books

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?

Researchers took samples of umbilical-cord blood of ten babies and found 285 industrial chemicals present. Scary, right? Common food we ingest, cleaning products we use, and personal care products such as shampoo, toothpaste, and lotion we use on a daily basis ALL contain potentially dangerous chemicals. Lucky for us, Greening Your Family is a concise reference guide that gives us safer alternatives to everyday products. Author Lindsey Carmichael, MPH, outlines what chemicals are dangerous (and how they’re listed on labels) and specific brands that are safe. Easy to read, this book has tables, product lists, and additional references if you need more info. Whether you're starting your green journey or already have most of your house green, it's convenient and easy to sort your green product needs. Thanks to Lindsey, I made the switch to Tom's of Maine toothpaste & cut the Parabens from my shampoo & conditioner. We asked Lindsey a few questions about her book: (Read the full interview & ONE lucky commenter can download the app for free after the jump!)

Books from childhood (some read by teachers) have the power to stay etched in our memories forever. For me it's books like Where the Wild Things Are, the Amelia Bedelia series and Little Women to name a few that I can still quote lines from to this day. The Greenzys by the reputable children's author Danielle Mentzer just hit shelves on Earth day 2010 and is a story with a message worth remembering. Greenzys is an "eco-friendly, literary-based brand" that parents and teachers alike should be happy to promote. When GreenPhillyBlog was given an advanced copy of Greenzys to review I was pretty stoked. I love reading - kids book included! My take on the Greenzys book?

When I spotted "Confessions of an Eco-Sinner" at the local library, I was wary of a green-washing book However, I skimmed the brief summary and gave this book a read - I'm quite glad I did! Although my friends & family may be sick of me continuously spouting things I learned, I can't get enough. Fred Pearce is a British author who decided to track down where various items he uses originate, how they're created and what the impact is on both the local inhabits & environment. For example, he follows the birth of his wedding band into the gold mines of Witwatersrand, Africa (by Johannesburg). He checks to see if his 'Fair Trade" Coffee and cotton are actually "fair trade" - (which is quite complex). Here are just a few fascinating takeaways I learned:

The Skinny Bitch herself came to Philly to talk about the "V" word. Kim Barnouin, author of Skinny Bitch, discussed Veganism and her popular best-seller last evening at the Free Library of Philadelphia. She brought up some interesting topics including: the often controversial tone of Skinny Bitch (She & co-author Rory talk like that in 'real life'. Plus, America's in a food crisis: we need "Tough Love", not babying); the increased awareness of Veganism (the book came out 4 years ago and we're now seeing veganism popularized by Kind Diet and more); organic foods and protein to name a few. Kim also brought up the environmental impact of animal-based food. The carbon footprint is huge:

I can't believe I haven't gushed about this book yet! Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet hit shelves this past October and it's on my list of top five reads (and cookbooks) of last year. Silverstone's candid yet gentle tone makes it an enjoyable read. And, it’s packed with delicious, vegan recipes. The book discusses what Alicia calls “nasty “(think dairy, meat and sugar) foods and explains why they're harmful to the body. Her approach isn’t as

Alright, alright. I'll admit it. I'm a bitch. A (Skinny) Bitch. A couple years ago,

Looking for a capturing read that you can't put down? No, I'm not talking about the Twilight series. I've been recommending Eye of the Whale by Douglas Carlton Abrams to many friends and family members. The story follows Elizabeth McKay, a marine biologist who is finishing her PHD program with a thesis of cracking humpback whale communication. When a humpback swims up the Sacramento River with an unprecedented song, the clock starts ticking as Elizabeth must save the whale from danger. But as her journey to free this whale progresses, she starts catching the media and world's attention... including opponents who are trying to cover up many dangerous secrets from Elizabeth and the world. Quickly, Elizabeth finds herself in danger, jeopardizing her marriage, her career - and even her life. An ecological thriller, Abrams does an excellent job bringing in

Rather than buying the newest bestseller from a large bookstore chain, use your local library. Libraries have large selections - If you're dying for a particular novel, you can easily request books from other libraries through online systems. Still prefer to own a book?