L'uomo Che Ha Abbandonato Il Denaro (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Every "quant" should read this, even if the author gets a few facts wrong. Should, because here is the story of a man who essentially has given up calculation. The subject no longer measures his life in cents, no longer worries about the number of dollars or fractions of dollars he has to get or to give. What struck me the most was this quote by Daniel Suelo, the subject of the book: "Griffin's book was the final straw that broke the camel's back, convincing me that I must go moneyless." He's referring to The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin (misnamed C. in the book, one of many editorial lapses), a noted Bircher who tends to overrate the influence of communists in shaping history. Given the book's blurbs by Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Gilbert and William Greider, this is the last thing I expected.What's fascinating is the confluence of hippie progressivism with the subject's own conservative Christian upbringing. This aspect is the most interesting part of the story for me, how he has fused the two on his path to living in caves and scavenging food while maintaining a blog and a social life.With that, Suelo is definitely in the American grain, polarized as it is now by hyperventilating ideologues of left and right. It's nice to read of someone who spans that.The book does repeat some hackneyed New Age tropes and engage in sloppy reportage, such that the Buddha was born in the desert (analogous to Moab Utah where the subject lives), and that Bodh Gaya (India) is in the desert as well, whereas it is in a fertile subtropical plain.Apart from this, the book is worthwhile. It's a quick, fascinating story that offers a good recounting (pun not intended) of living differently. The subject is likable to boot, a sincere person struggling with depression and with being an outcast, who continues to find spiritual purpose outside of mainstream materialism. Suelo definitely has an extraordinary life. Religious beliefs seem to dictate to him everything: his lifestyle, his disgust to the consumerist society and his refusal to adapt to it. The book does not offer a very detailed description of how Suelo manages to live without money (maybe because there is nothing extraordinary about it - he eats wild berries, food from dumpster or freely given to him), but rather it focuses on his inner thougths and religious beliefs (that are not unheard-of, too). Very few passages truly captivated me: the one about the illusion of money, Suelo's experiences in Ecuador and Asia. Maybe the greatest achievement of this book is making you think even just for a few minutes, about the things that really fulfill your life: nature, family, hobbies, socialization, giving to others vs. a big house, expensive possessions and lots of money.
What do You think about L'uomo Che Ha Abbandonato Il Denaro (2014)?
This book was recommended to me and I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting of it. I was maybe thinking it would be sort of a how to guide to live without money and make the world a better place and I suppose, in a way, it was, but not really.The book was well written, but it is Daniel Suelo that is the story. He does things that I think a lot of people, at least occasionally, wish they could do. He's got a child-like view of how the world could be. Definitely worth reading even if you don't agree with his concepts.
—gabrielchase
I was intrigued by the book and was especially interested in the parts relating to how Suelo got by without money. His upbringing was interesting as it relates to his subsequent choices. I was less interested in the sections on the US economy, but overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Most importantly, I am thinking about my own relationship to money and areas of waste and am starting to make small changes.
—Geneviieve
