What do you think?
Rate this book
Enough Is Enough: A Biblical Call for Moderation in a Consumer-Oriented Society
Book by Taylor, John Vernon
124 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1977
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 26, 2016
Jenough taylorohn V Taylor wrote Enough is Enough in 1975, the year I was born, which makes it an ageing book but in many ways a prophetic book.
He opens by discussing the publication of The Limits of Growth and the furore that surrounded it thirty years ago and so chapter one has a decidedly pessimistic feel to it. It is clear that Taylor is fearful of the direction and destination of mankind if it remains set on 'endless growth'.
"There is no surer way of arousing the emotions of economists than to suggest that the highly developed countries of the West should deliberately stop the growth of capital investment, slow down industry's consumption of raw materials, and set about educating the citizens to expect a levelling-off of the standard of living." (p2)
And in the light of the current economic crisis some of what he says remains startlingly relevant.
"Growth economy is interested in profits, not products; it seeks to reduce labour costs, not to create jobs." (p6)
However not all he says has stood the test of time as well. For example Taylor points to China as a society whose 'determining factor is not profit but total social welfare' and whose methods were 'ecologically less damaging'. History has, sadly, shown those comments to be bunk. His advocacy of population controls seem somewhat severe. I have two children and no matter how much I'm in favour of adoption, I'm not sure I would have taken kindly to being told we can't have kids but instead must adopt them (p14) or endure 'compulsory sterilization' (p16). I don't even dare think what would have happened if he'd suggested that to my wife.
But not all his suggestions were off the mark, he called for 'a completely fresh approach to the scientific farming of the seas' and more research into the 'long-term effects of raising the temperature, ever so slightly, of the atmosphere of the seas' (p16) and he regularly draws on the work of EF Schumacher (for more on him see this).
He rails against the love affair with the car and that 'absurdly, a journey costs more by public transport than by private car' (p24) , and sensibly calls for better public transportation and the overall benefits to city, suburban and rural life that brings. Connected to the car is the failure of urban planners and that 'no authority can design a coherent city' (p24) and the destruction of the railways and the abandonment of the canals in the UK.He goes on to attack the wastefulness of society and with admirable foresight calls for a levy on non-recyclable goods (still none on plastic bags in the UK yet though).
In chapter 4 Taylor begins to outline his vision of the Christian life in a consumer society and I found it heartening to discover that it was close to the principles we had outlined at the Breathe Network. He insists that the resistance must be a joyful one and in this he is correct. It's not appealing if all we do is complain about how hard and miserable life is now we've given up our consumer luxuries, instead we find joy in our giving, our sharing and the freedom we have that we exercise by not spending our money on what we don't need. Taylor gives each further aim a motto; first that we insist that the price tag is too high or as Breathe puts it we refuse the offer of consumerism.
Secondly that we ask the question who are you kidding? when we listen and see the extravagant offers made on behalf of shampoo, cars and phones. Thirdly that we travel light through life because we know that you can't take it with you but beware of faux simplicity chic. Fourthly Taylor realises that this must be a corporate resistance and one shared by the whole family that chooses quality over quantity & hospitality over privacy and then in the following chapter he briefly works out these principles from the individual and family to the church and congregation. How can we together resist the powers that be?
Taylor's theology goes somewhat askew as he eulogizes about Buddhist or Hindu ashrams as the work of the Holy Spirit and he places undue import on the significance of communal living, which is as marginal today as it was then. In it's doom-laden warnings the book carries the prophetic refrain of a Jeremiah or Amos but it is also a concerning message for those repeating it today.
"Our present situation of rapid material growth, which encourages every family to expect as of right an ever-expanding surplus, is, in the light of man's long history, so abnormal that one knows it has to cease. Sooner or later the curves have to flatten out." (p4)
Taylor says as many are saying today,
"That unless we can discover a radically new style of living, and can put it into practice, the delicate balance of life on this planet will be irretrievably deranged and we shall be plunged into chaos"(p101).
The problem is this, Taylor said this 36 years ago and here we still are and life goes on and in many ways despite the population increase life for millions is better now than then even though there remains massive, inexcusable injustices. So this same warning has been repeated and repeatedly and substantially ignored. If anything our consumer culture is worse now than in the mid 70s and is more grotesque now than then. But here we still are. It seems to strange to think this but what those who make this warning need most is for one of those things they warn about to actually happen. You can't keep predicting the end of the world and getting it wrong before people think you're a bit of a joke.
This small book reminds me that cultural change is a generational game and one must be prepared to labour for a lifetime and even then maybe not see the promised land. This requires faith and conviction. At the same time this serves as a caution both on predicting the future (you will be wrong more than you are right) and on the tone of the message: is one of hope for a brighter, better future or one of endless complaining about the current state of affairs. Still reading this gave me broader perspective of the issues I care about.
