Green Books

I purchased this book as a gift for my father, who is an architect that studied under a protege of Saarinen. He loves it!!! He stayed up all night reading it and it has inspired him to go in new directions with his designs. An excellent gift/coffee table book.

I found this book intriguing for several reasons, none the least of which was the architecture. But furthermore the discourse regarding the real and perceived boundaries surrounding the issue of humanitarian shelters is one wildly fascinating to me - as we seem to be grappling with it within our own American borders as opposed to just impoverished third world countries. Also the epic political and logistical sagas of humanitarian efforts to provide shelter are enough material for another volume of their own. Well organized and well written in easy to follow case study format. A truly thought provoking piece proving that the resolution of one of the most basic human needs continues to require our attention and effort.

Okay, so I havent actually read the book but Cameron Sinclair came to my school a month ago to give a lecture based on the book. It was one of the most motivating and perspective changing experiences that Ive ever had. It gave me a totally new perspective on architecture. People in studio were pinning up signs on their boards that said "Design Like You Give a Damn." Cameron Sinclair is an amazing guy. He started off the lecture talking about how he got out of architecture school and was completely dissatisfied with being a "CAD monkey," so he quit, raised money for the poor and distressed, and designed and built places for them with the money. anyways...just buy this and im going to buy it too

We purchased this book for our son. He is deeply committed to 'green' projects. This will give him testimonials of others in his field to aid him in his own work for clients who have the desire to lessen their carbon footprint.

Sincerely,
F. Albuquerque

Great book. Very cool practical applications to problems using environmentally sound solutions. Beautiful pictures and I especially liked the $8 tent clip. Brilliant.

I am physician and in all of my years of training, I was never taught the valuable information I found in this book. Please don't expect your pediatricians to know about this either- it is not taught to us although it NEEDS to be.

This book is a resource guide on all the things you need to know about creating a healthy environment for your family. There are many things I never knew about- like the dangers of chemicals we are exposed to on a regular basis. I just assumed that if it was sold in the US it was safe- unforunately, this is far from true.
Similarly, I used to think that ORGANIC was just better for the environment but it is so much better for US by decreasing the amount of exposure we have to chemicals used in growing and processing things like cotton. Although I am not revamping my life, this book has taught me to make simple changes that directly effect my daughter's health and well being... Like keeping the windows open for some part of every day, using safe cleaning supplies, using organic mattress pads and linens, and eating only organic chicken, eggs and milk. I have a ways to go but this book has taught me HOW IMPORTANT it is for me to be conscious of what my daughter is exposed to and what she eats.

Christopher Gavigan does an excellent job of breaking down the science so that is clear to the reader. SO that we understand WHY it is important to make the changes to a cleaner, healthier life.

I am making these changes not only for my daugher, but for my husband and I, and I encourage you to do the same.

This is an excellent book that has changed my life- and it could do the same for you. Buy it, read it- and educate your family on how to live a cleaner, healthier life.
(And maybe you can teach YOUR doctor some of these things too!)

Natalia Rodriguez Goldman, MD

I have read several books and articles on "green living" over the past couple of years and I think this is one of the best. It discusses so many aspects of living a healthier, safer life and gives many practical solutions to cleaning up our own environments to benefit us and the earth. It has inspired to me to take further steps beyond what I've already done to make a greener, safer home for my family.
One thing I did not like about this book was the personal stories added in each chapter. While it's nice to learn that some of our Hollywood elite are concerned with ecology issues, it frustrated me to read their stories. They make it sound so easy and practical to just trash everything you own and start from scratch with organic mattresses, flooring, furniture, etc. It's hard enough for me to budget for all the organic food and natural health products I buy; there is no way I could feasibly do everything the contributing celebrities are able to do.
Overall though, I thought this book was well-written, very interesting, well-researched.

great book with tons of practical tips on living green. even if you don't have kids, this book is a good resource for simply living a healthier lifestyle while doing your part to protect the environment. would make a GREAT gift for new parents.

I feel like I am well read on this topic. I learned alot and many useful, pratical tips. Its also written very well for those new to the topic. I made many notes and made a to-do list. I highly recommend!

