Green Books

If you are interested in being Green and saving the planet, there is only one book you need: Green Yoga. We all owe it to ourselves, our families, and friends to read this book.

Green Yoga is one of the most important yoga books in print today.

The Feuersteins have distilled into one slim powerful volume the essential wisdom of yoga with facts and figures gleaned from hundreds of resources on the environment. Green Yoga connects the vital interrelationship between self-transformation and the preservation of our natural environment. The core values and practices of yoga (including ahimsa (non-violence -- not harming any living beings, and aparigraha, not stealing, accumulating or consuming more than we need) coincide with the values of the green movement and deep ecology.

If yoga is inherently green, we may ask, "Why then, do we need to speak specifically about green yoga? We may not like the answer the Feuersteins put forth: because much of contemporary Yoga is anything but green. Modern yoga practitioners are caught up in the consumer society like everyone else and the yoga lifestyle has become thoroughly commodified.

We are addicted to driving everywhere; aspiring yogis stop for hamburgers after class and fly around the country to yoga conferences. Yoga publications promote products that are causing havoc on the planet. "Yoga cruises" regularly dump oil and hazardous chemicals as well as waste water and sewage into the ocean.

The Feuersteins define green yoga as "Yoga practiced responsibly at a time of unprecedented peril affecting the entire biosphere of our planet."

What is an aspiring green yogi to do?

First, we must change our priorities--our values, our philosophy, and then our attitudes and behavior. We must make our yoga practice rigorously green and ask ourselves: "If a yogi is not aware of environmental issues, who will be? If a yogi is not aware of the immense suffering on this planet, who will be? If yoga practitioners won't respond to this unique and perilous crisis, who will?"

This is the perfect book for yoga teacher training programs and I wish that every yoga center in the world would purchase Green Yoga for each of their students, in honor of Earth Day and all year around!

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The book Green Yoga provides a blunt and profoundly disturbing look at the environmental challenges we face. The first chapter is a blitzkreig of information on the current state of the world; catastrophic in proportions and globally encompassing. It throws you into the depths of this global suicide, spurring feelings of disbelief, anger, sadness, and even hopelessness, then continues with its relentlessness in the disclosure of the portends of worldwide ecological collapse.

Don't be fooled however. The challenges we face are a catalyst of sorts. Brenda and Georg plead with their yoga brethren to join them in an all out spiritual calling to heal the world. Though they are appear to be talking to whom they've educated and enlightened for decades, the book is a call to each and every one of us; It is time.

This is one of those books that the mind does not want to read. Georg and Brenda pose the punch-you-in-the-gut question "How realistic is it to expect to attain individual serenity in a troubled sociocultural and natural environment?" Then they go on to explain how we do this through a process they call "sattvification," which is a purifying that involves mindfulness and activism in relation to both the mind and the world. This book is a powerhouse. It is essential reading for Yogis and Yoginis who want to be part of the solution rather than a blind part of the problem. It is a challenge to act--Karma Yoga--not just sit on your butt in meditation.

I only recently discovered Ludy and I have gone on to buy everything
I can find of his. A previous reviewer said that he thinks Ludy may
be a future classic. I agree, wholeheartedly.

Those who are considering buying this book, please be aware that once
again Amazon has got the age group wrong. I can't believe how often
this happens. It is particularly important for me as I buy books for
day care centers in our county. I am given topics and then I go in
search of books with these topics. I have learned the hard way to
never trust the age group that Amazon posts. I would say that even the
School Library Journal (who lists a different age group) is giving it a
bit of a stretch. It fits firmly in the 3-8 group which is the normal
picture book age group.

Acknowledged, the "children's market" is huge, and the number of titles (that is, good titles) cranked out every month is overwhelming. That stated, Ludy's books may be worthy of "future classic" status - based on the artwork alone. The use of bright and playful color, depth, and warm old world imagery make this book (and Ludy's "The Farmer") delightful viewing. The story is a good moral story about compassion and kindness (same with "The Farmer"). As another commenter mentioned, the length of the book (that is, the number of words on every page) can look a little intimidating - particularly when you are tired and you were hoping for something in the range of Hop on Pop. But this is a consistent crowd-pleaser and worth the time.

