Dealing with discount The price of cheap is becoming more and more expensive Written by: Jenna Shummoogum Date: November 15th, 2010 Have you ever read a nonfiction book and felt hopeless? Gordon Laird's newest book 'The Price of a Bargain' leaves the reader feeling just that way, dealing with the impending doom of the death of globalization. One way to wade through the deluge is to discuss it in order to learn how to deal with the world problems presented to you. Sustainable Calgary's Book Club met on the fourth floor of the Central Public Library on a cold Wednesday night to do just that. The room was filled with people, regulars and new group members alike, some who had read the entire book and some who had only read the title. Laird's heavily researched book is filled with interviews with a wide variety of people, from store executives to illegal immigrants. He details how the world is spending heavily on cheap products, burning through resources and consumer credit in pursuit of illusory growth. We are paying dearly for our consumer driven economy with low wages, urban blight, environmental damage and a cookie cutter model of progress he argues. And we are nearing the end of discount; we are coming to a time where we can't afford our consumerism. The attendees of the book club meeting felt that Laird's book was mostly about the problem with very little on solution. The discussion explored the issues surrounding a consumer driven society and bargain prices that fuel this consumerism. Attendees were concerned about environmental damage and waste, while questioning why society feels the need to have more stuff. The focus was on creating ideas and brainstorming solutions through dialogue and engaging with others, so that in the end, we are bigger than the problems we are facing. To wrap up, attendees offered a solution, small or large to try and curb the effects of a consumer driven society, be it buying used products or supporting local business. Sustainable Calgary's Book Club is a small movement to create dialogue and change to make our city and our world a more sustainable place. Join the discussion once a month at the Central Public Library. The next book club meeting is set for November 17th. The books being discussed this year can be found at www.sustainablecalgary.ca.