The Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life & Build Community Paperback - 2009

From cars and tools to housing and childcare, many people would like to share resources but don't know how-or where-to start. The Sharing Solution is a timely practical and legal guide that explains how to create and maintain successful sharing arrangements while addressing common concerns about liability, communication, and more.
This book will help anyone share:
Meals and food, through bulk buying clubs, meal-sharing arrangements, community gardens, neighborhood fruit harvests, and more
Household goods, from tools and toys to appliances and exercise equipment
Cars, by sharing a car with a neighbor, starting or joining a car-sharing group, carpooling, or ride-sharing
Caregiving, whether for pets, children, older family members, or relatives with disabilities
Business resources, such as office supplies, equipment, space, and even employees
Housing, whether by sharing a house, retrofitting a home to accommodate two households, or joining a cohousing community
The Sharing Solution speaks to Americans' growing desire to not only live more sustainably, but also save money and create stronger communities. Sharing is a simple step anyone - young or old, rich or poor - can take, right now, to make a difference.
Who can benefit from sharing?
Busy parents looking for help with meals or pet care
Retirees who are looking to share needed services
Anyone concerned about the environment and wants to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
Anyone who wishes to purchase property but can't afford a single-family home
Professionals who work in community development
Low-income families or those who require - or desire - a purchase that they cannot single-handedly afford
The authors, attorneys Janelle Orsi and Emily Doskow, bring a visionary spirit to developing practical, logistical, and legal frameworks for many types of sharing arrangements.
In the book, you will find:
Sample written agreements for many kinds of sharing arrangements
Step by step instructions for creating a sharing plan and sorting out logistics
Legal explanations that are clear and accessible
Ideas and examples of the creative ways that groups around the country have formed successful sharing arrangements
Tips for communicating with your sharing partners and handling disputes
Resources to help you find sharing partners, join existing sharing groups, and learn about helpful groups and organizations
Useful checklists, charts, tables, and much more
The ultimate beauty of sharing is that it's a solution we create for ourselves. It's not a government program, nor is it the latest and greatest product marketed to us on billboards. It's a solution based on our own needs and lifestyles, in our own communities. It's a way for each of us to shape our own lives in positive ways and simultaneously benefit the world as a whole. In that respect, sharing is more than a simple trend: Some might even say our society is moving toward a sharing revolution. We hope you'll use The Sharing Solution to become part of it.