Best of
Green

2008

Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air


David J.C. MacKay - 2008
    In case study format, this informative reference answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries. While underlining the difficulty of minimizing consumption, the tone remains positive as it debunks misinformation and clearly explains the calculations of expenditure per person to encourage people to make individual changes that will benefit the world at large.

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2: Water-Harvesting Earthworks


Brad Lancaster - 2008
    The plants then pump the water back out in the form of beauty, food, shelter, wildlife habitat, timber and forage, while controlling erosion, reducing down-stream flooding, dropping utility costs, increasing soil fertility, enhancing the soil carbon sponge, and improving water and air quality.This dramatically revised and expanded full-color second edition builds on the information in Volume 1 by showing you how to turn your yard, school, business, park, ranch, and neighborhood into lively, regenerative producers of resources. Conditions at home will improve as you simultaneously enrich the ecosystem and inspire the surrounding community.Learn to select, place, size, construct, and plant your chosen earthworks. All is made easier and more effective by the illustrations of natural patterns of water and sediment flow with which you can collaborate or mimic. Detailed step-by-step instructions with over 550 images show you how to do it, and plentiful stories of success motivate you so you will do it!

Ruskin Bond's Book Of Nature


Ruskin Bond - 2008
    no one understands nature like Ruskin Bond and it takes his ability to put this wonder into words'-Deccan Chronicle For over half a century, Ruskin Bond has celebrated the wonder and beauty of nature as few other contemporary writers have, or indeed can. This collection brings together the best of his writing on the natural world, not just in the Himalayan foothills that he has made his home, but also in the cities and small towns that he lived in or travelled through as a young man. In these pages, he writes of leopards padding down the lanes of Mussoorie after dark, the first shower of the monsoon in Meerut that brings with it a tumult of new life, the chorus of insects at twilight outside his window, ancient banyan trees and the short-lived cosmos flower, a bat who strays into his room and makes a night less lonely... This volume proves, yet again, that for the serenity and lyricism of his prose and his sharp yet sympathetic eye, Ruskin Bond has few equals. 'Once again this writer from Mussoorie captivates with his collection of nature pieces -Sunday Midday 'Bond uses his pen as a brush to paint sensuous images of his experiences with nature and beckons his readers into his imagination ... a book that relaxes the eyes, rests the mind, lulls the noise and lets one drift into the idyllic life with nature that most of us are unable to lead'-Dawn

Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood


Taras Grescoe - 2008
    Dividing his sensibilities between Epicureanism and ethics, Taras Grescoe set out on a nine-month, worldwide search for a delicious—and humane—plate of seafood. What he discovered shocked him. From North American Red Lobsters to fish farms and research centers in China, Bottomfeeder takes readers on an illuminating tour through the $55-billion-dollar-a-year seafood industry. Grescoe examines how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices, and climate change affect what ends up on our plate. More than a screed against a multibillion-dollar industry, however, this is also a balanced and practical guide to eating, as Grescoe explains to readers which fish are best for our environment, our seas, and our bodies. At once entertaining and illuminating, Bottomfeeder is a thoroughly enjoyable look at the world’s cuisines and an examination of the fishing and farming practices we too easily take for granted.

To Cast the First Spell


John A. Buttrick - 2008
    But the simple life he hopes for is changed forever when he inadvertently casts a spell so powerful it draws the attention of the Grand Maestro of Aakadon and the dark Maestro Tarin Conn. The two powerful foes sense a change in the balance of power and both of them intend for it to be in their favor. Daniel wants nothing to do with either faction but must learn to master his newly discovered potential before the forces sent looking for him destroy his family and friends and every person living in the remote village of Bashierwood. But to master his potential he must learn from an Accomplished. To save the village he must accept help from Talenteds sent by Efferin Tames, or surrender to Tarin Conn. To seize control of his life he must set his priorities and arrange his chores accordingly.

Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis


Vandana Shiva - 2008
    Shiva shows that a world beyond dependence on fossil fuels and globalization is both possible and necessary.Condemning industrial agriculture as a recipe for ecological and economic disaster, Shiva’s champion is the small, independent farm: their greater productivity, their greater potential for social justice as they put more resources into the hands of the poor, and the biodiversity that is inherent to the traditional farming practiced in small-scale agriculture. What we need most in a time of changing climates and millions hungry, she argues, is sustainable, biologically diverse farms that are more resistant to disease, drought, and flood. In her trademark style, she draws solutions to our world’s most pressing problems on the head of a pin: “The solution to climate change,” she observes, “and the solution to poverty are the same.”Using Shiva’s organization Navdanya—praised by Barbara Kingsolver as “a small, green Eden framed against the startling blue backdrop of the Himalayas”—as a model, Soil Not Oil lays out principles for feeding the planet that are socially just and environmentally sound. Shiva then expands her analysis to broader issues of globalization and climate change, arguing that a healthy environment and a just world go hand in hand. Unwavering and truly visionary, Soil Not Oil proposes a solution based on self-organization, sustainability, and community rather than corporate power and profits.A world-renowned environmental leader and thinker, Vandana Shiva is the author of many books, including Earth Democracy, Water Wars, and Staying Alive. She is the editor of Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed.

Edible Schoolyard


Alice Waters - 2008
    Twenty-five years later, she and a small group of teachers and volunteers turned over long-abandoned soil at an urban middle school in Berkeley and planted the Edible Schoolyard. The schoolyard has since grown into a universal idea of Edible Education that integrates academics with growing, cooking, and sharing wholesome, delicious food. With inspiring images of the garden and kitchenand their young caretakersEdible Schoolyard is at once a visionary model for sustainable farming and childhood nutrition, and a call to action for schools across the country.

Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home


Christopher Gavigan - 2008
    Nothing makes one more keenly aware of health risks lurking in the everyday world than becoming a parent. Most know the importance of using cabinet locks and child gates, but research is showing many more ways we need to be childproofing our homes. Tens of millions of American children now face chronic diseases and illnesses including cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD/ADHD, allergies, learning and developmental disabilities, as well as a host of lesser but disruptive ailments. And the growing research points to much of the increases on unseen threats wrought by exposure to chemicals in everyday products like cleaning supplies, beauty care and cosmetics, home furnishings, plastics, some foods and toys as contributing to these ailments. With that in mind, the non-profit organization Healthy Child Healthy World offers parents a definitive guide to creating a healthy, nontoxic, and environmentally sound home. Filled with easy steps and simple solutions to improve family living without wreaking havoc on schedules or budgets, this book includes inspiring ideas for safe, eco-friendly cleaning methods, choosing healthier food, pet and garden care, nursery and home building materials, plus extensive tips for energy saving and family fun. With contributions from environmental science and public-health experts such as Dr. Phil Landrigan, Dr. Harvey Karp and Dr. Alan Greene, as well as many celebrity supporters (including Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, Tobey Maguire, Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Williams, and Tom Hanks), Healthy Child Healthy World is the essential guidebook for parents wanting to go green.

Essence of Permaculture


David Holmgren - 2008
    A great way to expand your knowledge in preparation for the full length book.

Snakes of India The Field Guide


Romulus Earl Whitaker - 2008
    It concisely describes more than 150 species of snakes, both venomous and nonvenomous. Many of the species covered are also found in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Snake identification is made easy through stunning photographs and includes many of the color variations found in Indian snakes. Each species account includes description, scalation, natural history, a distribution map and look-alikes. Other sections include snakebite, snake people in India, laws protecting snakes and a complete, up to date checklist. Ashok Captain is an ophidian taxonomist and photographer who is either in the hill forests of India's remote northeast or the specimen rooms at the Bombay Natural History Society. He is particularly fond of the monsoons, umbrellas and leeches. Each book you buy contributes to the printing of “Snakes of India” in 15 Indian languages.

The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience


Rob Hopkins - 2008
    Most people don't want to think about what happens when the oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive). This title shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive effect.

The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City


Kelly Coyne - 2008
    Rejecting both end-times hand wringing and dewy-eyed faith that technology will save us from ourselves, urban homesteaders choose instead to act. By growing their own food and harnessing natural energy, they are planting seeds for the future of our cities.If you would like to harvest your own vegetables, raise city chickens, or convert to solar energy, this practical, hands-on book is full of step-by-step projects that will get you started homesteading immediately, whether you live in an apartment or a house. It is also a guidebook to the larger movement and will point you to the best books and Internet resources on self-sufficiency topics.Projects include: How to grow food on a patio or balcony How to clean your house without toxins How to preserve food How to cook with solar energy How to divert your greywater to your garden How to choose the best homestead for you Written by city dwellers for city dwellers, this illustrated, smartly designed, two-color instruction book proposes a paradigm shift that will improve our lives, our community, and our planet. Authors Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen happily farm in Los Angeles and run the urban homestead blog www.homegrownrevolution.org.

