No New Things

A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity

By: Ashlee Piper

Narrated by: Ashlee Piper

Written and read by award-winning sustainability expert Ashlee Piper comes this witty, no-nonsense guide to regaining control over your time, consumerist impulses, and financial and mental wellness.

For nearly two years, Ashlee Piper challenged herself to buy nothing new. And in the process, she got out of debt, cut clutter, crushed her goals, and became healthier and happier than ever—all the things she’d always wanted to do but “never had time to” (because she was mindlessly scrolling, shopping, spending, and stressing). After a decade of fine-tuning, No New Things guides readers through the same revolutionarily simple challenge that has helped thousands of global participants find freedom and fulfillment in just thirty days.

The audiobook follows the rise of what Piper calls “conditioned consumerism” and how it sneakily hijacks our time, money, and mental bandwidth, as well as harms the planet. From there, listeners follow customizable daily action items that bring about the ease and richness of a life less bogged down by spending and stuff, without compromising on style, convenience, or fun.

Whether you’re a bona fide shopaholic or someone who just wants to buy less and live more, No New Things is the antidote to modern overwhelm.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.

Critic reviews

<p>“As a borderline hoarder, <i>No New Things</i> is just what the doctor ordered. This book is transformational.” <br><b>—Katie Couric</b><br><br>“Having left the world of marketing, Piper reveals the addictive consumer loop we can be lost in, while reminding us of our potential for real happiness beyond the materialistic treadmill. <i>No New Things</i> calls on us to examine what drives our unending stream of desires while upholding the happiness we are capable of.”<br><b>—Sharon Salzberg, author of <i>Real Change </i>and <i>Real Life</i></b></p>

Inspiring and Hopeful

As someone who has followed her No New Things challenge online for a while, it's so awesome to have this challenge captured in a single place that is part guide, part history of marketing, and part pep talk for the future. Ashlee Piper gets what so many people miss when talking about sustainability: that for even the best of policies or collective actions to succeed, you have to build the discipline of hope. "No New Things" will almost certainly save you money, and it will certainly reduce your carbon footprint, but it will change you in ways you don't really expect. When you disconnect from the flywheel of consumer marketing, you find all kind of room for new ideas and joy you didn't know existed!

Smart, Funny, and Fierce: Ashlee Piper Delivers

Ashlee Piper is a funny, relatable, and refreshingly honest guide through the often grim realities of consumerism, global warming, and pollution. Her personal approach and sharp wit make even the heaviest topics accessible and inspiring. The book is well-organized, thoroughly researched, and packed with practical insight—whether you're just beginning your sustainability journey or have been at it for years. I feel empowered to make meaningful changes in my own life, and I often find myself bringing it up in conversations with loved ones. A smart, motivating read that leaves a lasting impact.

An eye opening book

Ms Piper is a natural born audio reader. Normally avoiding books narrated by their authors, I fell in love with her passion and humor.

Disappointed

I was really hoping to get some fresh insight from this book, but unfortunately, the content didn’t offer anything new. What bothered me even more was the excessive use of profanity—particularly the F word, which appeared far too often. I’m not against a strong message, but there are more respectful ways to communicate valuable lessons. Just not the tone I was expecting or appreciate.

Hard pass

I guess if you are 14 years old and don’t know the first thing about organization and clutter, you might enjoy this basic book. Author covers nothing that hasn’t been said by a hundred others. Author’s voice is a vocal-fry cringefest. I could not finish the book because she is so hard to listen to.