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A review by batwoman411
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter
4.0
A soundly written, interesting account of the GLOBAL second hand business that most Americans are oblivious to. As consumers of the latest and newest, we have forgotten what it is like to keep something for a long time and repair it when it breaks.
My favorite chapter was “Need More Suitcases” in which Minter proselytizes about the “right to repair,” a movement toward electronics “do it yourself” repair. In this chapter, I learned that Apple and other companies are making it harder for people to repair their own electronics so that they buy new electronic versus repairing them.
I never considered repairing my own iPhone 7 by installing a new battery (myself) until I read this book. I did not even think it an option. Thanks to Minter, I looked up the website for iFixit and watched an open source “how to tear down an iPhone 7 and change its battery” video and feel confident I could do it. iFixit also sells kits with the battery and tools needed for a fraction of the cost of taking it to Apple.
Thought provoking and empowering, Secondhand is a reminder of a value we need to reacquaint ourselves with.
My favorite chapter was “Need More Suitcases” in which Minter proselytizes about the “right to repair,” a movement toward electronics “do it yourself” repair. In this chapter, I learned that Apple and other companies are making it harder for people to repair their own electronics so that they buy new electronic versus repairing them.
I never considered repairing my own iPhone 7 by installing a new battery (myself) until I read this book. I did not even think it an option. Thanks to Minter, I looked up the website for iFixit and watched an open source “how to tear down an iPhone 7 and change its battery” video and feel confident I could do it. iFixit also sells kits with the battery and tools needed for a fraction of the cost of taking it to Apple.
Thought provoking and empowering, Secondhand is a reminder of a value we need to reacquaint ourselves with.