50 book challenge. Book 8.

[deliriumcrow]

I read faster than I remember to write reviews, apparently. Heh.

Better Off, Eric Bindle.

Sarah and Dennis, this made me think of you. And you should read it if you've not yet.

A student at MIT gets fed up with how technology rules our lives, and does his masters' thesis on how well we can or cannot live without it. He lives for a yeah and a half on a farm in a not-really-Amish village, and comes to the conclusion that life is, in fact, far better when you don't let every gadget into your house, don't allow them to make demands of you for more fuel and electricity, adn that there is actually far *less* work than people do on most regular jobs in the rest of the world. So much so that in one chapter they were more or less making busy-work for themselves.

He does come back to the rest of the world eventually, but with much less tech following him. And he addresses how one of us might accomplish similar things in our own lives, which was truly fascinating.

I don't think I'd go *quite* as far as he did, as I do love my music players and computers, especially as my friends and family are so far away. But certainly there is room for simplification, and I'd rather like to try the sort of sommunity he talks about, in a more urban setting. The sort where rooved can be cultivated into gardens, where there are community gardens and farmers' markets, where the countryside is rather close by, prefferably with sheep. Of course, living in the country would also be rather nifty.

I suppose that's to say that it's a bit inspiring.

Comments

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Someone, I can't remember who or where, did a work study of "primative" cultures in the Americas, basically analyzing how much effort they had to put in to actually making ends meet. Most came out to about six hours of effort put in per day for a typical hunter-gatherer sort. Pacific NW Amerinds came out close to best with putting in something like an average of 3-4 hours of work per day to survive in the manner they seemed to.

I like that kind of deal.

[deliriumcrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I do too. i think this came out to about 3-4 hours a day, for moderate application of tools, like threshers and various sorts of plows and whatnot. Sounds ever so much better than this "convenience".

[canissum.livejournal.com]

Looks like a nifty book. Maybe I'll check it out from the library.

[deliriumcrow.livejournal.com]

It is! It gives a lot to think about, and given that you and Sarah are talking about the community within a city thing, then it really does sound like something you'd be into.

Here, it's sparking arguments, but those are fun too.

[lostcitadel.livejournal.com]

I need to read that book in the worst way. I've grown increasingly anti-technology as I've grown older.

Not that I inherently hate technology, I just think it is running rampant at this time, and so much of it is just useless.

[deliriumcrow.livejournal.com]

Concur. Obviously I like my computer, and I'm rather fond of my camera and CD players, but my technology works for me, at my leisure, not the other way around. It's not an inherently bad thing to have, judiciously applied, but the unquestioning over-abundance of it is appalling. Just because it's new and shiny does *not* make it better. I'm seriously thinking about making everyone I know read it. :)

[lostcitadel.livejournal.com]

I've gone back to mainly using CD's. I got a portable mp3 player (not an iPod cuz I don't like those) because my car cd player broke a few years ago. Now that I got a new car with a working cd player, i've gone back to mainly using that, although the mp3 player can come in handy.

The best example of our technology enslaving us is cell phones. People have close to a panic attack if they forget theirs at home. Sometimes when I'm sitting in traffic coming home from work, I make a game out of counting how many people are talking on their cell phones within a 1 mile stretch.

[deliriumcrow.livejournal.com]

I frequently forget mine or don't charge it, and people are fine with leaving a message if they need to. Meh.

What's the record you've got so far?

[lostcitadel.livejournal.com]

Oh I've gotten up into the 50+ range on busy days. It makes me sad. Why can't people use a hands free earphone? Then they will be more safe. And I don't care what anyone says, holding a hard piece of plastic to your ear is NOT comfortable.

I forget my phone a lot. Actually right now it is sitting lifeless in front of me cuz I forgot to charge it haha. I'm the worst person for answering my phone.

[deliriumcrow.livejournal.com]

**laughs** eh, most of the time it's not someone you want to talk to anyway. yay telemarketers.

Yet another reason not to have one of the bloody things. Though they are useful when your friends and family are far away, or when there's a medical problem ... but that's about it.