Gleaners, scavengers, reusers, and recyclers as well as dumpster divers, are some of ways people characterize themselves as they describe how they make use of material that consumer capitalism, seeing no profit in it, has left lying around. As a general rule, they attribute their exploits not to want or the lack of alternatives, but to a vision of economic relations that differs from that promulgated by corporate advertising. Among the topics are blacktop cuisine, every popsicle stick counts, throwing out the dishwater, home recycling, my father's last fortune, and things the color of stone. There is no index or bibliography. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)