This book seemed long when I considered it for my active 5 year old and I debated his ability to sit through it. He was hanging on my every word and was touched by the message sent by the book. This is not a silly story it is a tool to teach with. It is a life lesson that needs to be learned put to a beautiful story and the illustrations are wonderful! We went to the library today to get The Farmer also by Mark Ludy and I am sure it will be just as great! These are a great gift idea!

I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy of this book and I must say that the story is wonderful. The illustrations are some of the richest I have ever seen in a children's book. My favorite part of this book is how delightful searching for the mouse is. I understand that this is a signature illustration of Mr.Ludy's books and I must say after having handed this book around my work, the mouse is fun for children AND adults of all ages.

When I started reading this book, I immediately loved the story line. The character backgrounds are so detailed that I felt that I knew them as if they were my own family members. I couldn't put the book down and when I got to the end of it, I was ready for the next installment. No disappointments with this one. A fast moving story that keeps your interest and involves you in the story line. I recommend this book for all ages. Great job! Keep them coming.........

Yes, I wrote this book, but I am not doing this to shamelessly self-promote. Instead, I am writing this review to say that I want to guarantee that I will make sure I consider my work to be worthy of a five star rating before I publish it. To willingly publish anything that is less than my best effort is to do a disservice to those that read my work. Not only would it be unprofessional on my part, but it is kind of insulting towards readers to just publish something that is less than your best work for the sole purpose of making money. So I give you my word that if I don't consider something to be my best effort I will not publish it. Thank you to anyone who buys and/or reads my books.

I started reading The Hammer and The Sword with no expectations. Not too long into the book I realized this was a great story. This book kept my interest from beginning to end. I have already ordered the next book in the series. I cannot wait to see it made into a movie. A must read for anyone that loved Lord of the Rings. Keep them coming Jason M. Green!

I have read some debut novels before, but I must say this one was better than I would have expected from someone just starting out, and I think this novel deserves the five stars I have given it. I will be the first to admit that this book is a bit graphic in parts, but it seems to be in keeping with the idea that the world these characters live in is a dangerous place, and the descriptiveness of the things different people go through illustrates that point very well. The world is fairly expansive, the cultures are unique while still being slightly based on the cultures of this planet's history, the characters have personalities of their own, which is a plus, but you have to read it to believe how terrible the main villain is. I won't spoil things by telling you about the main antagonist other than saying his name is Anstrom, but I suggest you read this story. You'll not regret it.

This story is simply, but beautifully written with touching illustrations provided by the author's son. It's told with love and humor and contains a message that applies to us all. I shared it with my 3rd grade students, and they loved it! They could easily relate to the characters in the book, and it generated a great discussion.

Don't let the simplicity of this book fool you. It's beautifully written from the heart with a very deep and loving message. Ms. Garrett's own son did the wonderful illustrations, which makes the book's significance that much more special. A wonderful life lesson for every parent and child!

Every parent and child can relate to this story! A simple, easy to read book with an important message about how our emotions can affect our behaviors and sometimes lead us to make bad choices. It teaches children and adults alike that if something or someone makes you feel bad, don't let it ruin your day. In this book both Benjamin and his mom learn the importance of talking about what's bothering them instead of letting the "UGLIES" take over, and to let God and their love for each other guide them everyday.

I received this book as a gift, and my family loves it! It's a quick easy read that stresses responsible behavior, anger management and God's love. The mother / son partnership that wrote and illustrated this book give it a personal, loving touch that is easily apparent to the reader. A perfect bedtime book for any young child.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad I purchased it and read it from cover to cover. It's one of those books that you must find out what happens next--"The Can't Put It Down" type of reading. Every young woman must read this book. What a testimony of how God can restore a shattered life and how important it is to wait on Him before picking a mate. I made sure both of my girls purchased the book. I was so blessed by this book that I had her to come to a retreat I held to sell and sign her books. What a blessing and what a beautiful young woman. It's also a good reading for older women too. It shows just how God can make a significant difference in your life regardless of the mistakes of the past.

