What's Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption

Rachel Botsman · Roo Rogers

Sep 2010 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

“Amidst a thousand tirades against the excesses and waste of consumer society, [this book] offers us something genuinely new and invigorating: a way out.” —Steven Johnson, New York Times–bestselling author of The Infernal Machine

A groundbreaking and original book, What’s Mine is Yours articulates for the first time the roots of “collaborative consumption,” the authors’ term for the technology-based peer communities that are transforming the traditional landscape of business, consumerism, and the way we live. Those who seek an alternative to voracious shopping and the mindless accumulation of possessions will be inspired by this landmark contribution to the evolving ecology of commerce and sustainability.

“Driven by growing dissatisfaction with their role as robotic consumers manipulated by marketing, people are turning more and more to models of consumption that emphasize usefulness over ownership, community over selfishness, and sustainability over novelty . . . Part cultural critique and part practical guide to the fledgling collaborative consumption market, the book provides a wealth of information for consumers looking to redefine their relationships with both the things they use and the communities they live in.” —Publishers Weekly

About the author

Rachel Botsman writes, consults, and speaks on the power of collaboration and sharing, and on how it can transform the way we live. She received her BFA (with honors) from the University of Oxford and undertook her postgraduate studies at Harvard University. She has consulted with businesses around the world on brand and innovation strategy, and was a former director at the William J. Clinton Foundation. Rachel has lived and worked in the UK, the USA, Asia, and Australia. Roo Rogers is an entrepreneur and the president of Redscout Ventures, a venture company in New York. He has served as the cofounding partner of OZOlab and the former CEO of OZOcar, and his other endeavors include Drive Thru Pictures, UNITY TV, and Wenite. He received his BA from Columbia College, and his Masters in Economic Development from University College London. He lives in New York City.