Not What I Expected, Part 1

Browsing through the traveling Cokesbury Bookstore at Annual Conference I ran across a book that peaked my interest in gardening and sustainable living titled "Year of Plenty" by Rev. Craig Goodwin. The idea for the "Year of Plenty" was birthed after an unfullfilling holiday shopping season on the "consumer treadmill" and focuses on the families journey to follow four simple rules. The four rules include purchasing only locally made goods, purchasing only used items, to grow as much of their own food as possible and to make handmade items rather than making purchases. The goal stated by the author was not to "reject the economic realities of the world, bur rather to enter them intentionally with eyes open to the impact of our purchases". After reading the back cover and reviewing the chapter titles I made the purchase thinking that this new gem would be sort of similar to a previous gardening/life experience book that I read a few years back "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingslover. Although, a very interesting book outlining one family's intersection of faith, consumerism and community...it was not what I expected.