The Barefoot Beekeeper : A simple, sustainable approach to small-scale beekeeping top bar hives


P.J. Chandler - 2008
    The author strips away all complications, showing how you can make everything you need yourself, using recycled materials and simple tools: you do not need to buy any additional equipment at all! After reading The Barefoot Beekeeper I knew immediately I had found what I had been thinking about and searching for for years. It inspired me to immediately build several Top Bar hives and change my manner of keeping bees...read as much as you can about bees and beekeeping but do buy this one and follow it's suggested path. N, Spain ...the best book out there as far as I'm concerned for those interested in pursuing sustainable beekeeping. MH, USA ...a very helpful primer and a VERY inspiring discussion of sustainable beekeeping. CS ...as an argument for sustainable beekeeping, the writing is unparalleled. G, UK

The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov: The Story of Stalin's Persecution of One of the Great Scientists of the Twentieth Century


Peter Pringle - 2008
    In a drama of love, revolution, and war that rivals Pasternak's "Dr. Zhivago," Pringle tells the story of a young Russian scientist, Nikolai Vavilov, who had a dream of ending hunger and famine in the world. Vavilov's plan would use the emerging science of genetics to breed super plants that could grow anywhere, in any climate, in sandy deserts and freezing tundra, in drought and flood. He would launch botanical expeditions to find these vanishing genes, overlooked by early farmers ignorant of Mendel's laws of heredity. He called it a "mission for all humanity."To the leaders of the young Soviet state, Vavilov's dream fitted perfectly into their larger scheme for a socialist utopia. Lenin supported the adventurous Vavilov, a handsome and seductive young professor, as he became an Indiana Jones, hunting lost botanical treasures on five continents. In a former tsarist palace in what is now St. Petersburg, Vavilov built the world's first seed bank, a quarter of a million specimens, a magnificent living museum of plant diversity that was the envy of scientists everywhere and remains so today.But when Lenin died in 1924 and Stalin took over, Vavilov's dream turned into a nightmare. This son of science was from a bourgeois background, the class of society most despised and distrusted by the Bolsheviks. The new cadres of comrade scientists taunted and insulted him, and Stalin's dreaded secret police built up false charges of sabotage and espionage.Stalin's collectivization of farmland caused chaos in Soviet food production, and millions died in widespread famine. Vavilov's master plan for improving Soviet crops was designed to work over decades, not a few years, and he could not meet Stalin's impossible demands for immediate results.In Stalin's Terror of the 1930s, Russian geneticists were systematically repressed in favor of the peasant horticulturalist Trofim Lysenko, with his fraudulent claims and speculative theories. Vavilov was the most famous victim of this purge, which set back Russian biology by a generation and caused the country untold harm. He was sentenced to death, but unlike Galileo, he refused to recant his beliefs and, in the most cruel twist, this humanitarian pioneer scientist was starved to death in the gulag.Pringle uses newly opened Soviet archives, including Vavilov's secret police file, official correspondence, vivid expedition reports, previously unpublished family letters and diaries, and the reminiscences of eyewitnesses to bring us this intensely human story of a brilliant life cut short by anti-science demagogues, ideology, censorship, and political expedience.

Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front


Sharon Astyk - 2008
    But whatever the reason, Sharon Astyk has established herself as a true rarity within the peak oil community by virtue of being a woman who has chosen to write about peak oil. The perspective she offers is thus both uncommon and vital.In Depletion and Abundance, she shows how rewarding life on her New Home Front could be, immeasureably improving our health, nutrition, sense of community and overall well-being. Chief among its benefits would be all the extra time that we'd have. She points out that people in medieval times worked far fewer hours than Americans do today, and that most people in modern-day peasant societies also work less hard than we do.This, along with Astyk's unique perspective as a woman, a mother and a peak oil activist, makes Depleiton and Abundance well worth a read. The ring of authenticity to her writing will hook you - while its relaxed style, ineffable humor, personal anecdotes and comforting touch will soothe your melancholy peaknik soul like a warm hand on the shoulder.Reviewed by Frank Kaminski, Energy BulletinSharon's introduction is pricelss in its succinct, dead-on analysis of collapse, and is reason enough to buy and send this book to everyone you know who is partially or completely clueless about where we're headed. "When I realized that everything was going to change, I was at first afraid. Because I thought, if my government or public policy or other choices weren't going to fix everything, what could I possibly do? What hope was there, if I had to take care of myself, if my community had to take care of itself?But when I began looking for solutions that could be applied on the level of ordinary human lives, that involved changes in perspectives and pulling together, the reclamation of abandoned ideas and the restoration of strong communitites, I began to feel hopeful, even excited. Because I realized that when large institutions cease to be powerful, sometimes that means that people start being powerful again."Depletion and Abundance is not a feel-good book, but it is intensely human, compassionate, supportive, pracitcal, alarming, enlivening, and astonishingly accurate.Reviewed by Carolyn Baker, Carolynbaker.netOK, quick check: everyone who is concerned about the economic crisis turning into a depression and causing food and fuel prices to rise and pockets to empty - whether for yourself, your parents, your children, your neighbors, your friends, or anyone - raise your hand. That covers just about everyone, doesn't it? Almost every conversation I've had recently with different people lately has touched on the economy and people's fears about what this situation means. Astyk knows she's covering a lot of territory to bring many people up to speed on the various causes behind our current crisis. Her research and thoughtful insight in discussing peak oil, climate change, and the economy are on target too.We may be headed into difficult times - and heaven knows, if you read only Astyk's first chapter, you might find yourself too depressed to go on --but ultimately we still retain the ability to choose a certain aount of independence. We can invest our time and our work in the sustenance of our selves, our families, and our communities, and we can begin to build a more sustainable economy. Sharon Astyk's book gives us the hope and the inspiration needed to take that step.Reviewed by Jennifer M, The EthicureanClimate change, peak oil, and economic instability aren’t just future social problems—they jeopardize our homes and families right now. Our once-abundant food supply is being threatened by toxic chemical agriculture, rising food prices, and crop shortages brought on by climate change. Funding for education and health care is strained to the limit, and safe and affordable housing is disappearing.Depletion and Abundance explains how we are living beyond our means with or without a peak oil/climate change crisis, and that, either way, we must learn to place our families and local communities at the center of our thinking once again. The author presents strategies to create stronger homes, better health, and a richer family life and to:live comfortably with an uncertain energy supply prepare children for a hotter, lower energy, less secure world survive and thrive in an economy in crisis maintain a kitchen garden to supply basic food needs Most importantly, readers will discover that depletion can lead to abundance, and the anxiety of these uncertain times can be turned into a gift of hope and action.An unusual family perspective on the topic, this book will appeal to all those interested in securing a future for their children and grandchildren.Sharon Astyk is a former academic who farms in upstate New York with her husband and four children. She also raises livestock, grows vegetables, and writes about food and peak oil. (Check out her blog—www.sharonastyk.com.)

Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why


Jonny Bowden - 2008
    Through his personal use, extensive research, and wide-ranging expertise in nutrition and health, Jonny sorts through the myriad home remedies from every discipline and tradition to show which work and how best to use these proven healing techniques. He also explains through approachable and articulate descriptions why they work and on what basis he selected these cures -- whether it is patient testimonials or the latest scientific studies to give you peace of mind and the information you need about each treatment.The book explores more than 75 common conditions, including allergies, cancer, high cholesterol, depression, diabetes, hypertension, menopause, and stress.

The Dump Man's Treasures


Lynn Plourde - 2008
    Pottle, who oversees the town dump, cannot bear to destroy books, so he recycles them for the community to enjoy. However, the community soon discovers the book-loving dump man cannot read. A town full of willing tutors then teaches Mr. Pottle to read so he can fully enjoy his treasures. Full color.

