Sustainable lifestyles and the quest for plenitude : case studies of the new economy /

This is a solid collection of case studies of people forming communities centered on the ideas of the "new economy." The key idea is that communities can reject capitalism as usual and commit to live within the limits of the natural world. These communities take a variety of forms but share the vision of equalitarian social relations and self-sufficiency while de-emphasizing paid employment. The ethnographic case studies include urban settings (Boston, Chicago) as well as rural (France, Alaska). The cases are well written and referenced. There is a concluding chapter critical of the plenitude movement for ignoring the middle class and a chapter that places the movement in the context of political economy. This book will appeal to sociologists and anthropologists interested in rural society, sustainable community, and social movements. It will also appeal to practitioners of community-supported agriculture and community building. The arguments reflect an earlier work by Schor (Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, 2010) as well as the classic Small Is Beautiful, by E. F. Schumacher (1973). Each chapter includes a bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. --Anthony A. Hickey, Western Carolina University