The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

Bottom line is to obtain things that will last and take care of them. For the most part, this has been our philosophy over the years but has anyone tried to get a flat-screen television repaired lately? Most modern-day appliances with electronic controls are pretty much "throwaways" which is horrible for the landfills. The author has suggestions on what and where to buy most anything although I ended up skimming some of the more detailed parts of the book.

This is a nice addition for those more serious about simplifying their lives.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital reading copy.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I find myself getting more into the mindset of trying to be less wasteful and not using single use objects as much as possible. This book has lots of good advice and the website that Tara Button runs is also very useful. It contained a lot of information that I was not aware of, such as planned obsolescence. I think the information in this book will be helpful to everyone. Of course, not everyone will be able to use all of the suggestions, but if everybody used a least one tip from this book, the world might be a lot better off. I think this book will really help people consider what is truly important. I do not quite follow the whole Minimalism trend, but the general idea behind it makes sense. It is an enjoyable read, and there is not a lot of jargon that is hard to understand - on the whole, I think the ideas in this book makes sense, but this book is not going to have a huge following or be a grand world changer.

The tips in this book have changed some things for me - how I shop and what I buy, and how to be careful with the purchases I am making. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes, and tips on how to shop smarter - basically how to shop as an adult, and not just buy everything your heart desires, It is about shopping smarter and buying better quality items.

I enjoyed reading about topics such as planned obsolescence; why items don't last like they used to and the effects of advertising on our buying habits. I think it really is true that overspending and trying to keep up with everyone else can lead to (too much) debt and being unhappy.

While there is no way I can emulate the author in all ways (for instance, I did not choose a pair of shoes for my wedding that were comfortable and wearable with everything from my wedding dress to jeans), there is plenty of good advice in this book for those who want to "shop once" -- such as how to buy well-made clothing. It also encourages the mindset of how to resist the latest gadget that will be subject to planned obsolescence. The book is supplemented by the author's website, which features brands that they believe will last the best. Since I don't have the time to research the durability and reliability of every item I might buy, it's nice to have someone else do the legwork to figure that out....

A LIFE LESS THROWAWAY by Tara Button is full of helpful, common sense advice. Her main idea is to focus on what you need versus what you want. In many ways, this is a "habit of mind" which should be developed and reinforced from a young age. Responsible adults already practice what she calls "Ten Steps to Mastering Mindful Curation." If more people used self-restraint and followed these principles, there could be a huge impact not just on limiting retail sales and impulse buys, but on helping the environment, reducing trade imbalances and even on lowering the frequency of new car purchases and over-extending for mortgages. For those interested, more information available is on her website: https://buymeonce.com/pages/join-the-revolution

This book shows a great way to shop better and pare down your life. Lots of exercises to do and to ask yourself what you really need. I learned a lot!

Sometimes in life we need a reminder on how to be a grown-up.  At least, I frequently do.  In A Life Less Throwaway, The Lost Art of Buying For Life, Tara Button provides concrete steps for choosing and purchasing items that will last a lifetime-not just this week's trend.  

Reading this book was like having a great conversation over coffee.  Button provides anecdotes and exercises on how to discover your personal style so you can make careful choices about your purchases.  She describes how buying less, but purchasing high quality items that last a lifetime, can simplify your life while also freeing up some space in your pocket book.  

Tara Button covers a range of topics from why items don't last like they used to-I'm looking at you washing machines-to how advertising affects our buying habits.  There is also information on how she created her website and her own story of how overspending and keeping up appearances led to debt and unhappiness.  

I found this to be an enjoyable read and I catch myself thinking about it while out shopping.  I never thought I'd spend as much time comparing the hinges and type of plastic on camping coolers as I did the other day.