Fixation

How to Have Stuff Without Breaking the Planet

De: Sandra Goldmark

Narrado por: Eva Wilhelm

Our massive global system of consumption is broken. Our individual relationship with our stuff is broken. In each of our homes, some stuff is broken. And the strain of rampant consumerism and manufacturing is breaking our planet. We need big systemic changes, from public policy to global economic systems.

Since founding Fixup, a pop-up repair shop that brought her coverage in the New York Times, Salon, New York Public Radio, and more, Sandra Goldmark has become a leader in the movement to demand better "stuff". She doesn't just want to help us clear clutter - she aims to move us away from throwaway culture, to teach us to reuse and repurpose more thoughtfully, and to urge companies to produce better stuff. Although her goal is ambitious, the solution to getting there is surprisingly simple and involves all of us: have good stuff, not too much, mostly reclaimed, care for it, and pass it on.

Fixation charts the path to the next frontier in the health, wellness, and environmental movements - learning how to value stewardship over waste. We can choose quality items designed for a long lifecycle, commit to repairing them when they break, and shift our perspective on reuse and "preowned" goods. Goldmark shares examples of forward-thinking companies that are thriving by conducting their businesses sustainably and responsibly.

©2020 Sandra Goldmark (P)2021 Tantor

Made me rethink my "stuff" consumption habits

I can't recommend this book more highly! The author writes in a lively and relatable style that entertains while it educates. Fixation gives a glimpse of our infatuation with "stuff" and offers suggestions on how we can reorient our habits to help make a more sustainable world.

Quotable and clearly written

In this insightful reflection on durability, Sandra upends assumptions and invites visionary optimism in light of inevitable consumerism. I have more than a few lessons and ideas for how to reduce waste. Thanks to the author.

I learned, I laughed, I thought a lot

The book is great. I'm really curious about / drawn to minimalism and sustainable living, but some people who write about this topic (no names) can often become preachy or unrealistic. This book has a refreshing amount of data from the author's experience with her pop-up repair shops. My only complaint is the narrator -- her faked accent is maddening. She's trying to pull off her idea of an old-fashioned upper-middle-class Eastern US accent from the 50s, but that's not how she speaks, so she's inconsistent. I wish I could tell her that there's nothing wrong with an alveolar flap (the T/D sound you can hear in the way most Americans say "pretty"), so much so that she can't keep it up and will use the flap and the aspirated T in the same sentence. The same goes for her Ws, which are randomly the "upside down W", as linguists say. Also her pronunciation of the letter A. Just let it be the [ae] sound in "cat"! Don't keep trying to make it be a long a. Why do Audible narrators try to do accents in the first place? Just read in your own accent, it's so much more pleasing to the ear than inconsistency, no matter where you're from.

Thought provoking and informative

Lots of great information presented engagingly, with actionable steps we can take as individuals to lower our impact on the planet, and on the lives of our fellow humans.