He opens by discussing the publication of The Limits of Growth and the furore that surrounded it thirty years ago and so chapter one has a decidedly pessimistic feel to it. It is clear that Taylor is fearful of the direction and destination of mankind if it remains set on 'endless growth'.
"There is no surer way of arousing the emotions of economists than to suggest that the highly developed countries of the West should deliberately stop the growth of capital investment, slow down industry's consumption of raw materials, and set about educating the citizens to expect a levelling-off of the standard of living." (p2)
And in the light of the current economic crisis some of what he says remains startlingly relevant.
"Growth economy is interested in profits, not products; it seeks to reduce labour costs, not to create jobs." (p6)
However not all he says has stood the test of time as well. For example Taylor points to China as a society whose 'determining factor is not profit but total social welfare' and whose methods were 'ecologically less damaging'. History has, sadly, shown those comments to be bunk. His advocacy of population controls seem somewhat severe. I have two children and no matter how much I'm in favour of adoption, I'm not sure I would have taken kindly to being told we can't have kids but instead must adopt them (p14) or endure 'compulsory sterilization' (p16). I don't even dare think what would have happened if he'd suggested that to my wife.
But not all his suggestions were off the mark, he called for 'a completely fresh approach to the scientific farming of the seas' and more research into the 'long-term effects of raising the temperature, ever so slightly, of the atmosphere of the seas' (p16) and he regularly draws on the work of EF Schumacher (for more on him see this).
He rails against the love affair with the car and that 'absurdly, a journey costs more by public transport than by private car' (p24) , and sensibly calls for better public transportation and the overall benefits to city, suburban and rural life that brings. Connected to the car is the failure of urban planners and that 'no authority can design a coherent city' (p24) and the destruction of the railways and the abandonment of the canals in the UK.He goes on to attack the wastefulness of society and with admirable foresight calls for a levy on non-recyclable goods (still none on plastic bags in the UK yet though).
In chapter 4 Taylor begins to outline his vision of the Christian life in a consumer society and I found it heartening to discover that it was close to the principles we had outlined at the Breathe Network. He insists that the resistance must be a joyful one and in this he is correct. It's not appealing if all we do is complain about how hard and miserable life is now we've given up our consumer luxuries, instead we find joy in our giving, our sharing and the freedom we have that we exercise by not spending our money on what we don't need. Taylor gives each further aim a motto; first that we insist that the price tag is too high or as Breathe puts it we refuse the offer of consumerism.
Secondly that we ask the question who are you kidding? when we listen and see the extravagant offers made on behalf of shampoo, cars and phones. Thirdly that we travel light through life because we know that you can't take it with you but beware of faux simplicity chic. Fourthly Taylor realises that this must be a corporate resistance and one shared by the whole family that chooses quality over quantity & hospitality over privacy and then in the following chapter he briefly works out these principles from the individual and family to the church and congregation. How can we together resist the powers that be?
Taylor's theology goes somewhat askew as he eulogizes about Buddhist or Hindu ashrams as the work of the Holy Spirit and he places undue import on the significance of communal living, which is as marginal today as it was then. In it's doom-laden warnings the book carries the prophetic refrain of a Jeremiah or Amos but it is also a concerning message for those repeating it today.
"Our present situation of rapid material growth, which encourages every family to expect as of right an ever-expanding surplus, is, in the light of man's long history, so abnormal that one knows it has to cease. Sooner or later the curves have to flatten out." (p4)
Taylor says as many are saying today,
"That unless we can discover a radically new style of living, and can put it into practice, the delicate balance of life on this planet will be irretrievably deranged and we shall be plunged into chaos"(p101).
The problem is this, Taylor said this 36 years ago and here we still are and life goes on and in many ways despite the population increase life for millions is better now than then even though there remains massive, inexcusable injustices. So this same warning has been repeated and repeatedly and substantially ignored. If anything our consumer culture is worse now than in the mid 70s and is more grotesque now than then. But here we still are. It seems to strange to think this but what those who make this warning need most is for one of those things they warn about to actually happen. You can't keep predicting the end of the world and getting it wrong before people think you're a bit of a joke.
This small book reminds me that cultural change is a generational game and one must be prepared to labour for a lifetime and even then maybe not see the promised land. This requires faith and conviction. At the same time this serves as a caution both on predicting the future (you will be wrong more than you are right) and on the tone of the message: is one of hope for a brighter, better future or one of endless complaining about the current state of affairs. Still reading this gave me broader perspective of the issues I care about.
January 14, 2015
I only read chapters 3 and four of this book, because they were recommended to me by someone I trust. Even though the book was written in 1975, Taylor's insights into a theology of "enough" were well ahead of his time.
June 25, 2016
Life-changing at the time. May seem dated now.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews