What’s Mine Is Yours Book Summary - What’s Mine Is Yours Book explained in key points

What’s Mine Is Yours summary

Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers

How Collaborative Consumption Is Changing the Way We Live

15 mins

Brief summary

'What’s Mine Is Yours' by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers is a groundbreaking book on the “sharing economy”. It investigates this new consumer behavior and its impact on business and society, from collaborative consumption to the rise of peer-to-peer lending.

Topics
Table of Contents

    What’s Mine Is Yours
    Summary of 8 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 8

    We consume more today than ever before.

    Americans love to shop. So much so that, in the United States, there are now more shopping centers than there are high schools!

    Indeed, never before have we consumed so much, and the contrast with the past is astounding.

    In the past fifty years, Americans have consumed more goods and services than all previous generations combined. American families in the early 1990s had twice as many possessions as they did only 20 years prior.

    And since we have more possessions, we need more places to keep them. In the US alone, personal storage spaces comprise a combined area of 2.35 billion square feet. Just think: before 1964, personal storage facilities didn’t even exist.

    But why do we consume so much more today than we did in the past? The answer lies in several different forces that work together.

    For one, today’s marketing strategies are more sophisticated and pervasive. Advertisements are everywhere: the average person sees more than 1,000 advertisements every day.

    Moreover, today’s products aren’t built to last. Companies deliberately design products to fail after a certain time as a way to increase sales. General Electric was designing for “planned obsolescence” as early as 1932, when they deliberately shortened the lifespan of their light bulbs.

    Supermarkets are filled with incredible amounts of disposable products that can be used only once, like styrofoam cups and disposable razors.

    Finally, politicians and economists believe that consumption is the engine of economic growth. As a result, there’s a strong political incentive to motivate us to consume even more.

    For instance, to boost car sales during the recession in 2009, twelve EU countries decided to offer cash incentives to consumers who would trade in their old cars for new ones. In Germany, for example, customers that traded their old cars for more fuel-efficient models would get €2,500.

    But, as you will see, our record-breaking consumption has consequences.

    Want to see all full key ideas from What’s Mine Is Yours?

    Key ideas in What’s Mine Is Yours

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is What’s Mine Is Yours about?

    What’s Mine Is Yours paints a startling picture of our future if we stay on our current trajectory. Widespread over-consumption and traditional production models spell almost certain doom – that is, unless we can nurture the new economic landscape evolving in front of our eyes: “collaborative consumption.”

    What’s Mine Is Yours Review

    What’s Mine Is Yours (2010) explores the concept of collaborative consumption and how it is reshaping our world. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • With compelling examples and insightful analysis, it illuminates the potential of the sharing economy to address environmental and social issues.
    • The book offers practical strategies for individuals and businesses to embrace collaborative consumption and make a positive impact.
    • Through its thought-provoking exploration of how sharing can change our lives, it challenges conventional notions of ownership and stimulates critical thinking.

    Best quote from What’s Mine Is Yours

    The things you own end up owning you. - from the David Fincher film Fight Club

    —Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers
    example alt text

    Who should read What’s Mine Is Yours?

    • Anyone who thinks they own more than they’ll ever need
    • Anyone who loves eBay, couchsurfing and Freecycle.com
    • Anyone who feels like there has to be more to life than amassing material possessions

    About the Author

    Rachel Botsman is among the most influential thinkers on collaboration. She is the founder of the innovation incubator Collaborative Lab as well as a former director at the President Clinton Foundation.

    Roo Rogers began his career working for UNICEF in the developing world. Today he is the co-founder of OZOlab and a former CEO of OZOcar, an alternative town-car service that uses hybrid cars.

    Categories with What’s Mine Is Yours

    Book summaries like What’s Mine Is Yours

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    30 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial

    What’s Mine Is Yours FAQs 

    What is the main message of What’s Mine Is Yours?

    The main message of What’s Mine Is Yours is that collaborative consumption has the potential to transform our economy and society.

    How long does it take to read What’s Mine Is Yours?

    The reading time for What’s Mine Is Yours varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is What’s Mine Is Yours a good book? Is it worth reading?

    What’s Mine Is Yours is a thought-provoking read that sheds light on the power of collaborative consumption. It is definitely worth reading.

    Who is the author of What’s Mine Is Yours?

    The authors of What’s Mine Is Yours are Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers.

    What to read after What’s Mine Is Yours?

    If you're wondering what to read next after What’s Mine Is Yours, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • The First Rule of Mastery by Michael Gervais
    • Saving Aziz by Chad Robichaux with David L. Thomas
    • Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess by Caroline Leaf
    • Licence to be Bad by Jonathan Aldred
    • Make Your Mark by Jocelyn K. Glei
    • In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
    • When You're Ready, This Is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest
    • The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill
    • Mastering Leadership by Robert J. Anderson and William A. Adams
    • Phaedo by Plato