Occassionally I read the reviews by other people, and I wonder if they've read the same book as me!Tom Hodgkinson's book seems to me not to be a self help guide. It doesn't provide a programme to follow to be free, but it argues, occassionally eloquently, that it is possible for everyone to loosen their 'Mind Forged Manacles'. Much of his method for doing this revolves around taking control and responsibility for or and for your own life. If you hate your job then change it. If you have a nagging feeling that you're working to maintain a lifestyle in order to keep up with the Joneses, or to maintain a crippling mortgage then look at the alternatives.It felt to me more like a companion peace to the Chumbawamba and Crass albums that I've been listening to all these years. An easy introduction to the theory behind the calls for anarchy. Some of his arguments are of course flawed. At least, assuming that you're reading this post on a computer, then the call to take back understanding in technology so that you're not behest to 'the man' is optimistic at best. Like many others, I'm happy to buy the bits to build a computer, but I couldn't tell you how to make the chips themselves, (beyond a hand waving explanation) never mind actually designing the chips. We live in a world where the ability to purchase technology which is way beyond our individual understanding is part of modern life. I guess the question is whether you buy in to the rat race, or take a more moderate approach.It didn't provide any life changing suggestions to me. I think I fell out with the concept of consumerism a long time ago. My current PC is new, but the previous one was only replaced when it died on me after more than 6 years. My iPod is one that I bought second hand on eBay cos they were being sold off cheap by loads of people who had rushed out to buy an iPhone as soon as they became available (better for me, I chose to run Rockbox on it anyway...), but some of the ideas have given me food for thought, and as we embark on another years vegetable growing (something that we were doing before I read this book) it has given me a renewed enthusiasm for the joys of cultivation. ( )

An eye-opening read when travelling to work. More fellow traveller should read it instead of bleating into their mobile phones. The author 's assumptions are well supported with qoutations from historic sources. ( )

I agree with 90% of Hodgkinson's book, and was kind of pleased to find that I live my live in line with 75% of it. It's really just some well-worn situationist, anarchist and green ideas, warmed up and made palatable for Observer readers. It's another of those books that outstays its welcome: after you've read two thirds of it, you can predict exactly where each chapter is heading just from its title. ( )

One of the best book I have ever read. Hard to put down and made me question more about my life than anything else I have read. ( )