The Story of Stuff cover

The Story of Stuff

by Annie Leonard

What our stuff costs the world—really.

For you if

you've started to feel complicit in something you can't quite name but can't stop consuming

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The Story of Stuff pulls back the curtain on the hidden life of everything we buy — where it comes from, who pays the real price, and where it ends up after we toss it “away.” With clarity and urgency, Leonard maps the global system of extraction, production, and disposal that fuels endless consumption while draining the planet and exploiting workers. It’s a wake-up call that turns everyday objects into evidence and shows how small personal choices connect to colossal structural harm. Eye-opening, infuriating, and empowering, it gives readers the tools to see the machine — and imagine something better.

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