While the target audience for this book is people living with or expecting children, anyone who wants to minimize their exposure to environmental toxins or pollutants would find it very useful. I am expecting my first child in the fall and before reading this book, I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about what's in the world around us but I have learned so much!

The approach is not preachy but rather educational, and in fact early on in the book is the statement "No one can do everything. Everyone can do something." So even if small changes are made in one's household, health will be improved.

After an introductory chapter, the book covers limiting exposures to toxins in the following settings: while pregnant, cleaning the home, choosing foods, beauty and hygiene, kid's toys, gardening, air and water, pet care, home renovation, and lastly, putting it all together. Information is presented in each chapter as a series of steps, and readers can make the changes suggested in one or all steps.

Within each chapter are several sidebars written by either celebrities or others knowledgeable on the subject. Personally, I like these stories because they show how people (albeit rich people...) can incorporate the suggestions. Many times, the writers of the stories will discuss making a few major changes, but pointing out that another area hasn't been changed for certain reasons. It made me realize that I don't have to do everything to improve the living conditions in my home.

I highly recommend this book. It's an interesting read and websites are given for those who want even more in-depth information.

Sex, organized crime, academia politics, science fiction, ancient history, globalization -- this page-turning suspense novel has it all condensed in <300 pages. At times, however, the author does a poor job of painting a picture. Some settings are described vividly but others are simply stated. Also, was a large chunk of pages missing from the book? There was no pinnacle. There was build-up leading up to it, but the denoument was rushed into. Still, it was satisfying. Overall this is a great read: it's both entertaining and instructive. If you don't enjoy it you'll at least learn a few things!

This novel is an intoxicating cocktail of suspense, mystery, and action. The rich descriptions of Brazil, Peru, and Japan transports the reader through both space and time. With an ambitious approach to examine science vs. nature and the wild vs. civilization, Meyers explores the complicated relationship between man and progress. A must read across all genres.

During my recent visit to Brazil I had great pleasure to meet the author, Prof. Marc Meyers, in person. This motivated me even more to read "Mayan Mars" - I heard of the author and his book earlier. I must admit that I read his book with great interest - as soon as I immersed myself into it, my curiosity increased immensely and I wanted to discover what will happen next. The plot depicts a truly unusual concatenation of science, technology and human emotions; integrating the past, the presence and the future into a very captivating, intriguing and moving story. It is the kind of book that increasingly compels the reader to reflect on how the ways we have used to shape our past will take our civilization into the future. Are we all going to adjust our behavior to protect our descendants, or are we going to perish as most of the unfortunate people in "Mayan Mars" did? I shall now anxiously await the next sequel by Marc Meyers! There has to be one more!

This book gives us a wonderful trip to Mayan, to its history and its culture. This story combined together the ancient legends, the real life, and the fabulous imagination of future. It also makes us to think about the fate of human being.

Amazing book. The most intersting topic was the capacity of the author to connect the history of an old civilization with a modern science situation. In this manner, we can feel the possibility of the history becomes true.

This is an outstanding book on remodeling your home to blend in with nature, and to avoid introducing toxic products into your home. Great ideas and photos.

And I am glad I did! I am even gladder to know that more people are waking up to the idea of natural remodeling. I am not sure whether it alone will save our earth but it's a good start. If enough people do it, it will certainly raise the level of our appreciation of nature to a higher level.

We're in the process of buying a house. Having been brainwashed by the mainstream culture and the media, I had grand dreams of huge expansion with piles of the latest and the biggest "goods" we're all programmed to consume - things like an all powerful over sized profession stainless oven even though I would never use it. But I now have a completely different mind set after reading this book.

We've decided to go small and practical and recycle, reuse as much as possible. Let mother Nature live so that we can too!

I've been teaching at a community college for 16 years on the topic of energy efficiency, Passive solar, Building Science, green building, healthy home and alternative structures. These fields have evolved over this period of time. During the past 5 years there have been many good books on new construction, but few on Remodeling.

Since remodeling would recycle a whole building, it is "greener" than new construction, especially in Suburbia or rural agricultural land. I would like to emphasize Remodeling in community colleges and think this would be the best textbook on the subject. The photographs alone are worthwhile. I also own the book, "Green Remodeling" by David Johnston and would use it as a secondary reference.

I would also recommend Natural Remodeling for homeowners.

