It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living

I had a hard time trying to decide what to rate this book. While it had a lot of good tips and ideas, it also had a lot of outdated ideas, ideas that just plain disturbed me, and so many links to websites and really it seemed you could learn much more just by using your computer and never touching this book.

This book claims that it is a handbook for Earth-Friendly Living and it breaks itself into different parts to complete that mission. First it exposes those Green Living Myths and says what the actual truth about living green is. Like saying that green products are expensive and instead explaining why they are not expensive. Next it talks about how the average person can make a difference, regardless of how busy they are. Part Three covers Eco-Tips for living greener and includes check-boxes so you can keep track of how you are doing. These tips range from travel to cleaning to food. Buying Green is next and it tells you what to look for and some common terms when looking at labels. Green Shopping Online is a huge listing of websites dedicated to green products. And getting involved has more online listings so you can get involved with campaign writing and other initiatives. Lastly there are Resources to help the Earth, which again, is a listing of online sites.

My main problem with this book is that it is mostly online listings of websites. You could easily look up all this information without this book just by typing in what you're searching for. So in buying this book, you actually wasted a resource in that regard. Next, because websites close down, change, etc., this book is ineffective even only six years later as not all of those sites are around anymore (although some still are). The next problem I had was with some of the tips. There was actually a tip saying that you should use your microwave for cooking and reheating more than your stove because it saves energy. Ok, in theory this is true, but microwave cooking also breaks down the nutrients in your food, which could cause you to be less healthy, and use up more resources later to improve your health as a result of not eating properly. Then there was the tip on how to reuse film canisters. Let's be honest, who in the heck has seen a film canister lately?!? And while there were quite a few tips, most of them were more appropriate for a beginner, or just common sense. Although I should say that I learned a few things from this book, so it wasn't a total waste.

My main thought is that if you are going to call a book a handbook, the information should be there for you to look at, not listed in an online website for you to go look up later. It should more appropriately be called a guide. And I do like that it encourages Green Living, I just don't think that it's a lasting book or one that should be referenced now that it seems to have gotten outdated. It did have an easy to read format and was broken down into logical parts. The typing is small though and may be harder for older people or people with weak eyesight to read.

There are better Green Living books out there to read (or even websites really) and while I can appreciate what this book was trying to do, I can't recommend it for reading.

It's Easy Being Green
Copyright 2006
161 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com

The back of the book has it right; this book is friendly while managing to be informative. It reads like a textbook (in a good way) with a no-nonsense approach that offers countless possible tips and resources. It also offers encouragement to slowly incorporate changes, rather than overwhelming yourself all at once. I'll be sure to keep this book on hand for future reference.

A bit repetitive, to be honest.

This book gives great tips and websites for anyone interested in trying to make a change on this planet. Recommended for anyone willing to try and make the earth a cleaner more sustainable planet.

I bought this at the Seattle Green Festival, I had been eyeing it for a while. A great book for of ideas of ways to live a life with less impact, complete with a rating system to say keep track of what you need to work on, currently working on and a wonderful resource guide full of tips and websites.

Very similar in feel to Michael Pollan's Food Rules.

Includes a detailed checklist of activities and habits to alter to live a more green lifestyle. Much of it actually applied to my situation (late 20's in an urban city, working 30+ hours a week). Most books in this topic seem to be written for stay-at-home adults, or people with huge acres of land to do a lot of homesteading. This book actually provides useful tips for those of us who don't own a home, and don't have all the free time in the world to make jars of jam.

My only complaint is the font is super tiny which made it hard to read, as the book is also small in size. Larger font would have been helpful, as would have clearer separations between topics in the checklist.

Overall, its a great resource for anyone curious about how to go green without too much extra effort.

Great book for people new to buying green or need a refresher. If we adopt even a few recommendations we make a difference to our planet.

Packed full of nice tips.I really like the fact that this book was printed on recycled paper. Try to find it at your library instead of buying it because it doesn't have any new information unless (like me!) you know nothing about livin' the green life.