Rubbish Theory: The Creation and Destruction of Value

by Michael Thompson

Rubbish is something we ignore. By definition we discard it, from our lives and our minds, and it remains outside the concerns of conventional economics. However, this book explores the dynamics through which rubbish can re-enter circulation as a prized commodity, in many cases far exceeding its original value. Antiques, vintage cars and period homes, after being discarded as valueless, can, even after many years, become priceless. First published in 1979, Rubbish Theory has become foundational in its field. Today, it is as relevant as ever. This edition includes a new afterword revealing how the consequences of our compulsion to discard are far from inevitable, and going on to explore how we can transform our troublesome wastes into valuable resources.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 1979

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Christina Stind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting theory about the way 'stuff' behaves. Thompson distinguishes between three types of things: durables, transients and rubbish. A durable is something like a Monet painting or other valuable stuff, that doesn't loose it's value over time and isn't destroyed over time (at least not in the easily forseeable future). A transient is an ordinary everyday object - and rubbish is, well, rubbish, junk. A transient can only transcend into the durable category by first becoming rubbish and then by being 'saved', for instance by a collector which is where my interest is.
I really liked the first part of this book where the basics of the theory is described and where the writing is fast-paced, humorous and interesting - in the later parts of the book, the theme turns to mathematics and logics and I kind of lost interest... But overall, very relevant book for my master thesis and for everyone interested in how an ordinary object suddenly can fetch extra-ordinary amounts in an auction.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost too weird to review. The author has a silly sense of humour, which I found first irritating, then endearing. He also has the most illogical, ragbag mind. If he can draw similar diagrams about 2 things, then they must be fundamentally related. The best sections were in the earlier parts, when they drew on his experiences. The stuff about how 'rubbish' items, things that have no market value, can sometimes acquire market value was insightful. The (under-explained) jump to societies where political power is acquired by linking one's descent to mythical ancestors was interesting but unconvincing. The extension to chaos theory was, I thought, absurd. It all probably makes more sense to a sociologist.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking on creation (and demise) of value. From 1979. Ahead of its time.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off far more promisingly than it concluded. It's grand theory on a number of scales but also far more interdisciplinary that most books of such a nature, that is it uses both math and social science theory to come up with ideas regarding value, its predictability, and its fluctuation. Perhaps I disliked the latter portion of the book because I didn't understand the math, but I actually think it was because Thompson seemed to want to do too much: to give an understanding of how value is always fluctuating and contingent AND to simultaneously offer up predictive models to highlight when such fluctuations or boundary shifts would occur. On the other hand, the beginning of the book (more dedicated to "rubbish theory"(succinctly defined of how it is that things once deemed trash become valuable, though rarely vice versa) is a lucid look at such matters that predates much of the contemporary work on collection (and, honestly, is sort of ancillary to it). Thompson has an easy prose style and the text is refreshingly free of most jargon (perhaps because it was published in the late 70s). It should also be noted that it contains one of my favorite footnotes of all time: "An example, linking women to journalism and transience (and, by implication, men to scholarship and durability), is provided by the words sung by that greatest of male chauvinists, Mick Jagger: Who wants yesterday's newspaper/Who wants yesterday's girl?" If only I could write footnotes of this nature, my dissertation would be complete already!

[sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If someone has a copy of this that doesn't cost one hundred dollars, I'd be very grateful to know.

Otherwise, this book is fantastic if you are at all interested in mathematical ideas pertaining to the fluctuating value of everyday objects. As someone who used to spend a goodly amount of time in landfills, I found this book to be fascinating.