Secondhand - Adam Minter

I've been reading less sci-fi lately, for one reason or another. This latest book was chosen by a book club that I'm in at the University of Michigan. It is not something I would have ever chosen on my own, but I'm quite glad to have read it -- it is eye-opening, and tells stories that one would struggle to find covered elsewhere.

Secondhand explores the variety of ways in which the market for secondhand goods operates around the world. Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, a huge part of the high school experience for me was visiting Goodwill or the Salvation Army and trying on all sorts of clothes. Most of the expected (US) audience has experience with either donating to, or shopping at, Goodwill, so Adam Minter begins there. From a review of the sheer scale of Goodwill's operations in Arizona, it becomes clear that the secondhand industry is indeed an industry, but one that many people have the privilege to ignore.

Minter also takes us through how people trade used items Mexico; how Japanese people clear out the homes of the recently deceased; the production of wiping rags (in the US) and disaster relief blankets  (in India) from secondhand clothes; the extensive repair and reuse of electronics in West Africa; and much more. Altogether, it is a thorough exploration of how things get reused and recycled, which makes a strong case for us to reduce our consumption of things.

The most interesting parts of this book for me were the exposé-style portions, where Minter reveals the cruel machinations of companies and governments  to suppress the secondhand market. For example, manufacturers claim that child car seats expire after 6 years, but this holds no basis in fact; it drives sales, and causes people to destroy used car seats that could be sold secondhand and keep many more children safe. Similarly, import of secondhand clothes into countries like India, Nigeria, and Ghana is illegal or highly taxed, but the market for these goods is immense, robust, and complicated. Minter shows how subconscious bigotry and subtle colonialist views cause wealthy countries to believe they are doing developing countries a favor by hampering the trade in secondhand goods. It is infuriating to read, and an excellent lesson to learn.

Overall, I strongly recommend this book for its insight into a huge world that we often refuse to acknowledge.