I could not put this book down. It answers all of my questions and concerns as I begin to contemplate the large undertaking of creating a healthy, eco-friendly home for our family. Very thorough, creative and well-written... I only wish I could hire these women directly. Just enough information to cover all of the key considerations, with plenty of guidance on how to dig deeper if necessary. Should be required reading for every builder on the planet!

There were many good ideas in this book. Some more expensive than the average person could afford. I read Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs; By: Clarke Snell (Author), Tim Callahan (Author). Which was very comprehensive and enjoyable. While Snell and Callahan focus on building from scratch I was more interested at this moment in remodeling. I wouldn't dismiss this book, but I would identify what your needs are first.

If you're an absolutely new to rainwater harvesting book, this book may be of some use. But if you understand the basic ideas of rainwater harvesting, I'd skip this book.

Perhaps volumes 2 and 3 are more specific. Volume 1 tells you about the meat, but doesn't give it to you. I suspect the meat (i.e. useful detailed information) is in volumes 2 and 3.

You may prefer Art Ludwig's the New Create an Oasis with Greywater. I found it had the same basic information on rainwater harvesting as Volume 1, but in addition, has detailed information on creating a greywater system.

The author has a really great sense of our water and how we must learn to live within our means. Not just a technical manual but a rationale for changing our water ways.

If I had to give up all the books on my shelf, this would be one of the last to go. Not only pertinent to drylands, harvesting rainwater can and should be implemented in any climate. I can only wonder why all buildings and residents don't take collecting rainwater into account. Our landscapes and lives can be greatly enhanced by putting the tools Mr. Lancaster introduces into practice.

The concepts described in this book are applicable to all climates. The book is useful to any permaculture practitioner for any climate type. I live in the northeast with 35 inches per year, and it has been helpful to me personally in designing rainwater harvesting systems for my village lot. When is vol. 2 coming out?

I suggest as companion reading "Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks (Paperback) by Art Ludwig; and also his "The New Create an Oasis With Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systms - Includes Branched Drains (Paperback)". Together you can come up with an irrigation plan for a yard anywhere.

This is an incredible study of a topic that most of us don't think about much, that is, how we are wasting our rainwater, and what we could be doing instead. This is required reading for anyone who cares about the environment.

Best, the book is highly readable, with excellent illustrations. I knew literally nothing about this topic before I read this book. Now I am a believer. The story of the African man who "farms water" is incredibly moving and actually brought tears to my eyes. I have already bought three copies of this book to distribute to friends and I will probably buy more! The author, Brad Lancaster, speaks on this topic around the country and I am looking forward to hearing him in person. There are two more volumes coming in this series and I am looking forward to reading those, as well.

In February of 1961 when Jeff Apple was born, very little was known about autism. Autism research, still in its infancy literally grew up with Jeff.

The boy first displayed alarming behavior at 2, during the late summer of 1963. His sister Jane, 5 and brother Bobby, 12 were naturally frightened to see Jeff battering himself. The summer of 1963 saw Jeff's first trip to emergency for Self Injurious Behaviors (SIB).

Jeff's alarming behavior escalated over time; no day care could keep him for very long as few people were able to meet his needs. Finally, in 1967 a special program opened that accepted Jeff. A well-trained staff were able to work with the boy and even taught him self-care skills. Jeff made some progress, but remained largely nonverbal and his SIBs continued escalating. In 1968 the boy demolished his grandparents' Recreational Vehicle; he would roam the house at night and smash things.

By 1970, Jeff's behavior had deteriorated to where he needed constant care and his immediate family needed respite. On January 14, 1971 Jeff was enrolled at the Murdoch Institute, a place where he stayed for the remainder of his life.

At Murdoch, Jeff was closely monitored; restrained; given light electric shocks when he attacked himself and was rewarded with trips to various staff members' homes. Jeff also enjoyed visits to his own home. Luckily, the Happy Time School which provided Jeff his first taste of school success took him intermittently; he still remained under the protective wing of Murdoch.

Sadly, Jeff's clock ran out of time in January of 1990. He died at age 28 from self inflicted injuries.

