Books 2012: The Man Who Quit Money

The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will continue to think about this book for a few more weeks, months, years, etc.

The concept is fascinating. The spirituality behind it is fascinating. The lifestyle is fascinating.

And all additionally insightful.

Perhaps there is no better time to read such a tale of human life than when one is at their own crossroads, a point of making decisions which will either reflect perfectly or imperfectly on the truths one claims to hold.

A few passages:

"The people who had the least were the most willing to share. He outlined a dictum that he would believe the rest of his life: the more people have, the less they give. Similarly, generous cultures produce less waste because excess is shared, whereas stingy nations fill their landfills with leftovers." (pg. 44)

"All this work, work, work and obligation we think is so righteous is really evil, destructive," Suelo concludes. "The more I read the Sermon on the Mount, the more I see it is instructions for releasing ourselves from the Money System - the System of Debt and Obligation." (pg. 198)

"Maybe the process of trying to change the world is as valuable as actually attaining that change. Because what's gained is a renewed sense of community, of knowing your neighbor. And ultimately, building community may solve problems like excessive consumption that results from America's extreme version of individuality." (pg. 240).

"When I was a kid I thought I'd be a missionary to the heathens, but now I think maybe it's okay to be a missionary, but to the Christians, because they're the ones who need it, because they don't believe their own religion." (pg. 253)


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A few other things:

First of all, I can't wait to dumpster dive again. And I want to grow food and I'm dreaming about our sustainable little plot of Wyoming that, god-willing, will some day be. And this book couldn't have come at a better or worse time. Because I don't know how to live out everything I believe and money is something that holds a lot of emotions for me, I have a lot of convictions in the realm of finances and this is a book that helps me understand them at a different depth...

But it also makes me reconsider how we're going to go about re-entering 'the American life'.

And I'm all for unconventional and reconsidering, etc. I'm just not sure where this is going - so many ideas floating around this brain box of mine.

(Typed while snacking on Strawberry Mentos although I know I should be drinking water)