The Day the World Stops Shopping

by J.B. MacKinnon

J.B. MacKinnon speculates about what would happen in the real world if everyone suddenly stopped their unsustainable shopping.

The effects would be wide-ranging and, as far as human well-being and the environment are concerned, overwhelmingly positive.

The Day the World Stops Shopping was incredibly stimulating both for the quantity of new information it brought to my attention and how inspiring it made the idea of reducing my environmental impact.

Each chapter pursues a different nugget of an idea to its end. I’m thankful to have learned a little about Enochian Companies, Simple Living (as a subculture), the Every One Every Day Organisation, Blue Laws, the Genuine Progress Indicator, and One-Planet Living. And I’ll surely be searching for more information now that I’ve finished with The Day the World Stops Shopping.

I also appreciate that MacKinnon mentions other books to read such as Naomi Klein’s “No Logo,” and Vicki Robin’s “Your Money or Your Life.”

Since Covid lockdown and quarantines were just a few years ago and as it’s still easy to remember how quickly nature rebounds with wonderous birdsong, clear canal water, and incredible blue skies, MacKinnon’s speculations are easy to visualize.

Who should read The Day the World Stops Shopping?

I’d tag anyone who lives in a WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) society. And I’d also suggest it to those living in countries that are hell-bent on development today.

It’s a definite must-read for those who wonder what the world would look like without all the mainstream consumerism.

Have you read anything by MacKinnon? Could you reasonably change your shopping habits? How many planet Earth’s are necessary to meet your needs?