I grew up with a very, um, thrifty Dutch dad so I got quite a few laughs out of this book review on salon.com.  Laura Miller issues a call to rediscover the joys of penny pinching.  The book is In Cheap We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue, by Lauren Weber.

The author apparently attempts the very noble goal of a call to thriftiness while seemingly avoiding sounding like a puritan (or a scrooge).  Miller says:

‘The heart of Weber’s book lies in its more contemporary chapters and her advocacy for what she calls “ethical cheapness.” This blend of environmentalism, anti-consumerism, social justice and old-fashioned parsimony asks both “Do I really need this?” and “What other costs — to the planet, to workers, to myself — lie hidden in this product I’m considering buying?” ‘

Adding this to my want to read list now.  Read the entire review for yourself here.  And yeah in case you haven’t heard, the Dutch are kind of renowned for their, uh, thriftiness.  I think “sustainability” sounds much more sexy, don’t you?