The localist

Carrie Rollwagen spent a year shopping only from local stores, abstaining from big-box spending and blogging about the experience.

"Mom-and-pop shops are going out of business as fast as we can say 'free shipping' -- but does that even matter? If the death of small business means we can get whatever we want whenever we want it (and get it cheaply), why does it matter that America is losing our small shops? The Localist is the story of a girl who sets out to answer that question. On the way, she learns about adventure and community, meets quirky shopkeepers, hilarious baristas and fauxhawk-wearing gas station owners; she also learns some big lessons about life, community and microeconomics. Part memoir, part non-fiction exploration of urban living, The Localist explores how consumption and corporations might be undermining the fabric of American life." --