This book is as rich as the beautiful North Carolina country side where Jeff lived; the rich descriptions of North Carolina and the inclusion of Scripture added hope and color to this personal account. One thing that was evident throughout this book was the unconditional love the Apples had for Jeff; at no time is this ever called into question. One can only hope that Jeff has found peace at last and that Patricia Apple, widowed for several years can take comfort in knowing she, George and their older children did everything possible to ensure a life of humane quality for Jeff. Despite the misleading statement of the title song, "God Didn't Make Little Green Apples," a singularly inane song, one can liken the "green Apple" image to Jeff. Green apples need time to ripen and they need more love and guidance.

I recommend you read Thelma Wheatley's "My Sad Is All Gone," a book about another young man with severe autism who displayed SIBs. (Interestingly, the two young men have linked or similar themed surnames, Julian Orchard and Jeff Apple). These two books go together well, like Lennon & McCartney.

In this book, the quality of the human spirit shows itself in it's mightiest face...that of unconditional love. Beautifully written, eloquent in it's reality, the author takes us right there. We are in the Apple's home & lives...we smell the bacon on that first day...& then we feel the first suspicions along with Jeff's mother. Ultimately, we feel the love, the hope, the frustration, the fear & sadly, the grief. We are there in the silent moments, the sunny moments, the despairing moments & the final moments. Our hearts go out to the Apples, their courage, fortitude & dignity...but most of all for their love. No parent should let this book pass them by, no parent who picks this book up will put it down, particularly any parents of special children. This book is for every caring human being, parent or not, as they will not, can not, walk away from it untouched .. or uninspired.
On a personal note, I was told I should read this book with with a box of tissues to hand. Being a person not much inclined to tears, I took that advice with a grain of salt. My mistake. The only salt around me when I read Spinning Straw was in my eyes & on my face, as it is at this moment recalling the book as I write this review. A "must read".
To Patricia Apple, a woman of indomitable courage & to Phyllis Green, who weaves words into pictures, all my respects.

Spinning Straw... It's a great book. It's written as if you are living the experience. You really feel like you know the characters, especially Jeff! The book shows so much love and caring, it makes you want to do the same if you don't already. I recommend the book because it's jsut plan excellent!! you'll see as soon as you buy it! And the author, well she's great too! The best in the world; take it from someone that knows her personally. Great Book, way to go P. Green

I could not put this book down! It made me cry, it made me angry, but most of all, it made me glad there are people in the world like Phyllis Jean Green who care enough to write this painful but SOARING story about autism and self-injurious behaviour.

This non fiction shows the struggles of a family raising an autistic child with SIB at a time before information is available about the disability. The author, Phyllis Green, brings this family into the hearts and souls of the reader. The book is also illustrated with actual photographs of the family. Spinning Straw is a plus for a remarkable movie about real life situations of families who are faced with the struggles that stem from disabilities like autism. Green's language is down-to-earth and pragmatic. She brings tears, laughter and the real life of the family into full circle.

These CD's are filled with so much wisdom and insight into married life i felt like i was in the presence of a guru. (particularly with the first speaker.) The advice they give makes a lot of sense, and will save you a lot of heartache, so buying it is soooo worth the investment.

When I first heard about "Get the Ring," my initial reaction was, "Do we really need another series of advice on relationships?" The market seems to be flooded with them.

But then I listened to it. Impressed is not the word.

First of all, let me explain what "Get the Ring" is and what it isn't. It is a six CD/cassette series on dating and marriage. However, it is not preachy, and it is not dry. It is based on a series of interviews with seven top marriage counselors, each with his or her own style and manner of presentation. The interviews are lively, humorous and unbelievably on target. You can tell that the interviewees are dealing with these issues on a daily basis.

One of the most unique aspects of the series is that it's not geared to any specific population. Lots of books on relationships focus on either singles or marrieds. Rarely do they offer information that is useful to both. But I would highly recommend "Get the Ring" to anyone, whether never-married, divorced and looking, married but having difficulties or married happily. I, for example, have been happily married for 8 ½ years and I still found lots of great ideas for making our marriage even better. My husband listened, too, and he said the same thing.

Another unusual facet of "Get the Ring" is the source material of its content. All seven speakers plus David LeVine, the producer of the series as well as the interviewer, are practicing, traditional Jews. As such, their presentations are based on Judaism. But their advice and guidelines are so right-on, and ring so true, that you'd never know that they're formed by a tradition thousands of years old if nobody told you. The series is geared toward an entirely secular audience, so everyone can enjoy and benefit.

