Annie Leonard, creator of the “internet film sensation” The Story of Stuff has just come out with a accompanying book, which is titled, The Story of Stuff: How our Obsession With Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health — And a Vision for Change.
Usually I won’t do a book giveaway unless it’s a book I’ve actually read. However, the generous folks over at Free Press have sent me two copies of this book (one for review, one for giveaway) and I’m going to break my own rule and offer it up before I even crack the spine of my personal copy. I love, love, love Leonard’s video, and I have trust in this book.
To enter to win your own hardback copy of The Story of Stuff, just write a little something about your own relationship with “stuff “in the comments section below. I will randomly pick a winner on Friday, March 19th at midnight PST. Only one entry per person, U.S. residents only.
Leonard is coming to Portland next week to do a reading at locally owned Powell’s City of Books on March 22nd at 7:30 P.M., which I will be attending.
Click here to read Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish’s recent interview with Annie Leonard.
Good luck! Remember — you can’t win if you don’t enter.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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I’ve heard it said that we humans spend the first half of our lives accumulating stuff and the second half trying to get rid of it. If that is truly the case, I’m on a fast downhill slide!!!
Having a relatively small home helps me keep stuff accumulation in check. I just don’t have room to keep everything or buy everything I might otherwise.
My former love affair with clutter/stuff is history! Through a spring I cleaning challenge I have begun the purging of stuff. It did not start overnight and will not end overnight! It seems I have emptied half the house, but more appears. It (stuff) shows up now in the basement, shed, a long forgotten box etc. My stuff did not accumulate overnight, it will not be shed overnight, but I will not be deterred. I want the simple life.
My stuff runneth over.
I am trying to keep up with my son’s outgrown stuff, current stuff, and will-be-useful-in-the-future stuff… and my husband and I didn’t have a great Stuff Management program going on around here even before we became parents. On one hand, we have too much stuff (and/or what we have is not well organized); on the other hand, I keep finding out about BETTER stuff and buying it. *sigh*
How appropriate and also the story of us! We thought the American dream meant always trading up to the bigger house, which needs more stuff, to the bigger car.. to the latest and greatest and new and improved. Last year we joined the Compact, we’ve been shedding ourselves of all of our crap. We hope to be able to sell our house next year and downsize to something small,no formal diningroom, that suits our new mentality. We want time with kids, slow time, fun time and we discovered that the American dream, as it was, is not going to give us what we want.
As usual, I’m getting much good advice from the other commenters. I particularly appreciated Eleanor’s remarks on learning from her cleanout of her mother’s place, and Queen Lucia’s observations on getting past the first layer of obvious clutter and being confronted with the hard decisions. Having had to do both mother and mother-in-law cleanouts in the last 5 years, I have those experiences constantly before me–and since I’m in my 50s and childless, I don’t have the luxury of assuming that my kids will take up the slack. So I’m trying. On the other hand, I’m a lifelong thrift shopper and don’t seem capable of driving past my local Salvation Army store without stopping in. At least I managed to drop off three boxes of books and not buy anything this afternoon!
I love stuff. I can’t help it. I do try to curb my desire to acquire stuff; but stuff I have, nonetheless. A lot of my stuff falls into the “I could use this/may need this someday”-lofty-thinking category. Another category of stuff I have is “I worked hard on this, it shows how smart I am, & thus I should keep it”-stuff; ie. college papers, textbooks, teaching materials, etc. My earliest recollection of “stuff” is saving the wrappers from Starburst candy for MONTHS in a pencil box on my dresser as a child. Lord help me!
I saw Annie Leonard on Colbert, and really want to read her book. My relationship with stuff is a constant battle.
