“Consume less; share better.”― Hervé Kempf *

There are many ways of sharing. These blogs are my way of sharing knowledge - things I know that maybe not all my friends do. Apart from factual information, sharing knowledge involves sharing insights and - dare I say it - wisdom. A book is the greatest invitation to share, which you accept by reading the book, and pass on my recommending it to others. Perhaps even lending them your copy.

That leads to the other type of sharing - physical objects. Marketers would have you believe that you are only somebody if you have all the stuff that your neighbors have, plus a bit more. As Toba Beta puts it “Greed is a little bit more than enough.” Our outlandish consumerism has to stop. Sharing can help.

Instead of running off to Barnes & Noble (or worse Amazon) to buy the latest book, stop by the library and borrow a copy. I have always had a house full of books, most of which I will read one day, but I don't think I have ever returned a book to the library unread.

Instead of running off to Lowe's or Home Depot because you need a tool, ask your neighbor if he has one you could borrow. Or start a tool library, a place from which you could borrow a long armed pruner for the one day of the year you need it; or a ladder to change a light bulb (less than once a year because of course you use LED bulbs); or a food processor for the rare occasions you cook for more than 3.

*French journalist and author of (among others) Comment les riches détruisent la planète, or How the Rich are Destroying the Planet.