New Book Details the Powerful but Simple Act of Sharing

by Julie Scheff

The Sharing Solution, by Maxwell Park resident Emily Doskow and Janelle Orsi, published by Nolo Press.

This is a book for our times. Dwindling resources, our current economic crisis, a planet imperiled by global warming all ask us to respond. The question is how? This book points us in one new direction.

In The Sharing Solution, published by Nolo Press, Maxwell Park resident Emily Doskow and co-author Janelle Orsi describe hitting the jackpot by something as simple as sharing. What can be shared? A vacuum cleaner, a weed whacker, an ice-cream maker are among the simple things. Or if you're willing to stretch you could share a car, a home, and more. The Sharing Solution's pages come to life with people enriching their communities and their lives by sharing. One Maxwell Park group takes turns working on home projects—building fences, painting walls, garden projects. Another Oakland group shares a community garden.

By doing so, the authors argue we can accomplish a healthier planet, pocketbook, and community (something they call the triple bottom line). The authors provide a grab bag of suggestions of what to share. Swapping babysitting or pet sitting with a neighbor may seem common-sense ideas. But other examples outlined are more far-reaching—and even profitable. Take for instance Minessota-based MinWind, which has nine wind turbines producing alternative energy. It was started by 66 people who came together to form an entity called community supported energy (CSE). An organization that helps communities do so is One Block off the Grid (www.1bog.org).

The book is not just a utopian manifesto about how nice it would be if we just all share and get along. It is an activist manual with exciting and inspirational examples and D-I-Y practical tools. It contains worksheets, surveys, forms, and advice for avoiding possible pitfalls such as conflict, liability, and risk.

'Read it and get inspired to start an epidemic of sharing in your neighborhood, workplace, or among your family and friends. Share plums from your trees, share lunch at work, share your computer skills or legal skills in order to learn how to knit. The possibilities are endless.

The book is available at Laurel Book Store.

Julie Scheff is a Realtor, specializing in the Laurel. She can be reached at 541-3386.