In Cheap We Trust Book Review

In CHEAP We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue by Lauren Weber was a pick straight from the shelf.  Normally, when you read the Amazon book reviews, I usually think that people giving the book one star are wrong.  How could 21 people give it 5 stars and 3 people hate it.  I think that they might be right.  I keep reading and reading because I hate to think that it might get better and I gave up.  You know those people that won't hang up from a phone call because they think that it is going to get better?  That is me!! 

The entire book is the history of thrift from the early 1600 (possibly before but I am blocking it out) and all the the way through to modern times.  I know that people say we can learn from history in order to move forward and not make the same mistakes.  This book just seemed to be rambling from one era to the next without much to tie them all together.  I didn't really enjoy reading it but I think that it was more like a text book or something that you would read in college and discuss.  I imagine that discussion sparked from this book would be fascinating which is why I kept reading until the bitter end.

Over halfway through the book, it started talking about "modern times" and things that were more current events.  There was a chapter on eco-cheap and how Americans use too much and make too much garbage.
I don't think that this is news to anyone but it doesn't really provide any solutions to the issue except to shop second hand.  There was also a section about freegans and living off the land (or a dumpster as the case may be).

I think that this is the main problem with the book because it feels like reading my senior thesis in college instead of what I was expecting.  The author does take the last chapter to relate all her research to her own life and being more responsible but leaves the solutions for your own life up to you.  Mostly a book to think about and not a book of solutions so if you like history, then pick up the book.

If you would like one interesting link, you can take a survey at www.behavioraldecisionresearch.com to see if you are a tightwad or a spendthrift :)  I think that I already know what I am but I might test myself just to see!

Mostly, I am proud to say that I made it through without giving up.  Let me know if you pick it up at your local library or bookstore, what you think.  Look forward to getting someone else opinion.