Green Guide: The Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely [Paperback]

Finally a book on living a life which acts to preserve and enhance our world; not destroy it. This book, put out by National Geographic is as it says: "The complete reference for living wisely." The layout and the classification of topics are easy to understand. A mixture of text, pictures, and quick fact or reference lists make this a useful tool to deeply research a topic or to get quick information on a specific concern.

The book is not dense with text, nor does it require a chemistry or biology text to interpret it. It is enhanced with "eco tips" which offer common and easy practices to put into place; facts are set off in small side paragraphs; definitions are also set off, and at the end of the book there is a glossary as well.

The book runs the gamut, from how to eat healthy and local to what is in those seductive looking beauty products and how they affect your health and the health of our planet. It notes the lure of the SUV and then explains the damage these and other energy draining transportation devices cause to our world. The section on what is good and not so good for our babies and children to eat, wear, drink from, and clean themselves is eye-opening. Included here are data on how pervasive petroleum products are as ingredients in baby lotions and their negative short and long term personal and planetary consequences. Another section on personal care is explicit and daunting in its well researched findings on the effects of the ingredients in our soaps, lotions, sun screens, and other personal products.

Do you know how simple and inexpensive it is to reduce the energy use of your conventional water heater? Well, read page 318 for five ways to do this without too much fuss. What about using plant oils in our personal products. The "Ask the Editors" sidebars tells you that just because something contains plant oils does not mean it is eco-friendly. Fabric softeners, home fragrances, bed linens, windows and drapes, compost, pest control, nail polishes, tap water, roofing and more are all put to the test in this book.

This is an easy to read book. It is conversational in style. It is full of information that is understandable and doable. Guidelines are given on how to put the eco-friendly practices into place. The categories are well chosen and clearly covered.

And it is an important book we all should be reading. We have not been kind to our environment as the facts clearly show. The evidence from reliable and valid sources make this readily apparent. And the book leaves you with the realization that the eco-friendly alternatives are not rocket-science. They can be easily put into practice. They are ordinary things which will fit well into our ordinary daily lives.

Shouldn't it be on your shelf?

I agree that this book provides almost everything one would need - from the beginner to the "medium green" consumer. I read many of the popular books on green living and am constantly looking for suggestions beyond recycling and turning off the water when brushing ones teeth. I would still consider myself a relative beginner in the green movement, but I do what I can.

I certainly enjoyed the background information provided about the multitude of green choices suggested (green cleaning, kitchen, bath, bedroom and laundry suggestions, natural beauty options, eco-friendly home furnishings, etc). For example, the authors suggest why using non-stick pots and pans isn't such a good choice, how to decipher food labels (not just suggesting choosing "organic" foods), and specific information about various beauty supply, home remodeling material, candle, and other companies under their "green thumb guide".

However, I didn't give it 5 stars because, while it may be quite factual, I feel that the information provided in this book (particularly in the beginning chapters) is done so in too harsh of a manner. Sad that it is all true, but after every page I was left with more and more of a helpless feeling instead of an empowered, get-up-and-go attitude. In other words, the facts about the chemicals and ecological destruction that surrounds us presented in this book, in my opinion, tends to outweight the suggestions of what we can do (on a small or large scale) to address those.

I recently picked up "Easy Green Living" by Renee Loux and am quite pleased with it as an alternative to this book.

Positives:
Nice layout
Easy to understand
VERY thorough in factual explanation

Negatives:
Left with a negative feeling after barraged with detailed information...versus feeling empowered to make changes

Hope this helps!

Every day, it seems, we read another newspaper article about the ice caps, and how they're melting much faster than predicted. Well, sit down before you read this book. It's not just the ice caps. Our environment is already so permeated with toxins and lethal chemicals that it's a wonder anybody asks what causes cancer. The answer, unfortunately, is obvious in these pages. After you've read about cosmetics (think The Body Shop products are good for you? I only wish), you might take a look at the dangers of the clothes we wear, or the carpets we install, and everything else that surrounds us, and it almost gets too much to stomach. But not to read it is not only dangerous for your own health, but irresponsible. We have to do something about the situation we've created. As long as we keep buying dangerous products, the corporations will continue to put them on the shelves. We individuals do have the power to change things, but there's no time to waste. This book describes most of the toxicity that resides in the everyday objects we live with, along with healthy (though usually pricey) alternatives, but it does not cover everything, which is unfortunate. I have bought copies for all of my friends and family members. Not a happy thing to read, but strength is in knowledge. If there is a more complete guide on the market, I haven't found it. If anyone reading this knows of one, I'd appreciate the news. I hope National Geographic will consider publishing a more complete update in future years.

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