'Lost & Found: 9 Life-Changing Lessons About Stuff from Someone Who Lost Everything' by Helen Chandler-Wilde
'Lost & Found: 9 Life-Changing Lessons About Stuff from Someone Who Lost Everything' by Helen Chandler-Wilde
Helen Chandler-Wilde had just moved back to her parents after breaking up with her boyfriend. She stashed all of her stuff in a storage facility as she planned her next step. And then that facility caught fire and destroyed all of her possessions. She joined a social media group of fellow fire victims, and from their chats and her reflections came Lost & Found.
Chandler-Wilde’s book is a meditation on possessions and their meaning. She explores the dopamine thrill of shopping, the distraction of objects and the memories they can trigger—and the ways our disordered emotions and thoughts are manipulated by advertising in our consumer society. And yes, there is the waste. According to Chandler-Wilde, the average American dumps 81 pounds of clothing into landfills each year.
Lost & Found is a thoughtful consideration of many subjects, including the meaning of the clothing we wear and the knowledge to be gained from material culture. She learned much about her favorite author, Beatrix Potter, after visiting her well-preserved home.
Among her many interesting observations: Before you buy something, think “how you would have seen the same thing ten years ago. If it would have been with utter horror, bemusement, or revulsion, please put it down. You’ll save yourself from becoming another victim of passing trends.”
Get Lost & Found at Amazon here.
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