A review by catacombkitten
The Anti-Consumerist Druid: How I Beat My Shopping Addiction Through Connection with Nature by Katrina Townsend
5.0
I received a digital ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Anti-Consumerist Druid: How I Beat My Shopping Addiction Through Connection with Nature got my attention from the moment I first stumbled across it. Never in my life had I considered the possibility of a link between something as mundane as a shopping addiction and one's spiritual journey, but I was intrigued. Needless to say, when I was offered a digital copy in exchange for an honest review, I did not hesitate for one second but dove right in.
Katrina Townsend invites the reader to join her on a unique journey of self-discovery. In the first half of the book, she gives a very open and honest account of her relation with overconsumption, and more specifically, her struggle with a serious shopping addiction. The reader gains insight into her attempts to overcome this addiction through trial and error. In the second half, Townsend finds a deeper understanding of nature, spirituality, and therefore herself, which helps her beat her addictive habits.
Townsend’s writing style is inviting from the get-go. She comes across as friendly and non-judgmental and manages to dip her tales of woe into a healthy dose of humour. Her openness about not only the ups, but also the often overwhelming downs of her quest makes it virtually impossible not to sympathise with her. Despite the perhaps somewhat unconventional subject matter, there is nothing too woolly about Townsend’s prose. She comes across as delightfully down-to-earth and also provides insight into her own bouts of scepticism, making her all the more relatable.
The Anti-Consumerist Druid differs from most other anti-consumerist books in that it does not promise to change your life: it will not make you impulsively throw out half your possessions and create a brand new budgeting spreadsheet, inevitably resulting in a ‘new and improved you’. On the contrary, Townsend acknowledges that change doesn’t happen overnight because human behaviour is far more complicated than that. Instead, she warmly invites the reader to be more mindful about their daily habits. Townsend’s path may not be one-size-fits-all but it does offer far more nuance than your average self-help guide. It’s also a delightful read to boot.
Review first published on Graveyard Picnic.
The Anti-Consumerist Druid: How I Beat My Shopping Addiction Through Connection with Nature got my attention from the moment I first stumbled across it. Never in my life had I considered the possibility of a link between something as mundane as a shopping addiction and one's spiritual journey, but I was intrigued. Needless to say, when I was offered a digital copy in exchange for an honest review, I did not hesitate for one second but dove right in.
Katrina Townsend invites the reader to join her on a unique journey of self-discovery. In the first half of the book, she gives a very open and honest account of her relation with overconsumption, and more specifically, her struggle with a serious shopping addiction. The reader gains insight into her attempts to overcome this addiction through trial and error. In the second half, Townsend finds a deeper understanding of nature, spirituality, and therefore herself, which helps her beat her addictive habits.
Townsend’s writing style is inviting from the get-go. She comes across as friendly and non-judgmental and manages to dip her tales of woe into a healthy dose of humour. Her openness about not only the ups, but also the often overwhelming downs of her quest makes it virtually impossible not to sympathise with her. Despite the perhaps somewhat unconventional subject matter, there is nothing too woolly about Townsend’s prose. She comes across as delightfully down-to-earth and also provides insight into her own bouts of scepticism, making her all the more relatable.
The Anti-Consumerist Druid differs from most other anti-consumerist books in that it does not promise to change your life: it will not make you impulsively throw out half your possessions and create a brand new budgeting spreadsheet, inevitably resulting in a ‘new and improved you’. On the contrary, Townsend acknowledges that change doesn’t happen overnight because human behaviour is far more complicated than that. Instead, she warmly invites the reader to be more mindful about their daily habits. Townsend’s path may not be one-size-fits-all but it does offer far more nuance than your average self-help guide. It’s also a delightful read to boot.
Review first published on Graveyard Picnic.