The Bill McKibben Reader: Pieces from an Active Life


Bill McKibben - 2008
    His groundbreaking book on climate change, The End of Nature, is considered "as important as Rachel Carson's classic Silent Spring"* and Deep Economy, his "deeply thoughtful and mind-expanding"** exploration of globalization, helped awaken and fuel a movement to restore local economies.Now, for the first time, the best of McKibben's essays—fiery, magical, and infused with his uniquely soulful investigations of modern life—are collected in a single volume. Whether meditating on today's golden age in radio, the natural place of biting black flies in our lives, or the patriotism of a grandmother fighting to get corporate money out of politics, McKibben inspires us to become better caretakers of the Earth—and of one another.*The Plain Dealer (Cleveland )**Michael Pollan

Medicinal Plants of North America


Jim Meuninck - 2008
    The pages of this book re-connect us to our roots and the knowledge that medicinal plants and wild plant foods provide the chemicals every body needs to obtain optimum health and prevent disease. Meuninck moves the user from simple and familiar plants toward less common plants more difficult to identify. Each of the 122 plants has a color photograph, plant description, and location. Identification of plants are grouped from common to rare in the environment and where they are found: prairies, woodlands, mountains, deserts, and wetlands. Relevant facts about each plant such as toxicity, historical uses, modern uses, as well as wildlife/veterinary uses are also listed. Additional information included in this extraordinary field guide: explanations of how each plant affects the human body; cultural and ethnic uses of medicinal herbs and cooking spices; others creatures who consume the plants; a list of most recommended garden herbs; web site resources, and much more. The Author's Notes provide personal experiences and novel skills honed from over forty years of experience. They include: gardening tips, recipes, formulations, humor, successful experiences, and more. There is no field guide as all-encompassing and detailed as this one, yet it's portable and easy to understand.

Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators


David Sobel - 2008
    As increasing numbers of kids come to school wishing to take action, educators want to know how to teach in a way that fosters a love of nature and an understanding of the complexity and seriousness of these issues.In Childhood and Nature, noted educator David Sobel makes the case that meaningful connections with the natural world don't begin in the rainforest or arctic, but in our own backyards and communities. Based on his observations of recurrent play themes around the world, Sobel articulates seven design principles that can guide teachers in structuring learning experiences for children. Place-based education projects that make effective use of the principles are detailed throughout the book. And while engaged in these projects, students learn language arts, math, science, social studies, as well as essential problem-solving and social skills through involvement with nature and their communities.The pressures of test preparation, standards, and curriculum frameworks often reduce the study of nature and the environment to a set of facts and general concepts. However, as Childhood and Nature demonstrates, linking curriculum with an engagement in the real world not only provides students with the thinking skills needed for whatever test comes their way, but also helps them grow into responsible citizens and stewards of the earth.

The Modern Architecture Pop-Up Book


Anton Radevsky - 2008
    'The Modern Architecture Pop-Up Book' showcases three-dimensional replications of some of the most innovative modern and contemporary architecture from around the world.

My Lucky Dog


Mellon Tytell - 2008
    I was addicted to looking at him—every twitch of his ear was fascinating to me. I've taken thousands of photographs of him, dozens even in the same position. He was "my lucky dog."I adopted Hunter when he was two. He came with that name, his former owner a fan of Hunter S. Thompson. I noticed Hunter's photo in the window of a pet store in Vermont and brought him home.If I was the lucky break in his life, he was the transforming experience in mine. Before, I was a little wild. As a photographer, I traveled around the world, picking up and leaving on a dime. Life was exciting: photo shoots in Paris, Haiti, the Himalayas, the Andes, and even the Amazon.Hunter tamed me. I couldn't be away from him for more than five hours at a time. I had no children of my own; Hunter taught me about responsibility, love, and devotion in a way that was inaccessible to me with "people."—Mellon