I enjoyed the book and it was well written. To read about the struggles and real life experience of and individual who was shattered through relationship after relationship and how God's grace gave her strength to endure and become the person he wanted her to be. From shattered to destiny. Keep it real!

This revealing book, takes us on one woman's journey while causing us to examine our choices past, present and future and if they reflect a true love of our uniqueness. Help! I fell in Love and Bumped My Head not only challenged me as a woman of faith, but as a sister, as a friend, a wife and as a mother. Ms. Green's parents played such a central role in her development and her restoration that I can only hope that I have learned valuable lessons about the strength of love and the difference loving without judgement really makes in our relationship with our children for all of their lives.

I could not put the book down because of wanting to see what was going to happen next. The author was very transparent with her experiences and how she overcame. I would recommend this book for all young ladies and men who are contemplating dating and marriage. A must read!

a beautiful and intelligently written book that is actually printed on hemp paper ("This endpaper is 50-percent hemp/50-percent cotton paper") and with hemp-oil-based inks!!!

When you pick the book up, it actually feels more durable than many other books; and the cover is printed on recycled stock.

So the book really embodies the message, and the message is resounding: there are innovative and sound methods of growing this economy while working to protect the planet. There are wonderful black and white illustrations throughout.

The chapters are well-organized and highly informative.

I could have done without the cheesy "hemp model shot" on the back of the book, but it's not enough to avoid giving this marvelous book a five star rating!

This book is an eye opener for those who appreciate the potential for every thing old to be new again. It outlines a compelling case for re-examining the value of hemp as an agricultural renewable resource. The book's tone is very "straight" and specifically eschews the mixing advocacy of herb and fiber. Along with a thorough overview history of hemp use, cultivation, and current purposes, the book offers a product directory, strong bibliography, and access to its web site.

With this book, Roulac has given us THE complete and definitive book of hemp's past, present to future. It traces hem's historical roots, details the hundreds of uses of hemp, explains the historical legal underpinnings of hemp's brush in with the law, examines the global hemp industry, and shows hemp in the modern marketplace. In effect, this book provides readers with the most factual, historically comprehensive, and even-handed presentation of this controversial crop to date. To give an understanding of how useful and potentially revolutionary this crop is, allow me to quote one of my favorite parts of the book:

"So imagine that one day within the next ten years, you wake up in a house whose walls, roof, flooring, insulation, and paint are derived of hemp. You feel great after sleeping on your hemp-stuffed mattress, covered with soft linens spun from hemp fiber. Your feet sink into the hemp carpeting as you get out of bed and open the hemp drapes. It's a beautiful morning.

"You jump into the shower, where you soap, shampoo, and hair conditioner made from hemp. You step out onto the hemp bath mat, drying yourself with a superabsorbent hemp towel. You clean your ears with H-Tips (better than the old cotton swabs), and apply hemp-oil lotion, moisturizer, and lip balm. You make a mental note to buy some more hemp toilet paper, recalling how it wasn't too long ago that we were still cutting down centuries-old trees just to flush them away.

"Opening your closet, you dress in hemp jeans, shirt, and jacket; put on hemp socks and shoes; tie the hemp laces; and grab your hemp wallet, which holds checks and currency printed on hemp paper.

"You're hungry, so you walk into the kitchen with its hemp-based linoleum floor. You make some wheat-and-hemp-flower toast, and pour a glass of fresh, organic hemp milk. After eating, you make a salad with hemp-oil dressing to take to work. Then you wash your dishes, using hemp-oil dish soap and a hemp pot-scrubber, and put the dishes away in a cabinet built of hemp fiberboard. Sitting down on the hemp-framed and upholstered couch, you glance at a newspaper printed with hemp ink on hemp recycled paper, and learn that the hemp industry is now the largest agribusiness and the major job provider in your state. You turn on the stereo, which sits on a hemp fiberboard cabinet, and listen as music vibrates from speakers also made from hemp fiberboard. They contain specialty hemp paper for the speaker cones and are covered with black hempen cloth.

"Leaving the house for work, you open the door of your car, built of strong, lightweight composites that include hemp. Relaxing into the driver's seat, luxuriously upholstered with hemp textiles, you rest your feet on floor mats that look like rubber but are made from hemp. As you drive to your job at the new hemp-fiber processing facility, you pass farmers harvesting some of the locally grown hemp that is revitalizing your community's rural economy."

