Suggested Reading

As we straddle the period between Christmas and e Year's we find ourselves, for once, with a bit o' spare time. Not much, mind you, but maybe just enough to catch up on some of the reading we meant to do over the past year.

If we may be so bold, we'd like to offer a few suggestions, from a list of books we're currently doing our best to open (in between blogging and making trips to the recycling center):

LIVING GREEN: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability
This is the book we wish we'd written. Former GNC honcho Greg Horn compiled the information in this book based on his own experiences with chemical insensitivities, a belief in the vegetarian lifestyle and a keen interest in leaving the world a better place than the way he found it. Clocking in at a sleek 172 pages it includes a comprehensive resource and product guide and extensive references. This one's a keeper, so much so that we hope to interview Greg right here in '08.

SAVE THE ANIMALS! 101 Easy Things You Can Do
Written by PETA co-founder Ingrid Newkirk, this 1990 paperback is the ultimate instruction manual for anyone who holds animal life in high regard. Each chapter covers a different issue and is broken down into "The Problem" and "The Solution," which makes the book an invaluable reference guide. Some may find it extreme in parts, like where Newkirk calls for a boycott of zoos, but the sentiments are genuine and the strategies well thought out.

Better World Handbook: Small Changes That Make a Big Difference
Sociology professors Ellis Jones (UC Davis), Ross Haenfler (University of Mississippi) and Brett Johnson (Luther College), have put together an amazing book that covers such diverse topics as Relationships, Body Care, and Finance, providing easy-to-follow instructions for improving your life and your surroundings. If everyone were to follow just one of the pearls within the books pages the world truly would be better.

The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience
The Rough Guides are a series of books with practical information for travelers and music lovers. More recently they've gotten into sustainable living, which includes making shopping choices to better effect your body and the planet. Lots of links are included in a no-nonsense format, perfect for reading in snippets.

It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living
Author Crissy Trask gives us what may be the handiest, most accessible book on our list. The small format and earthy paper stock are both eco-friendly and nicely visceral. Lots of good ideas, some novel, some more obvious, including installing rain gutters and rain barrels to collect rainwater from your roof to use in the garden, making your own household cleaners instead of relying on toxic commercial products and submerging a plastic bottle in your toilet tank to save one quart of water per flush and thousands of gallons a year.

Happy reading!