I thought this account of an experiment in which the author buys nothing that is not a “necessity” - a rather loosely defined term, in this context - promised an insightful look at the rampant consumerism that marks our times. Instead, we get to ponder the absurdity of not buying anything while living in New York City, endure the author’s agonies over purchasing a $3 used shirt in a thrift store where the profits help homeless women (how less consumerist can you get?), and wonder why organic coffee is a necessity but dining out with friends is not. This book did make me think about commerce in general, about how using your dollars to support the things you value - such as local businesses, good books and independent music - is wiser than not buying anything at all, because that way, we all get to make a living. Besides, it was pretty obvious that Levine only wrote this book so she could have her entry in the nonfiction “here’s the crazy thing I tried for a while and what I learned from it” genre that was started by that woman who worked for minimum wage, and I have to kick myself for being such a sucker as to have actually bought this book.

I really wanted to love this book. I just found judith levine really unlikable and she just seemed to try so hard to set up a certain image of herself to the reader, and that was frustrating. It was extremely well researched though, and very interesting and thought provoking.