Portobello Book Blog

It’s paperback publication day for Thanks for Sharing by Eleanor Tucker. I’m delighted to be joining the publication day push organised by Rachel’s Random Resources and sharing my review today.

About the book

In this fascinating book, Eleanor Tucker sets out a bold vision of how sustainable sharing can save us money, and lead to a happier future.

What is the Sharing Economy? How can it help us live more affordable, more sustainable, and ultimately more fulfilling lives?  What would happen if for one year a family pledged to share as much as they possibly can? Instead of owning more and more stuff, what it’s like to stop owning things and borrow, lend, rent and swap instead?

These are big questions, but features writer Eleanor Tucker sets out to answer them in this thoroughly absorbing and entertaining guide to sustainable sharing, or as it is also known, ‘collaborative consumption’.

In this engrossing study, Eleanor straps us into on her year-long experiment along with her somewhat reluctant family. Over the course of the year, with the aid of various sharing apps, they will pledge to buy as few new things as possible, instead relying on the power of sharing, lending, renting and borrowing to supply their needs.

Each chapter introduces a different type of sharing into her day to day life, from the little ‘things’ (food, clothes) to the bigger ’things’ (cars, furniture, the space around us), and shows how the growth of tech has revolutionized an age-old practice. 

The book contains best-for recommendations based around different types of sharing, to create an easily accessible shortcut into sharing.

Written with warm and relatable humour as well as a deeply-researched knowledge of the history of sharing, this unmissable guide could truly change the way you consume.

My Thoughts

In this book, Eleanor Tucker tries out different apps for sharing various things such as food, clothes, transport, office space, skills and even pets. She talks about the history of each kind of sharing and cites contemporary examples from around the world. The book is in two sections, one focusing on smaller things such as food and clothes sharing and the other on bigger ideas such as transport and houses. At the end of each section there is a very helpful summary where the author talks about the benefits of sharing, lists her top tips on the dos and don’ts of sharing and has a list of apps you can use for each category of sharing in the UK, US/Canada and Australia. Benefits can include the chance to make a little money from things you don’t use very often, to be able to access or use things you maybe couldn’t afford before and, perhaps most importantly, to be more sustainable.

The author’s first experiences with food sharing apps made me laugh. With an odd assortment of food available locally, it did seem like one of the trickier challenges chefs had to face on Ready, Steady, Cook! I think we maybe have a similar attitude to food waste. I see ‘use by’ as guidance and by using a sensible approach on how food looks or smells, whether in date or not, I’ve never poisoned anyone yet. In my local area we have a community based group, Porty Fridge, which has the aim of reducing food waste. It’s not quite the same as sharing food but the principles of reducing food waste are the same. I loved the Pretty Woman moment when the author was wearing a rather lovely shared designer dress. My own wardrobe, in common with the author, is more Birkenstocks and a floordrobe!

As the author lives in Edinburgh, I enjoyed recognising places that I know. We have the same kind of car and I thought it was very amusing that hers got called a ‘mum bus’ or cumulo mumbus to be precise. Very practical cars though for taking kids here, there and everywhere and, as I can vouch, for putting any number of large items you might have borrowed in the back. Both my daughters, in their 20s, have been eyeing this book up so I’ll be passing it on to them to read. Like many people their age, they do try to consume sustainably and more often than not buy second hand from various websites. I’m not sure they’ll have thought about sharing clothes though, apart from with each other, so I think they’ll find this book really interesting. I’m definitely going to check out some of the food sharing apps. I love the sound of a Magic Bag!

Thanks for Sharing certainly gives the reader food for thought and encourages you to consider how you can make simple changes in your life which can make a big change not just to your individual life but to your local community, the wider society and even to the planet. As is mentioned in the book, we don’t all have to do every single thing, but everyone should try to do something to make a difference. Thanks for Sharing is very readable, very sensible, very entertaining and very timely.

Thanks to Rachel for having me and to the author for
arranging to have an early copy of the book sent to me.
Thanks for Sharing is out now from Aurum Press

Buying Link: Thanks for Sharing

About the Author

Eleanor is a former advertising creative who worked in award-winning marketing agencies before becoming a features writer for world-renowned newspapers and magazines such as The Guardian, The Observer, Marie Claire and Psychologies, commentating on gender, society, sustainability, tech and lifestyle. Alongside writing, Eleanor has spent the last few years speaking and advising on the sharing and gig economy. Originally from Oxford, she was educated at Edinburgh University, where she now lives with her husband and two children.

Social Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ElleTucker

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tuckingelle/