Book Review: The Toaster Project
What would you do for a piece of toast? Unless the answer includes spurting plumes of sulfur dioxide into the air and literally killing rivers by making them too acidic for any life other than extremophile microbes to grow, then you need to read this book. Luckily for you, it’s fun to read! Here’s the review I just posted on Goodreads:
The Toaster Project by Thomas Thwaites
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The premise of this book is simple–build a toaster from scratch–and Twaites’ writing style is similarly straightforward. But what Thwaites is up to here is deep, nothing less than undermining (at one point, literally) the foundations of the throw-away culture upon which both late consumer capitalism and the ongoing rush to wreck the planet depend.
Thwaites tells the story in a matter-of-fact, at times deadpan, voice, punctuating the tale with fun facts, amusing email, and quick character sketches of people met along the way. It’s a fun, fast read with a powerful message made palatable by the breezy style.
Don’t undercut your own enjoyment by reading too many reviews that might reveal key events or conclusions too soon. Just jump in and enjoy the ride.
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