Waste And Want: A Social History Of Trash – Susan Strasser

Description

Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash by Susan Strasser offers a fascinating and eye-opening exploration of America’s relationship with waste and disposability. Winner of the Abel Wolman Award of the Public Works Historical Society, this groundbreaking book examines how the simple, everyday act of throwing things away has shaped — and been shaped by — American consumer culture over the centuries.

Strasser, celebrated for her insightful histories of domestic life and consumer habits, delves into a time when trash was nearly nonexistent. In early America, thrift was a necessity: household scraps were repurposed, swill children collected kitchen waste, and peddlers traded goods for rags and bones. But with the rise of industrialisation, mass production, and consumer culture in the 20th century, convenience and disposability became the norm, ushering in an era of unprecedented waste.

Through vivid anecdotes and meticulously researched social history, Waste and Want reveals how attitudes toward rubbish have evolved and what discarded items tell us about the societies that produce them. It’s a rich and engaging read for anyone interested in environmental history, consumerism, and the hidden stories of everyday life.