I'm in the middle of reading a couple interesting books right now. I've never really been a big reader, so it takes me a little while to get through them. I just can't sit still for very long and when I walk around while reading, I bump into things. I tend to go towards non-fiction, there are just so many topics that interest me. One of the books I am currently reading is called Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash by Susan Strasser. Yes, I am reading a book about trash! It examines how trash has changed and increased over our history. I'm about a hundred pages in and I have found it to be extremely thorough and interesting. It's not a fun read per se, but it taps into one of the things I am most intrigued about...why have we become such a disposable society? I sell other people's waste, so this should be no surprise. So far, I have been most impacted by the examination of reuse in centuries (even decades) past. This used to be a regular part of everyone's life, even the rich. Fat was saved to make soap, old clothes were repaired or refashioned, food sacks were made into towels and rugs. We have made some improvements in our standard of living over the years that I would really hate to give up, but something healthy and beautiful has been lost.
2 comments:
This sounds very interesting. I think it is perfectly normal to read a book about trash. I once read a non-fiction book on the history of bananas. People made fun of me but it was really good!
I really want to read that book. That's something that would definitely interest me. :)
Post a Comment