My main “stuff” is clothes and books… while I have a hard time getting rid of books, I’m starting to get rid of the clothes. I have three, yes three, closets of clothes. I live in a small house, my bedroom doesn’t have a built in closet, but I bought an armoire to put my clothes in, it’s full. I have a closet in my front room for coats that is full of my clothes and I have a spare bedroom that is full of my clothes. I started slowly, going through each closet and getting rid of stuff that I knew I’d never wear again (out of style, too small, whatever.) Then a few months later, I went through the closets again and got rid of stuff that I hadn’t worn in over a year – I know a few things survived this test though. So now my goal is to go through these closets yet again and get rid of more items that I don’t wear on a regular basis or don’t think I will wear again. Slowly I am wittling down the clothes that I own. Hopefully some day I’ll be able to start with the books, books are much more important and harder to get rid of so this is definitely going to be an interesting challenge!!
I used to have lots of stuff as a teenager – mostly knick knacks and gifts from friends, cutesy stuff, things that defined me as me. When I got married and got my own house, I needed stuff to make things a home. But my stuff has always been organized. The last few years, I’m realizing how little stuff I actually need to make me happy. Lately, I’m choosing to spend my money on experiences, not things. I’ve paired down our stuff to the point that my husband suggested I become a professional organizer – so I did! My philosophy – the world outside is so chaotic. When I come home and close the door to that world, I want to see and feel peaceful. And most of the time I do.
I have spent the last week going through 24 filled storage boxes kept in an unused bedroom. It is an overwhelming and long overdue task, but I am determined to convert the room from its present status as a huge closet into a study.
I have to say that over the last couple of years I have scaled WAY back, way down and out! Lots going to Amvets or Goodwill. Years back my mom and I would frequent the flea markets……all sorts of goodies would come home! Now, a husband, two kids and a home later I’m getting rid of instead of bringing in. I don’t buy anything unless I have to – from anywhere. I could be better in a lot of ways, but I’m way better now than I used to be!! The book sounds just wonderful!
I’ve struggled all my life with stuff. Even as a child I was collecting all kinds of stuff. My mother would bribe me with a week of camp so that she could throw away all my good stuff. She also worked hard making pretty curtains and bedspreads, but I couldn’t enjoy them because all my stuff was gone. The last time I went to camp, she had to bribe me with a watch to get me to go since I knew what she was going to do while I was away.
Today I still have stuff, but at least am trying to get rid of it all. Flylady.net helped. I just listed my house for sale two days ago. Now I really have to dump the stuff. No one wants to walk through an overflowing house, and I plan on downsizing, so I won’t have room at my new home for all this. Priorities have changed, but habits are difficult to break, especially since my grandmother lived through the depression and taught me not to throw away anything I might someday need.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t rely on God enough to supply my needs if I keep so much stuff around me. I want to try to use my stuff to bless others.
This book will not be more STUFF that I accumulate! I would love to read the book, then pass it on. Otherwise I am going to have to go rent it at the library-because I don’t have STUFF anymore-unless you count my husband.
Her video is so wonderful–I would love to win the book!
I’m conflicted about stuff. I have way too much of it–my house is clutter central. But so much was not of my choosing–furniture and artwork that were handed down or cast off, toys gifted to my kids, my husband’s junk—that I feel opressed by it. Yet I want more stuff–nice, beautiful stuff, handmade wonderful crafty arty things, or lovely antiques. I really shouldn’t get this book (I have so many already), but I really want to read it and it’s not available at my library.
Over the past 2 years I have been seriously weeding through my stuff. As a former sufferer of “stuffitis” (and boy was there was a lot of stuff!) I have had 3 yard sales, taken more loads to Goodwill than I can count, given items away to friends & family who expressed a liking, re-gifting items, and selling some on Craig’s List. I want to have a final yard sale this June, and while I was going through the house finding things last weekend, my daughter said “what have you got left to get rid of!?!” The answer is, not much, but I’m not quite where I want to be yet. As the load of stuff in my life has lightened, so has my spirit.
I have been an accumulator of “stuff” – the American Dream to see what we can acquire. In the meantime, we have become a society of excess consumers. We would rather buy cheap throw aways instead of things that last and/or can be repaired. We have polluted our landfills with these excess purchases.
