After reading about half of this book I had to put it down. I could not identify with the affluent, oblivious persona of the author. Perhaps it is because I'm older, but her lifestyle at the beginning and the temporary changes she makes along the way struck me as pretty shallow. She gives up drinking for one month, elevators for one month, her cell phone for one month, etc. What if she had to give up her health? Or a loved one? Or her career expectations? Reading about how giving up coffee gave her headaches or her friends seem dumber or meaner when they've been drinking and she hasn't just didn't seem insightful enough to keep me reading.

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This was an interesting idea for a book, but unfortunately the author just isn't original or insightful enough to pull it off. There is really nothing to be gained from reading, and I could see how some people could be easily irritated by the tone of the writer.

Also, please be advised that while it seems like it falls into the realm of personal finance, it's really not totally about that.

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This was a cute idea for a book and I'm sure it was a major undertaking, but the book somehow falls flat, focusing more on the preparations and struggle rather than anything learned or gained. Some months feel like a whinge of living without something rather than "learning to live better with less."

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In the wake of "No Impact Man" and "The Compact" movements, giving up shopping for a single month strikes one as a tad unambitious and hardly merits a blog, let alone a book. This one approaches the deny-oneself philosophy from a vice-of-the-month approach: Starbucks one month, not cursing the next.

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I'd have to agree with the most of the reviewers. This book is simplicity for shopaholics and people who read cosmo on a regular basis. I'm glad I got it at the library.

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