Recently Read: "The Scavengers' Manifesto" by Anneli Rufus

I actually read this book last September, but just got around to writing a review for it. I had to let it digest for a while, I suppose.

The Scavengers' Manifesto by Anneli Rufus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Dollar Tree for a buck. I thought I could learn some techniques and secrets about scavenging. I never wanted to be a "freegan," but I do enjoy yard sales, thrift stores and never paying full price for new stuff. So, when I saw this during my weekly trip to the cheapest retail chain in town, I tossed it into my basket.

I found the book amusing, but not what I expected. I didn't take the term "manifesto" in the title seriously, but I should have. That's exactly what this book is. It's not so much a "how-to" as much as it is an explanation of a life philosophy. It is written by two people, who assume are a couple. While I'm not sure which individual wrote which chapters, I could tell they were written by two distinct personalities, one more analytic and one more poetic. The chapters written by the analytic mind were more informative. The others were amusing, though repetitive.

This book gives an interesting perspective of the history of scavengers' roll in society, from hunter-gatherer cavemen to the rag-pickers of Dickens' England, to the American hippie and punk movements. The portions of the book dealing with the historical significance of scavenging were fascinating, as were the sections on the scavengers of the animal kingdom.

The majority of the book totes the scavenging philosophy, over and over. It's stated in a variety of different ways, but in such a whimsical Mary Poppins like way that it wasn't nearly as annoying as it could have been. Clearly this is a matter of great conviction for these writers, and evidently it makes them incredibly happy and their life worth living, though they claim they are misunderstood by most people. They even explore the notion that it could be a considered religion. For the most part, I agreed with the tenets of their philosophy. There are different degrees of followers, according to the book. The all or nothing freegan who never purchases anything, the retail scavenger who never buys new and loves a good thrift store find, the bargain hunter who never pays full price, and every possible version in between. It's a very open, understanding life style that does not judge variations. So they say.

There is one specific notion though that was mentioned multiple times that rubbed me the wrong way. The writers claim that one does not find the items, but the items find the scavenger. Just wait, and what you need will present itself eventually. I can understand that, though sometimes the need can't wait. But the book claims that we should keep every single thing we find regardless of need or desire. They tell of finding an incredibly ugly painting, taking it home and hanging it up. That baffles me. Why keep something you don't want or need? Put it back out there in circulation. Someone else might like it or need it. If you already have a perfectly good toaster, leave the one in the free box for someone else. The unneeded items you hold onto just become junk cluttering your home. In a way, this book seems to be advocating hoarding, a serious psychological disorder. I was left shuddering at the thought of what the authors' house must look like.

Overall, it was a fun read and definitely work the dollar I paid for it. It's nice to know that you don't have to dumpster dive to be included in the group. Despite the repetitive nature of much of the text, I did learn quite a bit about a lifestyle that has characteristics bordering on religious. I may not dive in with both feet, but the concept of doing a little bit of legwork to re-purpose or reuse an item rather than buying new doesn't seem unreasonable. If nothing else, the lifestyle saves money, not to mention is way better for the planet. Too many perfectly good items are thrown away just to be replaced by identical items right out of the factory. Like the book says, scavenging is beneficial for the economy, society and environment. But take heart, without mainstream retail shoppers, there would be nothing to scavenge. That's the paradox that those who scavenge must accept.

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