books

Although there's many passionate workers out there, companies aren't always in line with environmental goals. Mark Tercek, President & CEO of the Nature Conservancy is coming to the Free Library tomorrow to discuss his book Nature's Fortune: How Business & Society Thrive by Investing in Nature. One of the chapters highlights Philadelphia as the poster child of "Green Infrastructure", and how the city's Green Cities Clean Waters storm water management is using natural systems instead of engineered 'grey' solutions. Catch Mark at the Free Library of Philadelphia tomorrow (May 22) at noon it's a free event that doesn't require tickets. Want to enter to win a FREE copy of Nature's Fortune? Leave a comment below (and make sure to like us on Facebook) and you'll be entered to win! Contest ends EOD Friday 5/24. We chatted with author Mark Tercek about Nature's Fortune, "grey-green" companies and when the environment struck a chord with him. (Read the Q&A and enter to win a FREE copy of his book, after the jump!)

Where Does Our Food Come From, Really? Do you ever grab a (reusable) cup of Starbucks  and wonder about the lives of the farmers who harvested the coffee beans that make your caffeine fix possible? Have you ever taken a bite of a banana and pondered a typical Costa Rican banana farmers day to day work that allows Americans to enjoy this oh so versatile fruit? It's okay if the answer is no. In Kelsey Timmerman's latest book  Where Am I Eating: An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy he addresses these issues and more. We talk a lot about organic food, the local food movement, avoiding GMOs and farm to table dining these days. I often feel optimistic that our country is making strides towards an environment in which we can identify where what's on our plates came from. But the reality is America imports twice as much food now then it did ten years ago. Kelsey Timmerman calls himself a curious person who began to wonder about where the food he ate to fuel his life came from.

Why we're not 'green' One of the biggest complaints about sustainability is how we have to cut back. Stop standing under the faucet and limit yourself to a 5 minute shower. Reduce your energy consumption. Don't buy as much. "The sustainability movement will never completely catch on," a friend recently said to me. "Consumerism drives America." William McDonough & Michael Braungart, authors of the Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability- Designing for Abundance would disagree. Let's go back to those steaming, hot showers. Although I love the environmentalist in me, I also love me some hot, steamy showers on a cold day. But what if we could filter and reuse that water, so I could stand under the faucet until my skin was wrinkly? Instead of worrying about how many fossil fuels the filter process would take, that South Philly wind could power the process. This type of thinking is how The Upcycle challenges you to reconsider sustainability. (Find out more about the Upcycle, released today, after the jump!)

After embarking on our ‘plastic bag reduction’ journey, I wanted to dig deeper on plastics. After a quick search of the Google, Beth Terry’s “Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and You Can Too” landed on my Kindle. Terry has a very challenging mission: She wants to live plastic-free. At first, it sounds simple – stop buying water bottles, disposable crap, DIY or find natural versions. But then you realize that EVERYTHING is plastic. I didn’t think of my shiny Macbook Laptop as 'plastic' (it's a miracle!), nor the Pyrex lids on my containers. Not clothes I wear, seats I sit in, airplanes I fly in…  Plastic is EVERYWHERE. Terry does a great job at (Find out more, after the jump!)

What makes you happy? How much square footage does one really need to be content? For Tammy Strobel and her husband, Logan, happiness is found within their 128-square-foot home. Strobel's book You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap) chronicles her transition from a standard middle-class lifestyle which included credit card debt, a long commute and living a beyond her means to a significantly downsized or "smartsized" existence. (Find out more about her book & check out the Q & A, after the jump!)

The Skinny Bitch franchise is no joke. Over the past few years Kim Barnouin, Rory Freedman (who co-authored the original Skinny Bitch) and their team have built a recognizable brand with a no-nonsense; tell it like it is approach to the vegan lifestyle. This time around Kim is back with a book of vegan swaps for almost any craving - be it sweet or salty, bottled or packaged.

Congratulations to Gladys P, the winner of our “What’s So Bad About Gasoline” book giveaway. Gladys commented: this would be a great addition to incorporate lesson plans for my art and ecology art lessons start ‘em up young… feed those...

As a thank you to our readers we’re giving away a copy of the educational and entertaining children’s book, “What’s So Bad About Gasoline? Fossil Fuels and What They Do ” What’s the occasion? Nada… we just like you! “What’s So Bad About Gasoline?” written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Paul Meisel is a worth-it read for kids with straight forward answers to the question’s title. Click through to read on!

When you’re a voracious reader it’s easy to accumulate a slews of novels, periodicals and the occasional magazine. Reading is my go to relaxation method. Despite using the public library whenever I can I’ve accrued my fair share of books over the years. ( I reread and lend them to friends for maximum reuse.) While I’m here getting things off my chest - a few months back I noticed I had magazines piling up as well. My rule was: I’ll only buy magazines when I travel. Then I started traveling more frequently , and before I knew it my already crammed bookshelves were filled with magazines… that I’d eventually recycle. Still, I felt guilty contributing to paper consumption. What’s a reader to do?