Overview

Less Is Not Enough examines the rise of minimalist self-help, showing how it depoliticizes middle-class frustrations with capitalist exploitation, and proposes a cultural strategy to channel minimalist desires into a more radical, postgrowth politics. In the past decade minimalist self-help has exploded, from tidying guides to media detoxes which promise to help affluent middle classes navigate a world of excess—too much clutter, stress, and distraction. Here, Miriam Meissner exposes the limits of minimalism in addressing both middle-class overload and the environmental crisis. Through a critical analysis of self-help books, TV shows, and online communities, she argues that while minimalism is well-intended, it ultimately distracts from the root causes of the very problems it seeks to alleviate. Trends like decluttering and mindfulness depoliticize middle-class frustrations with the capitalist exploitation of labour, attention, and ecology for profit. In an era where climate justice and class struggle are inseparable, this book proposes an eco-political strategy that refuses to pit middle-class interests against the demands of a just green transition.

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9781350587793

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Reviews

""This pioneering exploration of minimalist practices and their possible future political role provides a much needed addition to current literature on sustainable consumption and the promotion of a less-growth driven consumption. Writers, like Meissner, who are willing to go beyond deploring the environmental consequences of affluent living in order to focus on the possible agents of improvement and social transformation, are few and far between. When they produce a book as good as this, they deserve to be read."" * Katherine Soper, London Metropolitan University, UK * ""Meissner's original perspective on minimalism encourages us to think critically and deeply about the emancipatory potentials of ""less"" as defined by popular culture. This book has potential to provoke critical re-evaluation of what it means to reduce consumption, and how this can be done. It is important reading for those engaged in degrowth or eco-politics and curious about the potentials of cultures beyond Capitalism. Meissner teaches us to think critically about cultural narratives and practices, and introduces new thinking and theorisation relevant across multiple fields."" * Sofia Greaves, PROSPERA, Spain *

""This pioneering exploration of minimalist practices and their possible future political role provides a much needed addition to current literature on sustainable consumption and the promotion of a less-growth driven consumption. Writers, like Meissner, who are willing to go beyond deploring the environmental consequences of affluent living in order to focus on the possible agents of improvement and social transformation, are few and far between. When they produce a book as good as this, they deserve to be read."" * Katherine Soper, London Metropolitan University, UK * ""Meissner's original perspective on minimalism encourages us to think critically and deeply about the emancipatory potentials of ""less"" as defined by popular culture. This book has potential to provoke critical re-evaluation of what it means to reduce consumption, and how this can be done. It is important reading for those engaged in degrowth or eco-politics and curious about the potentials of cultures beyond Capitalism. Meissner teaches us to think critically about cultural narratives and practices, and introduces new thinking and theorisation relevant across multiple fields."" * Sofia Greaves, PROSPERA, Spain * ""This is a profound and timely study of our present age of excess. Miriam Meissner does much more than expose the limitations and contradictions of minimalist living. She charts a path towards just futures free from addiction to affluence."" * Christoph Lindner, Royal College of Art, UK *

Author Information

Miriam Meissner is Assistant Professor of Culture and Political Ecology at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Her previous publications include Narrating the Global Financial Crisis (2017), Global Garbage (2016) and The Routledge Companion to Urban Imaginaries (2018). Her current research focuses on postgrowth and cultural politics.

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