A beautiful morning indeed, but it would be even more beautiful if you knew how environmentally friendly and healthy your new hempen life actually is. The rubber-like mats in your hemp mobile are all natural and 100 per cent biodegradable; the roots of the hemp plants that line the fields of your county help enrich and solidify much-needed topsoil and therefore increase the yield of other rotational crops. You smile while spreading hempseed hummus on your hemp-wheat toast knowing it is the single most complete source of non-animal protein on the planet - and tastes much better than tofu. The smile increases as you pour hemp oil on your salad, knowing it is high in essential fatty acids that help you think better, boost your immune system, decrease your chances of cancer, and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, platelet coagulation, and hardening of the arteries. Lastly, before heading off to work, you opt for your hemp skateboard instead of the hemp mobile, as it is a brilliant, bright and sunny day.

The fact of the matter is, this beautiful morning has no imaginative end. The only thing keeping us from achieving the dawn of a new tomorrow is our monopoly cotton and paper industries, and a government which seems to be supporting those industries by restricting and limiting hemp production permits and also by unleashing the DEA on would-be hemp producers (despite the fact that it has NEVER been illegal to grow hemp in America). Whatever you want to know about hemp is in this book. A must read.

This book is an outstanding easy to understand source for learning the history of and the many different uses of hemp.
I'm compelled to become a more vocal advocate of the product!

I am a property owner considering LEED Certification for a building remodel. As a starting poijnt, I have read the LEED guidelines at the Green Building Council website. However, I was looking for something more substantial to help understand the process. "The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design" fills that purpose.

This Guidebook is written by the HOK Architectural firm which has been one of the leaders in sustainable design. The book has three sections. The first chapters are a check list of design guidelines and questions that one needs to explore during the LEED design process. The second section looks at sustainability issues as related to certain building types and the final section are a series of short articles on LEED projects the firm has worked on.

This Guidebook is on its Second Edition and is invaluable for all those interested in LEED certification. It is well written and clearly organized. It is an expensive book but well worth the price. It is a great introduction into what is becoming an important area of design. Highly recommended.

The most comprehensive book yet on sustainable design and green architecture. If you can have only one book in your library on sustainable design, this is the book!

Although I normally read books in twos and threes on the same topic to gain varied perspectives, this is the first time I am writing a single review encompassing two books. They mesh together so well that I cannot imagine studying this subject without having BOTH in hand.

The two books are Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, 2nd Edition and The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design.

Start with the introduction in the Guidebook, which is blessed with a Foreword from Paul Hawken and see especially page 13 where the cost benefits are shown, with 48% energy savings for Gold, 30% for Silver, and 28% for Certified. See also the illustration on page 15 that I have reproduced in the image I am loading for both books: the old decision model was Cost at the top, with Schedule and Quality anchoring the triangle. the new decision model still has cost at the top, but Schedule and Human Health, Safety, & Comfort are on corners of this new pentagon, and the bottom is achored by Quality and Ecology, or what Paul Hawken would call in his books, "true cost" to the Earth and Humanitas.

NOW shift to the Contents and the Detailed Contents of Sun, Wind, & Light. As one reviewer notes, this is a course book. I did not recognize it as such, I saw it as one of the most gifted complete collection of factors to learn and apply that I have ever seen for ANY topic of study. The content and organization of this book is nothing short of Nobel-level "wow." Finish going through this book.

NOW go back to the first 218 pages of the Handbook, and study the checklists and varied helpful boxes and explanations. The rest of the book (217-459) is case studies of specific buildings, each a few pages, that can be left for last.

At this point, I went into the Glossaries and Bibliographies of both books. Each is distinct, neither supplants the other. They must be taken together. I read Glossaries, and Indices, as content, and use them as a form of "second look" (in extremely complex books, this is actually where I start).

NOW go back to the Case Studies in the Handbook, and read each from the point of view of what "take away" lessons are there for your own building.