In the last year, I have become better at getting rid of what I don’t need by donating or passing on to family and friends(only if they want it). I evaluate what I purchase and try to get rid of one thing if I bring home something “new” – this can be new or gently used – into the house. I shop thrift stores before buying new. I use my library more. I have been challenging myself to get rid of 100 items a month and have done better than that. I have considerably downsized my belongings but I still have a lot more to do.
I have a love/hate relationship with stuff. I love haning on to stuff, since many things can be used for other purposes. For instance, I just used the remains of a sheet I originally got at Goodwill to make my daughter a costume to make cat nip balls for the animals at the humane society. Had I thrown out the remains of the sheet, I would have had to get more fabric for the next thing. But, too much stuff is definitely an issue in our house. So, I’m focusing a lot on trying to not bring in new stuff.
I was amused to read the comment above from the woman who kept Starburst wrappers as a child because I did the same thing! The two of us were strange children, it seems.
This year my husband and I embarked on a year not buying anything (with a few exceptions, like food). It has been a healing time for me, to say the least. If I had to sum my experience up in one phrase I would say, “We define ourselves as consumers but the truth is that we are the ones being consumed.”
Tightwad Gazette indeed influenced me to change almost everything; she was WAY ahead of her time, although she was accused of being BEHIND the times!!
Throughout my life I have saved so much stuff that was given to me by the people I loved. I have moved and cleaned and stored these things SO many times for so long. But it seemed impossible for me to turn loose of these things. As I get older, I find it is getting a little easier to let go of things. One day I realized that these people (some long gone…dead) will always be in my heart…and finally I am starting to turn loose.
I’ve started to see “stuff” in a whole new way these last few years. I’m trying to find the balance between useful/meaningful stuff vs. all that other stuff. I love reading blogs like yours that help me keep focused.
We try to keep “stuff” coming into the house at a minimum. I like to say that our house is on a diet, this year we are really committed to getting rid of stuff. I’ve even made special trips to Good will to donate trunkfuls of stuff.
In August my husband and I bought our first house and I have vowed to keep it uncluttered. The attic is empty, so is the storage area in the basement, and the garage is pretty good. We’ve seen both of our parents become overwhelmed by all the crap they store in those three rooms. If things are piled on top of each other I won’t use them and I ask myself do I really need that.
I’ve donated quite a bit this year, no clutter means a clear mind for me. : )
I’d love to win this book…then give it away. I was downsized from a job and a house 6 years ago so I was forced to sell a lot of things I thought I had to have to be happy. I don’t miss any of it. I read books from the library and check out movies too. I also make bags out of bicycle inner tubes. I love keeping a few things out of the landfill. I buy very little now out of lack of funds but I’m fine with that. I’m still working on the clutter though. I still have boxes unopened from 2 moves ago. Yikes. Love your blog!
Hi, the video was great. So true. I would love to read her book & share it with a few people.
The desk my computer is sitting on came out of a dumpster at my hubby’s work YEARS ago. The drawer sticks from time to time and one leg is crooked. I want a new one. I have shopped a new one time and time again. but The Story of Stuff haunts me. I don’t NEED a new one. This one works great. It’s really big. The printer fits on it nicely and the file cabinet underneath. I can even go to a local office supply reuse store to get a hutch if I like. I even made my 8 year old watch and take notes. It’s that important.
We have my 83 year old mother with us with alzheimers and really had to pitch junk and de-clutter ,so she does’nt drop anything and get hurt and it really has helped us get rid of junk we didnt need anyways.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
My stuff story is simple. I have very little of it. Each time I move I purge and donate old furniture, clothes, etc. My boyfriend is a pack rat. We have a one car garage that neither of us can park in because it contains his extra fridge, washer and dryer and two dishwashers. EXTRA! Maybe I can read this book to him in his sleep to make him change, lol!
I definately like stuff! lol Although I ‘m trying to get rid of some of the things I’ve accumulated.
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