A few weeks ago I checked out a ton of green living books at the local library, I am now officially burnt out. I read three in one week and tried to push through the remaining two that I was interested in to review for all of you, but I just can't. I'm over reading about green living for the moment, I need a novel desperately. Maybe in April.
For those of you who are interested, here are my thoughts.
Living Well in a Down Economy for Dummies by Tracy Barr-- While this isn't necessarily about living green it is definitely a valuable book for people who are interested in conserving both fiscally & environmentally. I admit I didn't read the whole book; there were some chapters that just don't apply to my life. The positive to that is it is EXTREMELY easy to pick and choose what you are interested in & leave the rest. There are very clear & concise labels to each chapter and tip. Here are a few things I gained from the book:
The Green Year by Jodi Helmer-- This book is laid out in a-tip-a-day-for-a-year fashion. Why this is great: It makes the ideas seasonal, very short, very approachable, and makes it extremely easy to pick & choose which ideas work for you. Why this is not so great: It is extremely difficult to go back and find a suggestion unless you wrote down the calendar day. The book does not have page numbers (weird right?) and doesn't have any sort of index or reference in the back.
I did find a TON of great suggestions & wrote them down. Here are some of the things I found particularly valuable.
Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach--David Bach is a personal finance writer, and this is his first foray into the green living scene. While I certainly appreciated his book and its 11 sections of suggestions for green living, it wasn't exactly what I had hoped for. A lot of his suggestions require some serious extra money--getting a more fuel efficient car i.e. hybrid, electric, green investing, installing new windows, home insulation, etc. I would love to do all of those things, I really would, but I tend to go for books that encourage going green with what you have, WITHOUT having to spend a ton of money.
This book is also CHOCK FULL of facts & information about environmental impact and global warming, but it felt quite verbose. It could be because I only have a few minutes at a time to sit down & read, but I just found myself skimming or all out skipping many, many facts, and many, many paragraphs.
Bottom line: If you've got the time & the interest, check out Go Green, Live Rich. I don't think I would recommend buying it, but it might be something you could check out at the library.
Read Living Well in a Down Economy for tips on fiscal conservation, but it definitely has some tips that can help mother nature as well.
Which brings us to my favorite,The Green Year. I definitely would reread it. It's quick, approachable, and chock full of green ideas. An excellent guide for anyone who is interested in being green & saving a little green in the process.
For those of you who are interested, here are my thoughts.
Living Well in a Down Economy for Dummies by Tracy Barr-- While this isn't necessarily about living green it is definitely a valuable book for people who are interested in conserving both fiscally & environmentally. I admit I didn't read the whole book; there were some chapters that just don't apply to my life. The positive to that is it is EXTREMELY easy to pick and choose what you are interested in & leave the rest. There are very clear & concise labels to each chapter and tip. Here are a few things I gained from the book:
- If you need a cup of hot water, don't wait for the tap water to get hot, instead heat the desired amount in the microwave.
- Before checking out ALWAYS search for coupons or codes for free shipping while shopping online.
- You can turn old fashioned oats into instant oatmeal by running the oats quickly in the blender or food processor.
- When baking items in the oven at a high temperature throw in some baking potatoes too. You'll save having to heat the oven again later.
The Green Year by Jodi Helmer-- This book is laid out in a-tip-a-day-for-a-year fashion. Why this is great: It makes the ideas seasonal, very short, very approachable, and makes it extremely easy to pick & choose which ideas work for you. Why this is not so great: It is extremely difficult to go back and find a suggestion unless you wrote down the calendar day. The book does not have page numbers (weird right?) and doesn't have any sort of index or reference in the back.
I did find a TON of great suggestions & wrote them down. Here are some of the things I found particularly valuable.
- Hydrogen peroxide, a natural cleaner, can be used instead of bleach, a hazardous chemical, in laundry. Simply add 1 cup to your load. (I would assume this is a measurement for standard washers, not HE washers)
- Nike has a program that allows you to donate your used athletic shoes and they will be recycled for turf on tracks and playgrounds.
- Save bath water for plants or your garden.
- Check here for green dry cleaners in your area...sadly, there aren't any around here. :(
- Switch to powdered laundry or dish washer detergent. "Liquid detergent is 80% water, a valuable renewable resource. If 20,000 Americans switched to powdered detergent it would save 55,000 gallons of water a year. " October 9--The Green Year
Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach--David Bach is a personal finance writer, and this is his first foray into the green living scene. While I certainly appreciated his book and its 11 sections of suggestions for green living, it wasn't exactly what I had hoped for. A lot of his suggestions require some serious extra money--getting a more fuel efficient car i.e. hybrid, electric, green investing, installing new windows, home insulation, etc. I would love to do all of those things, I really would, but I tend to go for books that encourage going green with what you have, WITHOUT having to spend a ton of money.
This book is also CHOCK FULL of facts & information about environmental impact and global warming, but it felt quite verbose. It could be because I only have a few minutes at a time to sit down & read, but I just found myself skimming or all out skipping many, many facts, and many, many paragraphs.
Bottom line: If you've got the time & the interest, check out Go Green, Live Rich. I don't think I would recommend buying it, but it might be something you could check out at the library.
Read Living Well in a Down Economy for tips on fiscal conservation, but it definitely has some tips that can help mother nature as well.
Which brings us to my favorite,The Green Year. I definitely would reread it. It's quick, approachable, and chock full of green ideas. An excellent guide for anyone who is interested in being green & saving a little green in the process.
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