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The Secret Life of Stuff: A Manual for a New Material World

Julie Hill

3.27 · Rating details · 67 ratings · 13 reviews

Wouldn't you like:

- Products that don't damage the environment?

- A better way of life without agonising about your 'footprint'?

- To really know your stuff?

Climate change? Biofuels? Nuclear power? Landfills? Recycling? Renewable energy? Environmental issues can feel overwhelming. But, in fact, it is simple; it all comes down to one thing - stuff.

Our use of the Earth's res ...more

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Paperback, 368 pages

Published January 6th 2011 by Vintage

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Waste, Recycling, and Material Consumption

42 books — 5 voters

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· 67 ratings · 13 reviews

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Jan 07, 2018 Marcy rated it really liked it

This is a terrific book, especially for those humans interested in making our societies zero waste. The text is bookended with the story of Evie and Ed who live a few decades in the future and they're living quite an ideal life with shorter work weeks, a society where composting is the norm, a world that builds things to last, extracts very little to make products, and generally maintains a circular economy. In between these opening and closing chapters we get somewhat of a roadmap as to how the ...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Lee-Ann Sleegers rated it it was amazing

Review of The Secret Life of Stuff: A Manual for a New Material World written by Julie Hill, released by Random House UK, January 2011.

I have a casual interest in books that challenge me to think about how I can live a less resource heavy lifestyle. The Secret Life of Stuff: A Manual for a New Material World (The Secret Life of Stuff) was just that kind of book, forcing me to really think about the world around me and the resources consumed. This wasn't your typical “green living” book that disc Review of The Secret Life of Stuff: A Manual for a New Material World written by Julie Hill, released by Random House UK, January 2011.

I have a casual interest in books that challenge me to think about how I can live a less resource heavy lifestyle. The Secret Life of Stuff: A Manual for a New Material World (The Secret Life of Stuff) was just that kind of book, forcing me to really think about the world around me and the resources consumed. This wasn't your typical “green living” book that discussed ways to reduce your individual impact on the World by only buying/consuming natural products, but rather an all encompassing overview of both the natural and synthetic. The primary message of this book is that we need to be aware of where the stuff we consume comes from and what will happen to that same stuff when we no longer have a use for it. I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Stuff and spent a great deal of time discussing several of the issues presented with other people.

Ms Hill promotes the concepts of reduce and reuse over recycle as the latter is fraught with issues the least of which is finding markets for the products ready to be recycled. She covers how household waste diversion is the norm, but that business and industry aren't held to the same standards even though the results would be much greater.

The Secret Life of Stuff tackles the question many consumers who are trying to make a difference asks – How much difference can one person/family make? There are several examples in the book that explain this and in reality it depends on the item in question.

The Secret Life of Stuff explores why “natural” isn't always the best choice as illustrated by the analysis of cotton. This is one of the most resource intensive crops and even if you can find organic cotton, chances are that is has some negatives associated with it as well. This isn't to say that the author doesn't find value in some “natural” products including bio-plastics, created from food crops or better yet food waste. Instead it is just that all of the inputs need to be considered.

The Secret Life of Stuff is a really well written, easy to read book that forces the reader to think about the things in our World, the environmental costs, disposal and everything in the middle. It is a proponent of products being created with the end of life for that product considered at the time of manufacture and therefore best able to be recycled. For anyone who is looking for an introduction into the social environmental issues facing the global community I recommend this book. If you want to know more when done reading it Ms Hill has an extensive list of her sources (98 pages worth in my e-edition).
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Feb 26, 2012 Katie O'Sullivan rated it liked it

Well-organized, egaging, informative, and importantly: optimistic. Her vision of a more sustainable future relies on cooperation between government and the private sector, which is important. There could be clearer direction for common consumers (most readers) to enact broader change outside of our personal "stuff accumulation" habits. ...more

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Sep 29, 2018 N. P. Thao rated it liked it

Shelves: m-skills

Not an easy read for a layperson, non-native speaker like me as it contains a vast amount of scientific information, and here and there it goes a bit technical. I like this book for the total and complete picture of environmental protection it presents, including how everyone - the governments, the businesses, the activists and the public - fits in. At the same time, it makes me feel overwhelmed by stressing the roles of governments and businesses which are even less expected in my country.

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Aug 16, 2019 Laurie rated it liked it

There are definitely interesting items in this book, particularly the overviews of material types and a chapter on futuristic material use.
The biggest focus is on waste and recycling management.

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Jul 12, 2019 MR. S. BEATTIE rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 21, 2016 Elizabeth rated it liked it

This book helped me see things in a clearer way. For example, we often hear ideas for more environmentally products and wonder, "Well, why don't we just do that?" This book takes you in depth about many resources giving you a better understanding of these ideas. Something may seem more environmentally sound but could require more processing (energy) to create it. An example I've learned from another source is there is a plant grown in Madagascar (which I can't figure out what it's name is right ...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Marie rated it really liked it

Thought provoking book on products, consumption, and our relationship with 'stuff.' I especially liked the section outlining the lack of and need for full life-cycle information on products, both for us as consumers and for manufacturers, who can then use information to create more efficient goods. At the same time, the book is clear in outlining basic challenges, including that the cost of materials like plastic remains untied to its linear cycle as a product or true carbon footprint, and that ...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Melissa rated it liked it

I plucked this off the new arrivals shelf impulsively and later discovered it is from a UK perspective so I ended up skimming it. I found it pretty sobering. Even people trying to shop green don't have a lot of choices or are given only part of the information by retailers. Ultimately, buying less and keeping it longer are the way to go and the letter within written about about the excesses of Americans was depressing. We don't all have to behave like that no matter what retailers are telling us ...more

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May 30, 2016 Sarah Guldenbrein rated it liked it

Shelves: lit-review, non-fiction

If everyone read this book, the world would be a better place. That said, it's more a survey of the subject than an in-depth guide. I was looking for deeper understanding of waste and consumption patterns. There was some good stuff in here to be sure, particularly if you're interested in materials science, but I didn't find it to be especially eye-opening as I've long ago internalized the author's overarching message. ...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Lucy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, sustainability, non-fiction

This was a straightforward but fairly enlightening read about material waste. She hits all the major issues and provides some clear and interesting facts about major material groups (wood, plastic, metals etc). Its popular science at its best.

I very much enjoyed it, even if it doesn't offer that ever elusive panacea for our waste problems. ...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Dianne Burton rated it it was amazing

Superb really gets you thinking about where this need for things comes from and what can be done to improve things in the future. A must read for anyone questioning consumerism.

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