Confessions of an Eco-Sinner: Tracking Down the Sources of My Stuff

By Fred Pearce

A 2008 Indie Next Pick 

In Confessions of an Eco-Sinner, Fred Pearce surveys his home and then sets out to track down the people behind the production and distribution of everything in his daily life, from his socks to his computer to the food in his fridge. It’s a fascinating portrait, by turns sobering and hopeful, of the effects the world’s more than six billion inhabitants have on our planet—and of the working and living conditions of the people who produce most of these goods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9780807096703

Reviews for Confessions of an Eco-Sinner

[satyridae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another for the "everything you are doing is wrong" shelf. Pearce decided to investigate the ways his consumer goods were manufactured and disposed of. The usual suspects are on display here, and some less usual. It's always a little troublesome to see someone log tens of thousands of air miles to report on how the environment is going to hell, but it feels like his motives are pure- and points to him for acknowledging his footprint as considerably larger than average for his cohort.

There are a lot of short chapters, all are interesting. For my money, all would be more interesting if they were handled a bit more thoroughly. It's a good introduction with some light bits balancing an overall grim topic.