The Search for Al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future


Bruce Riedel - 2008
    Yet most people in the Americas and Europe know very little about it, or their view is clouded by misperceptions and half truths. If the first rule of war is to “know your enemy,” then we have a long way to go. This important book fills this gap with a comprehensive analysis of al Qaeda—the origins, leadership, ideology, and strategy of the terrorist network that brought down the Twin Towers and continues to threaten us today. Bruce Riedel is an expert on the Middle East and South Asia, with thirty years of intelligence and policymaking experience. He was actually in the White House Situation Room during the 9/11 attacks, serving as special assistant to the president and National Security Council senior director for Near East Affairs. He draws on this insider experience in profiling the four most important figures in the al Qaeda movement: Osama bin Laden, its creator and charismatic leader; ideologue Ayman Zawahiri, its Egyptian coleader and principal spokesman; Abu Musaib al Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq until his death in 2006; and Mullah Omar, its Taliban host. These profiles provide the base from which Riedel delivers a much clearer understanding of al Qaeda and what must be done to counter it. The Search for al Qaeda reviews how al Qaeda was created and developed, presenting authoritative and chilling background on “The Manhattan Raid,” but Riedel focuses more closely on what has happened to it since that awful day. He outlines al Qaeda’s ultimate goals, which are to drive America out of the Muslim world, to destroy Israel, and to create a jihadist caliphate larger than the Ottoman Empire at its height. The profiles and subsequent analysis reveal the network’s multipronged strategy for accomplishing those goals: • Draw America into “bleeding wars” like the one that drove the Soviets from Afghanistan. • Build a safe haven for al Qaeda in Pakistan. • Develop other “franchises” in the Islamic world that can overthrow pro-American regimes. • Conduct more Western attacks along the lines of 9/11 or the transit bombings in Madrid and London. The book concludes with a strategy for dealing with—and defeating—this most dangerous menace.

Girl Perfect: An Imperfect Girl's Journey to True Perfection (Confessions of a Former Runway Model)


Jennifer Strickland - 2008
    On the outside, she seemed to have it all: walking the runway for Giorgio Armani, commercials for companies from Oil of Olay to Mercedes Benz, worldwide attention, and all the glamour that comes with the fashion industry. But she quickly discovered that this world is not all glitter and gold... Girl Perfect is the haunting story of Jennifer’s journey from fashion to faith. Within these pages you will get an inside look at the industry and you will find a girl who struggled just as you do. The principles of true beauty she shares will shatter the illusion that beauty and success satisfy, leading you to the powerful, lasting knowledge of who you are in God’s sight: his beloved daughter, handcrafted to reflect His glory to the world.

Grow Organic


Anna Kruger - 2008
    For gardeners committed to a safe, natural, and healthy approach, this reference covers a wide range of organic concerns and can help the beginner get started while showing the seasoned gardener how to do even better.

Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization


Lester R. Brown - 2008
    Wind, solar, and geothermal energy are replacing oil, coal, and natural gas, at a pace and on a scale we could not have imagined even a year ago. For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, we have begun investing in energy sources that can last forever. Plan B 4.0 explores both the nature of this transition to a new energy economy and how it will affect our daily lives.

Earth Matters: An Encyclopedia of Ecology


David de Rothschild - 2008
    Full color.

Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life


Stephen R. Kellert - 2008
    Biophilic Design provides us with tremendous insight into the 'why, ' then builds us a road map for what is sure to be the next great design journey of our times. -Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council Having seen firsthand in my company the power of biomimicry to stimulate a wellspring of profitable innovation, I can say unequivocably that biophilic design is the real deal. Kellert, Heerwagen, and Mador have compiled the wisdom of world-renowned experts to produce this exquisite book; it is must reading for scientists, philosophers, engineers, architects and designers, and-most especially-businesspeople. Anyone looking for the key to a new type of prosperity that respects the earth should start here. -Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chair, Interface, Inc. The groundbreaking guide to the emerging practice of biophilic design This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity's place in nature and the natural world's place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception. Written for architects, landscape architects, planners, developers, environmental designers, as well as building owners, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life is a guide to the theory, science, and practice of biophilic design. Twenty-three original and timely essays by world-renowned scientists, designers, and practitioners, including Edward O. Wilson, Howard Frumkin, David Orr, Grant Hildebrand, Stephen Kieran, Tim Beatley, Jonathan Rose, Janine Benyus, Roger Ulrich, Bert Gregory, Robert Berkebile, William Browning, and Vivian Loftness, among others, address: * The basic concepts of biophilia, its expression in the built environment, and how biophilic design connects to human biology, evolution, and development. * The science and benefits of biophilic design on human health, childhood development, healthcare, and more. * The practice of biophilic design-how to implement biophilic design strategies to create buildings that connect people with nature and provide comfortable and productive places for people, in which they can live, work, and study. Biophilic design at any scale-from buildings to cities-begins with a few simple questions: How does the built environment affect the natural environment? How will nature affect human experience and aspiration? Most of all, how can we achieve sustained and reciprocal benefits between the two? This prescient, groundbreaking book provides the answers.

