By Permacoach, Meg McGowan
It’s entirely appropriate that this lovely book was gifted to me by a friend. There’s so much about the gift economy here. It’s a lighthearted, jaunty read (lots of “dear reader….”) in a genre where things can often feel a bit serious and shaming.
Fear not, dear reader 😄. The style here is invitational and skims lightly over climate change and the other various devastations wrought by our species, while still including impressively motivating evidence, backed by data.
With chapter headings like “be materialistic” and “romanticise other eras”, it’s clear from the outset that this is not your beverage eco-living book. As the title promises, this is not a call to austerity and deprivation, but an opportunity to reframe our relationship with the predominant culture to give us a life filled with abundance, joy and Vegemite gravy.
If you feel stuck on the treadmill of over-consumption, unrewarding employment and endless exhaustion, this little book might be just the gentle slap up the side of the head you’ve been looking for.
If you’re already a good way up the eco-friendly mountain, The Art of Frugal Hedonism could be your guide book to new and easier pathways that help you to relish your choices rather than begrudging them.
Annie and Adam helped me to rethink and reset many of my regular habits, but best of all, they reminded me that my choices are about joyfully moving towards something better, rather than resentfully rejecting the status quo.
I think it’s always worth remembering that the real eco-villains are large, greedy corporations and the billionaires that own them, and that individual choices by the rest of us can only impact that if we can scale our choices to the point where we collectively impact their profits. This book can help you to be part of that.
Gift this book to friends and family who don’t understand why you’re still wearing clothes you bought ten years ago from an op shop, or buy it for yourself if the idea of wearing anything second-hand has you compulsively online shopping.