Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions

by Jane Hammerslough

Book Overview

Can the perfect new couch in your family room make for great times with your family? Does a diamond that costs two months' salary mean that love will last forever? In this era of high expectations and "low monthly payments," getting what you want has never seemed easier. And "getting what you want," in this environment, is increasingly linked to buying something. But is it always enough?Picking up where "simplifying" may not satisfy, Dematerializing...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738203866
• ISBN13: 9780738203867
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

one of the top 10 books I've ever read, and I read a lot

Original thinking. Very thorough analysis of why people buy things, or want to buy them. Looks at it from many different angles. If you spend too much, or find that spending money or having things doesn't solve your problem of wanting things (that is, do you just end up wanting more?), then this book can help you do some soul-searching to arrive at a solution. Sees possessions as symptoms, not goals. Examines why you want things, and how you can solve the problem of spending too much or putting too much emphasis on possessions by changing your thinking. Expertly written. A pleasure to read.

Thoughtful advise

Because we practice a voluntary simplicity, your money or your life way of living I am always interested in books on the subject of downsizing or decluttering or dematerializing. So this book caught my eye. I especially liked how she speaks to the issues of fear and feeling one may be deprived if they do with less. How as a society we have evolved and look to things to bring us a feeling of worth or happiness whereas in decades past it was family and friends whom we turned to. Ironically those were also the decades when people had money in savings accounts and weren't in debt. The books premise really is money cant buy you love.I especially liked Chapter 11 where the author talks about the value of having one day (Sunday) where we don't do anything except rest and relax. And she differentiates between recreation and fun and real rest and relaxation. And she discusses developing a will for living. Doing what gives one pleasure as well as an income. And the importance of simply being thankful for what one has. I really agree with her on that. I often stand in the shower and realize that there are people who have no indoor plumbing. No hot water at the turn of a knob, and now clean clothes fresh out of a washing machine and dried and ready for me to wear. Or the fact that I turn a knob and I have hot water to wash dishes, which in turn helps prevent diseases that in so many of the worlds countries are rampant.It is a book I recommend although I believe Your Money or Your Life is number one and the author agrees since she lists it on the books to read section.

Perceptive and Practical

This wonderful book is both highly thought-provoking and down-to-earth. It is a truism that American values over the last 20, 50, or 100 years have shifted dramatically toward accumulating material goods. Hammerslough explores the desperate paradox that even though we buy more and more things, they don't make us happier or draw us closer to our loved ones, despite the marketers' promises. Her distinctive contribution is to show just how far excess materialism alienates us from our own best selves, from loving and understanding others, from nurturing a true sense of security and belonging.Every day, Americans receive over 3,000 marketing messages such as "Do you care enough to send the very best flowers?" or "Promise her anything, but give her Arpege". What effect does this really have on our relationships? On our sense of adequacy?The book concludes with several modest and practical suggestions to help individuals refocus their emotional energies on what really matters, and to begin to ask the right questions to help separate between "want" and "need". One of the most appealing aspects of the book is Hammerslough's warm and humane first-person voice; she does not take a cold above-it-all approach by any means.At Thanksgiving this year, we all agreed that Americans share a new sense of togetherness in the wake of recent national tragedies. In a sense, "Dematerializing" could not be more timely. This book is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to appreciate the simple pleasures of life more directly, without having to have the right "kit".Also worth mentioning is the companion website, which contains source materials for discussion and interesting facts. An excerpt from the book's opening chapter is also available there.

Great Read

Dematerializing is a thought-provoking, fascinating book about whywe want, want, want to buy more and more things. It's original and relevant because it doesn't go over the same tired arguments about consuming and spending less. Instead, it explores motivation behind buying and the meaning that objects hold, and offers practical suggestions for feeling you have 'enough' in a materialistic culture. Hammerslough's very appealing tone and thorough research resonated for me, and I'd recommend it highly.

A Must Read

Dematerializing is a must read for anyone raising kids in our possession-obsessed society. It is a pleasure to read--the writing is both clever and engaging. Dematerializing offers valuable insights into our need for possessions without being preachy or disparaging of our ingrained cultural instincts. It also offers valuable suggestions for finding satisfaction with what you've got. I highly recommend it!