Like eco-friendly? Like buying things that are built to last? Useful? Non-cluttering? That's what drew me to this book, I'm very into decluttering and I love having things that are built to last.
For each of her picks she gives a little history, and some background into why she chose what she did. She gives a review at the end of each chapter with a price range for each item and if she has a brand name she likes she lists that too.
Ideas I liked:
Some new spins on things I'd never thought about before, and she has a few of them. For instance:
A lamp timer instead of an alarm clock. Brilliant in my eyes, alarm clocks scare me in the morning.
A pop-up mesh clothes hamper.
One that I wasn't so sure about but now seems really cool is using a salad spinner for more than just spinning salad - if you buy a good one.
And there's more, such as getting rid of non-stick pans and going to cast iron, which lasts for ever!
I like that she doesn't skimp. Buy the best that you can, but be wise in what you buy. And you know, most things really aren't that expensive. That to me is something I really enjoyed about this book.
Cons:
There wasn't anything bad, but I'd want to research some of her ideas out myself before buying. There were a couple that made me go `eh':
A saltcellar, it's like one of those things Alton Brown uses to get salt from on his show `Good Eats'. If you don't have any kids then I can see having one; personally I think they're cool. But if you do have kids I can see salt flung here and there and little dirty hands reaching into it, ick, and she really downplays salt and pepper shakers which I guess is a personal thing.
Some that were personal preference, like an electric blanket. She has a sound advice in buying one, but I've never really wanted to own one so I don't see how it's essential other than lowering the heat at night but I have warm blankets that can do that without electricity.
I have to say it was a nice read, she has humor, she has her research, and she has sound advice. It makes you think.
Product Description
Purge the clutter. Outfit your home with care: The 34 essential kitchen tools. The 9 essential cleaning and fixing products. The 13, and only 13, things a bedroom needs to make it a haven of rest and privacy. Each item has been field-tested and rated for its environmental, social, and aesthetic impact. There is high-tech: the miraculous microfiber mop, the low voltage electric blanket, the truly responsive iron. And there is low-tech: the French press coffeemaker, the can opener, and the feather duster. Practical, entertaining, opinionated, Flanagan's Smart Home is a timely remedy for the age of excess. Above all, it's necessary. Behind the bath mat, soupspoon, sofa, and lamp lies a far deeper question: how to live.
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