Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less

Klotz (Sustainability Through Soccer), a University of Virginia engineering and architecture professor, makes a bold but poorly executed case for the benefits of a minimalist approach to life. Klotz argues that when one is seeking to make changes, the natural instinct is to add (more tasks, more content, more objects) while overlooking solutions that involve doing or having less. Unfortunately, Klotz gets lost in the weeds, and instead of supplying practical suggestions, turns his attention to examples of minimalism in art and science. While some illustrations of how excess is prized come off as too amorphous (Keynesian economic theories or the rise of the Anthropocene), his arguments are most memorable when they draw on the world of design, such as in his explanations of the genius of the cement block and the Vietnam Memorial. Some ideas are intriguing, with shades of Cal Newport’s minimalism and Daniel Kahneman’s paradigm-shifting approach to psychology, but Klotz’s reasoning is hindered by repetition, tangents, and philosophical overreach, such as reflections on “interdependent multitudes” and the duality of the Hindu goddess Kali. This overfilled and underbaked take on a fertile topic makes for frustrating reading. (Apr.)