Reading these two books was a real treat. Outside my office kitchen is a deck with an 11 point system for attracting birds from bluebirds and bluejays to cardinals, gold finches, two kinds of woodpecker, and a flicker as well as the more common birds. I believe in diversity, and I believe that if we don't get our act together and start living up to the ideals of Natural Capitalism (see other recommended books below), our world will go sterile and dark before out great-grandchilden can share in the beauty of this planet. These two books are part of the solution, and I am in serious awe of those who made them available to all of us, and at reasonable prices to boot. Well done!!!

Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
The Ecology of Commerce
Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications
For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future
The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons (Bk Currents)
The Philosophy of Sustainable Design

As a senior vice president and firmwide sustainable design director at HOK, Mary Ann Lazarus combined her expertise with the professional experience of the other two design principals and leaders of sustainable design at HOK, Sandra F. Mendler and William Odell, in "The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design."

"The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design" is one of the most comprehensive books on LEED and sustainable design. It is not a LEED AP exam prep book. It is a book to assist you in doing actual sustainable design. It covers checklists of actions and how-to information arranged by the LEED® categories (SS: sustainable sites, WE: water efficiency, EA: energy & atmosphere, MR: materials & resources, and EQ: indoor environmental quality), "Ten Key Steps" for the design process, specific guidance for sustainable design per building type, and 18 useful case studies from HOK's real projects.

"The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design" has 480 pages and many color interior photos. It is a must-have for design professionals and one of the best books on LEED and green building design.

Gang Chen, LEED AP, AIA
Author of "Planting Design Illustrated"

This seems to be a fine and timely book. I confess I did not read it in its entirety, I only browsed the random selections offered online. However, I was greatly disturbed by the assertion in the very first selection offered that carbon monoxide is the ugly black smoke that comes from...whatever. It contrasts carbon monoxide with carbon dioxide, which is invisible, has no odor, etc. WRONG WRONG WRONG! Carbon monoxide is every bit as invisible and odorless as carbon dioxide! This is a very concerning error, and I hope there are no more of them to weaken the book.

In a culture where global warming and being green are becoming household names, A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids helps to deshroud some of the mystery of these terms-- and in language that we can ALL understand without having a science degree.

If you are a parent- buy this book. If you are an educator- buy this book. If you are a kid- get your parent's permission- and then buy this book. Definitely if you are a politician... please BUY THIS BOOK.
The pictures are terrific, and it's chock full of great activities to expand upon the text. A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids is a great resource for the classroom, or the family library.

Written by two authors who practice what they preach in green living, this book will empower you to make green choices in your life, but also to know WHY they matter. A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids isn't scary and full of doomsday-- it's a book full of common language explanations and sends a message of hope for our planet, written for our future--our kids.

This is an important and accessible book that clearly defines climate change and explores the many ways it is adversely affecting our world. It provides interesting examples of things people are already doing to fight climate change. Even better, it suggests positive action items that will inspire and teach children and their families how to become part of the solution. A valuable resource and idea book that belongs in every library, as well as every 6th, 7th and 8th grade science and social studies classroom!

I want my grandchildren to read this book, and I hope their parents will too. All our futures are involved.

My eight year old daughter loves this book and I love it as well. But it is too frustrating for my six year old son.

I bought it because my son like to draw but needed a few ideas that were easy to do on his own as opposed to copying. The books format allows kids (and adults) to really do some cute things with pictures.

I use this whole series in my Art Class to Elementary children. They love this extra activity. It builds their confidence that they can draw identifible things. They even take multiple instructions and create a whole picture. I ripped the book apart and laminated the pages into easy to use cards. Works great!

Very pleased with this How to Draw Book. Our Grandchildren--ages 5 and 7--- sat down and immediately started drawing people from the book. I was amazed! Easy directions for them to understand.

Light
Easy to Read
Enjoyable

This is essential reading if you are planning to be on the golf course with your friends or business associates. Very funny and readable. I highly recommend it for improving your humor handicap.

a good book to take your thoughts away from the pressures of life. great gift.

If you're an avid golfer, you can't help but laugh out loud at this collection of stories. Usually with a book like this, most of the stories are rehashes of old stories you've already heard.However, I found a lot of new material here. Lots of laughs...the only problem is that I'm still not sure I can hit that second shot first.