The range of topics is so wide that it's hard to believe that it all fits into just over five hours. Some of the topics include defining love, differences between men and women (unbelievable!), detailed dating advice, how to discern true character, and how to make time for each other despite hectic schedules. One of my personal favorites is the "Ten Ways to Marry the Wrong Person." I thought it to be an absolutely mind-boggling presentation, especially the down-to-earth, practical advice on discovering true character, common interests and life goals. Just that information alone could totally change the way a single man or woman would approach dating - and it gave me some interesting ideas on how to enhance my own marriage. I could add some more details, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

A word of caution, however. (Some people might consider this a "con" even though I think it's a "pro.") A lot of the ideas presented seem at first glance to be revolutionary, especially in today's day and age. An open mind is a prerequisite for listening to this series. So if all you're looking for is to have your old opinions and preconceptions reinforced, you're not going to be very happy after listening. Then again, maybe the series will open your eyes and you'll see where you've been going wrong and how to fix your mistakes.

If there are any real "cons," the only one I can think of is that, because the recording was done in an office, there is occasionally some background noise that can be distracting - although the sound quality happens to be excellent. As far as I'm concerned, it's a small price to pay for information that could change your life.

Having listened to "Get the Ring" over five times, my opinion is that anyone who seriously wants to get married or to have a better marriage cannot go wrong by following the advice in the series. In his introduction, David LeVine says that your chances of finding the right one increase every time you listen. I couldn't agree more.

David LeVine is the pretend interviewer for this series of CDs, which is to say it seems obvious that he has taken some recorded seminars and other recordings and spliced in questions which the sources then sort of seem like they might be answering. Ignoring this phony interview format, which only occasionally intrudes, these CDs contain some really useful information from the perspective of some conservative rabbis and other conservative Jews. As a Christian it was very interesting to have some excellent ideas stressed coming from a perspective from a different religious culture, and my thinking has definitely enhanced as a result of hearing these CDs. I have a book by one of the sources, but audio CDs are so much better than books for thinking about this sort of information, at least for me. I paid more than the Amazon price at a web site by the same name as the book because I didn't know it was available up here, but decided that the price would be worth it if it had good information, given the cost of getting into or maintaining a bad relationship or marriage.

There are several topics. One is 10 Ways to Marry the Wrong Person. It is not useful for those who are having trouble getting the wrong person to marry them, but rather 10 things to be aware of so that you don't get into a marriage that will not work. And it is not a checklist, but a set of well articulated insights. If this CD set helps keep you from just one disastrous marriage or helps you get into a good marriage it will have paid for itself (duh!).

Two quick ideas from the CDs: Don't marry potential; many think their partner will change, and they will--for the worse. Find someone you want to give to, because love is about giving.

I am very happy I got it the Get the Ring CD series and I would highly recommend this set to anyone who is dating or contemplating marriage.

Are you tired of the dating game and looking forward to form a meaningful relationship that will last for a lifetime with someone special? The Get the Ring audio program was designed by David LaVine to arm the listener with key dating and relationship concepts of Traditional Judaism. Traditional Jews have been reported to have the lowest divorce rate of any cultural group in the Western World and David LaVine wanted to know why and how could that knowledge help him find and keep the love of his life. At first he thought that Traditional Judaism does not allow for divorce, but was surprised that not only that Traditional Judaism allows for divorce, it actually requires it when the two partners cannot resolve the rift that separates them. After finding out Traditional Judaism's secrets to successful dating and marriage, he married the love of his life.

This audio series presents the findings of his search by having seven of Traditional Judaism's most dynamic religious and relationship councilors expound on Traditional Judaism's approach to finding and keeping a life partner. The fascinating, attention demanding, and sometimes, humorous lectures in this series are eye opening as the information shared in them is radical in comparison to modern dating norms. With an open ear, a willing heart, and girded with the information, you can find that special person, bring a budding relationship to full bloom or make an already great relationship better. Whether you are single or married, this series will be certain to bring more meaning to your current or future relationship.

