carstensena's review against another edition
4.0
Genius organization and excellent, readable writing style. I learned a lot from the book, and it was mostly fascinating. Enjoyed the section on chair design as much as anything. But also learning more about where our recycling goes, and what becomes of it.
alh118's review against another edition
4.0
Informative, fascinating, and thought-provoking. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I thought it was a bit too long at times. The great irony is that I listened to this on a Playaway device which is of course made of plastic.
misterfix's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, lively and informative book on a subject that is tough to make palatable and pleasant to read. Avoided being preachy yet tried to offer case studies and observations from individuals and corporations who engage with the spectrum of plastic use/production - from waste to frugality and wise use. Felt well balanced in relation to criticizing industry while also allowing for and detailing efforts that some have made to reduce and re-use, etc. of course this is the first book on this subject that I have read so my basis for this judgement is limited. If you are looking for an 'activist' book this is not the one as there are not a lot of "we must do this" exhortations and for that I was pleased yet would have appreciated a bit more energy in the conclusion vs a sort of shrug and maybe this or maybe that...
voldie's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly balanced book on the side effects of plastics. I have expected to get a silly rant of white female 40something American nothing-to-do housewife (the main driving force in the most ferocious brand of modern ecology) but there was not a bit of it inside (except the some "wink-wink" filled paragraphs about one such woman, poor lamb). Although the author mostly skips some hard questions (which I think require other books), overall there is no noticeable bias. Easy to read too.
machielse's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting read that talks about the past, present, and future of plastic. More importantly, it examines the paradox that is plastic.
For example, someone hooked up to vinyl tubing, IVs, and machinery in the hospital is being kept alive by plastics, while simultaneously being exposed to leeching additives. In the consumer world, paper grocery bags take a lot more energy to produce than plastic, though paper recycling is far more ubiquitous.
There is no one-sided story. But a common theme develops: plastic has enabled society to create a “throwaway culture.” The problem is not plastic, but rather our attitudes towards consumption. Our society uses synthetic polymers that last for thousands of years to produce items designed to be used for a few hours or minutes. Think before you consume. Choose durable goods. For the most part, recycling beats the landfill, but reducing, i.e. never using the thing to begin with, has an infinitely lower impact.
For example, someone hooked up to vinyl tubing, IVs, and machinery in the hospital is being kept alive by plastics, while simultaneously being exposed to leeching additives. In the consumer world, paper grocery bags take a lot more energy to produce than plastic, though paper recycling is far more ubiquitous.
There is no one-sided story. But a common theme develops: plastic has enabled society to create a “throwaway culture.” The problem is not plastic, but rather our attitudes towards consumption. Our society uses synthetic polymers that last for thousands of years to produce items designed to be used for a few hours or minutes. Think before you consume. Choose durable goods. For the most part, recycling beats the landfill, but reducing, i.e. never using the thing to begin with, has an infinitely lower impact.
ijsselmeer13's review against another edition
1.0
The only good sections were the chapter about chairs and the epilogue. Wasn't really what I expected.
macfiar's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the frisbee section was too long and there were some bits that were dull as dirt but this is actually a very informative history of how plastic has taken over our lives.
sortabadass's review against another edition
5.0
Freinkel follows the model of dissecting a topic by assigning iconic representatives to its components. Michael Pollan did this to great effect in [b:The Botany of Desire|13839|The Botany of Desire A Plant's-Eye View of the World|Michael Pollan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320488029s/13839.jpg|908398], and Plastic: A Toxic Love Story shows that this structure is popular because it works.
Each of her eight chapters is assigned to a common plastic item, from comb to credit card. Not only is the history of the item engagingly described -- who knew the politics of furniture design could be so fascinating? -- but each chapter also describes a deleterious effect linked with our increasingly plasticized world. Chapter Four: "Humans Are Just a Little Plastic Now" resonated the most with me: it described the miracle of the IV bag and PVC tubing, breakthroughs that have saved countless lives since World War II. But these godsent materials are now linked to long-term damage disruption in liver and endocrine function, begging the question "at what price victory?"
Overall, I found Freinkel's treatment of her subject even-handed. Mild-mannered "green" ideas were debunked as frequently as the American Chemistry Council's party line. I wish I could say that everything was wrapped up into some easy-to-learn lessons, but that wouldn't do justice to the complicated nature of plastic.
Quotes
The insistent focus on the flaws of each individual study ignores -- and obscures -- how each may be contributing to an increasingly disturbing body of evidence. The nitpicking zeroes in on and tries to amp up the uncertainty that is always inherent in science. It's a strategy taken straight from the tobacco industry, and one that, incredibly enough, was committed to paper in 1969 by an executive at the cigarette maker Brown and Williamson: "Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the mind of the general public."
We invest something of ourselves in our material world, which in turn reflects who we are. In the era of disposability that plastic has helped foster, we have increasingly invested ourselves in objects that have no real meaning in our lives.
Each of her eight chapters is assigned to a common plastic item, from comb to credit card. Not only is the history of the item engagingly described -- who knew the politics of furniture design could be so fascinating? -- but each chapter also describes a deleterious effect linked with our increasingly plasticized world. Chapter Four: "Humans Are Just a Little Plastic Now" resonated the most with me: it described the miracle of the IV bag and PVC tubing, breakthroughs that have saved countless lives since World War II. But these godsent materials are now linked to long-term damage disruption in liver and endocrine function, begging the question "at what price victory?"
Overall, I found Freinkel's treatment of her subject even-handed. Mild-mannered "green" ideas were debunked as frequently as the American Chemistry Council's party line. I wish I could say that everything was wrapped up into some easy-to-learn lessons, but that wouldn't do justice to the complicated nature of plastic.
Spoiler
Quotes
The insistent focus on the flaws of each individual study ignores -- and obscures -- how each may be contributing to an increasingly disturbing body of evidence. The nitpicking zeroes in on and tries to amp up the uncertainty that is always inherent in science. It's a strategy taken straight from the tobacco industry, and one that, incredibly enough, was committed to paper in 1969 by an executive at the cigarette maker Brown and Williamson: "Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the mind of the general public."
We invest something of ourselves in our material world, which in turn reflects who we are. In the era of disposability that plastic has helped foster, we have increasingly invested ourselves in objects that have no real meaning in our lives.