idea of getting something used or from the garbage. I can see how it would be useful for scavenger-curious types but I'm having trouble imagining that sort.

Not what I'd call groundbreaking (the idea that we manufacture new things we don't need is addressed on a near daily basis in any anti-consumerism blogs/magazines/books/journals) but still a fun read on a quiet afternoon.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars alot of history, not much information April 5, 2010

By 4fabfelines VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book had a very good exhaustive information and history of scavanging. But it did not, until the end, have practical ways to scavange and how to's. I was rather disappointed in it at that. I wanted more practical ideas on scavanging, repurposing and such.
It is a great history lesson though.