I listened to the whole series and am very impressed with it. It gives clear definitions of what we need to look for in a mate. What areas we can not compromise on. What areas are less vital.

It offers suggestions for how to be in the right relationship and it also talks about making ourself into the person we would want to marry. A person who is looking to give is the person most ready for marriage. So many of us look at marriage as a give and take and this can hurt marriages a lot.

It offers some very traditional advice that include not touching before marriage which may be going a bit far for most. But most importantly it gives solid guidelines for what to be and what to look for in order to really have a great chance of a truly successful marriage. May GOD bless all of you with just that since you deserve it.

Esty and Winston seem to be a perfect duo to write this book. Together they have a very strong and complementing background, ranging from experiences in academics and government to green and strategy consulting. The result is a book that has the right balance of theory and practice. While many books on green business only focus on the bright side, Esty & Winston are more realistic. They admit that not every business policy leads to win-win situations and describe the main fallacies, therewith making their book more "complete". The book is very easy to grasp through clear structures, concise business maps and numerous examples of S&P 100 firms. Furthermore, the latter ensures that you'll remind the book's message every time you'll order a cup of coffee at Starbucks or a meal at McDonald's.

The first 70% of the book is most interesting. After that, Esty and Winston start repeating concepts as well as business cases. Although the discussed cases are strong and helpful, Esty and Winston refer to the same companies over and over again, while forgetting about many other so called "WaveRiders". I'm wondering what the book would have been like if they had picked another set of front running firms to shed light on. They could probably fill a complete second book with it, so who knows..

I have revisited this book a number of times since I read it last year. It is a good resouce in understanding the benefits and dangers of going green.

Excellent breakdown of the drivers for companies to go green. Also excellent analyses of strategies used by the corporate world to achieve their goals with green programs. Many examples of what worked and what didn't work.
Great reading!

Good book with alot of insights... but I think you really have to be interested with these matters to be able to finish the book.

This is a great book! The information presented is very useful. I have also heard both authors speak at conferences. They have a great message and convey it clearly.

I have looked for this book for years. I had read it in a Pre-K class for my students. Another teacher had borrowed it from her town's library and my class loved it.
Since then, I have looked off and on for years but could not locate it. I now have a 3 year old grandson and we love to find animals, birds, etc. in the clouds. We have read this book several times already and he loves it.

Thanks,
Jeri

This book can be used creatively with kids of all ages! As a speech therapist at an elementary school, this book provides many language development opportunities! I love it as much as the kids do!

This is a great book for pre-school age kids. It's a simple story with lots of opportunities for the kids to participate, saying what each picture is. I know a lot of teachers use this book and then have the kids make their own "ink blot" type images and then say what they see in their cloud. Very cute book.

Great book for teaching shapes and cloud, fun to read with felt board activity.

Tell the children to turn off the TV and read this book. It just begs them to try their hand at making some "spilled milk" with blue construction paper and cotton balls or ripped white paper. Parents and grown-ups are allowed to make designs, too (They will want to do it!).

Very well written, thought out and organized book demonstrating the different techniques that can be used with a variety of paint mediums and materials. I would recommend this for an introduction to use of materials, tools and grounds.

If anyone out there is even thinking about painting (or if you are already a painter) this is the book. It will show you examples of almost every kind of paint and then what will happen if you mixed it with something or layer something. This is a GREAT "example" book. Watch out thou you will want to go and try them all out......

This is a wonderful book, if you are an artist, you can find different samples for many techniques, if you are an amateur, you can find a lot of fun.
This is my precious!

This book is exactly as described. A "visual sampler" of step-by step, demonstrations, to achieve hundreds of different effects in your paintings. Wonderful, colorful illustrations, easy to understand instructions and desriptions as well. Also the layout of the book is very user friendly. There is 208 pages so you get your money's worth in this book. This book is full of ideas to get your creative hands moving. I am very happy to own this book.

I must disagree with the reviewer who said this book is not for the true artist. I am an artist and although I know some of the techniques or variations thereof, there are plenty more that I can't wait to try. I feel like a kid in a candy store, not knowing what to do first.

Sure, this is not a book that teaches you how to draw or paint, or how to make good compositions. Its focus is on techniques to achieve certain effects. That's all it says it is and it does that admirably.