Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage
by Heather Rogers
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 104)
Read in June, 2008
The first part of this book was hard to get through. In fact, the folks who loaned it to me both put it down after the first few chapters. They warned me that it was depressing, and holy cow they were right. I started it at the same time that I was reading "Where We Stand: Class Matters," and the two ended up complementing each other in an interesting way. bell hooks' discussion of class as it relates to wealth, poverty, materialism and the sharing of resources speaks to the history of...more
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excellent. This book is very factually and at times get drag, but the facts about the history and impact of US garbage are horrific. This book will change the way you choose to purchase and consume. Americans consume way to much garbage, and useless products and packaging. I believe I can not change everything but that one person CAN do so much, and try their hardest not to be one of the billions of people carelessly polluting the earth. It isn't as though our consumption began from need, i...more
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"The important thing to remember about landfills is that they're not just an unfortunate byproduct of capitalism; they actually represent the success of capitalism" (152). So Heather Rogers quotes John Marshall. Rogers quotes many waste historians, business insiders, government officials, and grassroots activists in this well researched and written book. She traces the modern conceptions of "garbage" and the disposal of "garbage" from 1800's America when few had man...more
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Read in September, 2008
My brother suggested I read this book after an email I sent to him bemoaning all the waste our home remodel was regenerating. It's not an engaging text by any means; I found it difficult to read and often had to force myself through a chapter at a time. The history of garbage disposal is an interesting topic - who knew our waste hauler, Waste Management Inc., was the largest hauler in the country? That much of what we so carefully sort and clean for recycling is, literally, trashed because th...more
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Read in November, 2007
Enlightening. Confirms once and for all that Waste is a Lie. In America, not only is it a lie but it's also big business. The American Consumer is a deeply conditioned creature, programmed to consume objects contrived by industries that care little or nothing about the diseases that bloom from their toxic culture. But according to Heather Rodgers' research, this wasn't always the case. Next time Waste Management asks you to "Think Green. Think Waste Management", think again. I was ...more
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Read in November, 2008
Crucial, if not always elegantly composed. A reader on Amazon criticizes this book for not coming up with any solutions to the waste crisis. This is not the case. Only a reader looking for a quick fix to an apocalyptic problem or a beguiling inspirational narrative such as Cradle to Cradle would make this claim. The book underscores that the only way to undo the damage we have done to the planet and to ourselves is to consume less--and thereby to initiate a fundamental, systemic break in the...more
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There is a real possibility of the end of the earth being a Wall-E world where we all drown in our own trash. The message is made without emotion, just with facts.
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
people who care
I am currently reading this book. It is excellent.
Did you know that:
*Drinking straws are so named because before plastic drinking straws, people used straw (like in barns) to drink through?
*At the turn of the 20th century, there were 3.5 million horses on the urban streets of the United States, each of which excreted 20 pounds of manure and 2 gallons of urine for every eight hour work day.
*Americans produce 30 per cent of the world's garbage
Did you know that:
*Drinking straws are so named because before plastic drinking straws, people used straw (like in barns) to drink through?
*At the turn of the 20th century, there were 3.5 million horses on the urban streets of the United States, each of which excreted 20 pounds of manure and 2 gallons of urine for every eight hour work day.
*Americans produce 30 per cent of the world's garbage
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Read in August, 2008
The topic of waste management is definitely being approached from a conflict theorist point of view in this NYT bestseller by Heather Rogers. While it lacks the more metered approach of Rafje and Murphy's "Rubbish" (Univ of Arizona Press, 2001), and is replete with value judgements and one liners, it does fill in some interesting historical gaps with the phenomenon of waste management.
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Read in November, 2007
An (often politicized) read for those who want to read about the history of garbage production and disposal (and there must be a ton of you). I did find myself wanting to change my habits. The amount of stuff we waste and the impact of small things on the planet is astounding. Well, "duh," but this book explains exactly why and how.
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recommended to Denise by:
Erin
recommends it for: Everyone who breathes
recommends it for: Everyone who breathes
I just started this book, but I can already said it should be a pre-requisite for living. Where does our trash go after we absentmindedly throw it away? And why do we need so much stuff? This books will open your eyes to the reality of our abuse to the planet.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
EVERYONE
INSANE! Interesting, fascinating and depressing all at the same time. It will shock you into the reality of the waste created by our over-consuming American lifestyles. We're gonna be screwed in 50 years if we don't start making some changes in our behavior.
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
you
No regrets
short, sweet, uses the words 'shit' and 'macabre' on multiple occasions, and displaces blame for all the trash buildup away from me and onto trash companies, marketing companies, and capitalism. awesome!
short, sweet, uses the words 'shit' and 'macabre' on multiple occasions, and displaces blame for all the trash buildup away from me and onto trash companies, marketing companies, and capitalism. awesome!
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what americans do with their trash. what recycling is all about, does it really work??? read the book and you will find out.
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Read in May, 2007
will make you never want to throw away anything ever again. and buy everything used and in bulk
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Has a copy to sell/swap
written by a local friend
very good history of garbage, diposable ideologies and sanitation
very good history of garbage, diposable ideologies and sanitation
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