The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living

"Going green" can be a daunting task. If you just start with this book, you are miles ahead the rest of the country. And, if you only get one "green book" make it this one. And then get more to give to all your family and friends. Plant one in your powder room. SOMETHING in there will strike someone as SOMETHING they CAN do. Get it. Get several.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living" by the award winning journalist Trish Riley is a wonderful book, which has awakened this reader to the most significant issues of the day. I have rarely learned as much from one source in so short a time. Global warming, saving energy at home, reducing fuel consumption, chemicals in food, changing our energy habits for a healthier future, growing green in the workplace and the community, and teaching our children the principles of Green Living are only a few of the topics covered in an interesting and attention-grabbing manner, helped along with sidebars and illuminating cartoons. The book is full of useful nuggets of information, such as the quote by Susan Glickman, consultant to the Natural Resources Defense Council. "I wonder if people realize that so much of the money they pay to their electric companies goes to hire lobbyists to fight against the public's interest." And "A metal roof can last twice as long as an asphalt shigle roof." And most horrifying of all, "EPA's political boss sacrificed the lives of 5 to 10,000 Americans each year, who will now die from air pollution related srokes and heart and lung disease," by John Walke, Natural Resources Defense Council. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living" was reviewed by Jim Motavalli, editor of the award-winning "E/The Environmental Magazine" and author of several books on the environment. Motavalli carefully reviewed it for scientific accuracy, which is why I object to the "review" and rating of the book on this site by Thomas B. Grizzle, who informs readers that he is a scientist who knows something about the issues of green living, and makes the vague claim that Riley's book contains a "fair amount of mis-information" in it. In the opinion of this Ph.D., Grizzle's evaluation greatly misrepresents the material in the book, and gives advice that will be followed to the detriment of a public which needs to be informed of these all-important issues. The book is interesting reading, extremely informative, even amusing at times, and is highly recommended for neophytes and "old hands"alike.

Finally, a book on how to go green that is simple, smart and reeeally useful to someone like me who is just starting out. Trish Riley knows how to hold your hand and give sensible advice on how to avoid chemicals in your food, in your home, in communities and even with cosmetics! The book is broken down into chapters that allow you to access all the information for the particular area of your life that you want to do better with. I absolutely love the little boxes showing "Hazard" areas, for example, one of these "Hazard" boxes taught me that imported foods don't have to meet the same standards in their own countries to be labeled organic as they do here in the US. Another little Hazard box taught me not to pour vinegar down my drain (which I do all the time) right after pouring drain cleaner down it (!) because the chemical reaction could cause dangerous fumes. It's useful information like this that I found sprinkled throughout the book, which is a very solid guide. The science is there if want it, but it's not over your head. The section in Chapter 12 on pesticides was very sobering, I had no idea that 1,400 various pesticide chemicals can be found in household products that we use every day. One of the tricks she mentioned was that you can reseed annually to keep weeds at bay and keep your grass thick. Now this is simple for those of you who understand gardening, but to a beginner like me (who is sensitive to many chemicals) this simple cost-effective trick is fascinating. Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed so much were the "Going Green" boxes that I found in every chapter. These boxes contained useful tidbits to help you do better at home. One of the best "Going Green" tips that Riley put in Chapter 18 had to do with the fact that more than 3.5 million tons of paper --mostly junkmail & catalogs-- is sent out annually (in the form of catalogs) and you can save about 60 million trees by stopping the junk mail. She gives an address to write to, and a website you can visit to register online. By doing this, you will help save trees and cut down on junkmail. For me, this advice was worth the price of the book! It's the little tidbits of information that I found in each chapter that I think makes this book worth buying. It's not a cover-to-cover read, it's more of a manual that you can call upon to use when you want to attack and fix an area of your home, garden, work, daily life, cosmetic drawer, kitchen pantry, etc... I confess that I'm not as green as I'd like to be, I'm the sort that wants to drive a Jeep to Whole Foods, and while I avoid meat, I do own a couple of leather wallets...but still, I am trying hard to protect my family, and the Earth that we live in. I think Riley did a good job at getting ALOT of difficult information out to the world, and she did it in a very conversational, easy-to-understand way. I've read other books on the subject, but kept none because they were just to scientific, o

I really do try to live as green as I can, considering that I'm always broke and continuously running around with all my various jobs. So I was curious to see what this book had to suggest, and to see if there was anything that I didn't know about that I could do. In general, I am probably doing all I can. I recycle as much of my garbage as I can, throwing old fruit, bread and such out to the "birdies and the beasties" that visit my yard. I don't use pesticides, instead I encourage the geckos and anoles and chameleons to take up residence in and around my place to eat the bugs. I also allow the wolf spiders to live under the furniture (just now out in my regions of the house) because while they're big and ugly, they do eat the bugs I really hate, including roaches. This book, though, does give you a lot of information about how to keep your home and your family away from all the nasty chemicals. It also gives you things that you can do if you have money and want to feel less guilty about it. (grin) There's information on how to buy energy credits, hybrid cars, home furnishings that utilize recycled materials, and how to build alternative power sources into your home. One of the things I found very interesting was the idea that it's perfect okay to have a lawn, as long as you don't use a lot of chemicals on it. In fact, having a lawn helps the environment. I'd always been of the mind that grass and the environment were rather at odds with each other, but they don't have to be. The book lists lots of informational web sites, and gives basic run downs on organic gardening, the difference between eating "green" and what the market will try to sell you as "green," and the joys of learning to eat what is in season rather than demanding certain fruits and vegetables year round. I hadn't put a lot of thought into the fact that eating fruit from South American means that it had to be transported to the USA, and that therefore, even if it was raised organically, it has mucked up the environment through shipping. There's information on "ecotourism" wherein you can go to exotic places (buying energy credits so you don't have to feel guilty about the airfare), and then spend time in a natural hotel (meaning not air conditioned, built with local materials, and as environmentally sustainable as possible). There's apparently a place in China that is particularly nice. Personally, I'll admit that if I'm going on vacation, I don't want to be where there's no air conditioning, no internet connection, and I really like my creature comforts. I mean, what's the point of a vacation if you're not being pampered? But for people who love camping and outdoors activities, these are probably lovely places. I just prefer my expensive vacations to be a little more about my comfort. And yes, that's not environmentally sound, but hey, I won't have my sheets changed while I'm there and I'll be conservative with the towels. Okay? The book is written clearly, and th