Minding Your Business: Profits that Restore the Planet


Horst Rechelbacher - 2008
    Against what has been customary logic in the business world, Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients founder Horst M. Rechelbacher contends that the biggest business opportunities for this century will come from practicing environmentally sound, sustainable business. By creating a merger between self, community, and environment, we will become “eco-preneurs”, reaping the rewards of a healthy abundance and ushering in a new age of enlightened capitalism. Based on his experience as a highly successful entrepreneur and environmentalist, Horst M. Rechelbacher’s Minding Your Business is a profound and poetic manifesto for social responsibility in business. In his emphasis on sustainable agriculture and indigenous products, Rechelbacher is the leading international voice in the urgent and long-overdue crusade for phasing out the multiplicity of toxic ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products in favor of organic materials. This further emphasizes Rechelbacher’s wise and scientifically indisputable warning “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your mouth.”

Chicken Soup for the Father and Son Soul: Celebrating the Bond That Connects Generations (Chicken Soup for the Soul (Paperback Health Communications))


Jack Canfield - 2008
    "Chicken Soup for the Father and Son Soul" takes a peak into the lives of fathers and sons, sharing the important male milestones through birth, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, the senior

Becoming Good Ancestors: How We Balance Nature, Community, and Technology


David W. Ehrenfeld - 2008
    Becoming Good Ancestors unites in a single, up-to-date framework pieces written over two decades, spanning politics, ecology, and culture, and illuminating the forces in modern society that thwart our efforts to solve today's hard questions about society and the environment. The book focuses on our present-day retreat from reality, our alienation from nature, our unthinking acceptance of new technology and rejection of the old, the loss of our ability to discriminate between events we can control and those we cannot, the denial of non-economic values, and the decline of local communities. If we are aware of what we are losing and why we are losing it, the author notes, all of these patterns are reversible. Through down-to-earth examples, ranging from a family canoe trip in the wilderness to the novels of Jane Austen to Chinese turtle and tiger farms, Ehrenfeld shows how we can use what we learn to move ourselves and our society towards a more stable, less frantic, and far more satisfying life, a life in which we are no longer compelled to damage ourselves and our environment, in which our children have a future, and in which fewer species are endangered and more rivers run clean. In the final chapter, he offers a dramatic view of the possibilities inherent in a fusion of the best elements of conservatism and liberalism. Our society has an inherent sense of what is right, says Ehrenfeld, and the creativity and persistence to make good things happen. It is now time to apply our intelligence, guided by our moral judgment, to the very large problems we all face. This book is an important first step.

Selected Poems Bernard O'Donoghue


Bernard O'Donoghue - 2008
    This judicious selection, made by the author himself, draws on twenty years of work and presents O'Donoghue at his most mesmeric: often recalling the rural Cork of his upbringing as seen against the exile of his adulthood, ever alive to the desire but impossibility of return.

My Dog, Buddy


David Milgrim - 2008
    When Dad tells Buddy to stand up and bark, Buddy sits! Mom tells Buddy to get the paper; Buddy rips it. Brother Pete tells Buddy to roll over--and Buddy takes Pete's shoe and runs away! Only the little boy in this story knows how to get Buddy to do what he should--with hugs and cuddles and lots of love! New readers will love this funny story about a boy and his dog!

Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy: 2 Volume Set


J. Baird Callicott - 2008
    Emerging in the mid-1970s, the field coalesced with the inaugural volume of the journal Environmental Ethics in 1979 and developed rapidly. By the turn of the century, most colleges and universities offered courses, if not major programs of study, in this important discipline. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy addresses the needs of upper high school students, undergraduate researchers, teachers and professors, as well as general readers by examining the philosophical and ethical issues underlying contemporary and historical environmental issues, policies, and debates. More than 300 peer-reviewed articles cover concepts, institutions, topics, events and people, including global warming, animal rights, environmental movements, alternative energy, green chemistry, industrial ecology, and eco-sabotage. Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy joins the suite of other Macmillan applied ethics titles: Encyclopedia of Bioethics and the Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Additional features include 200 photographs and illustrations, thematic outline, annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive index.

Smelly Peter: The Great Pea Eater


Steve Smallman - 2008
    He ate nothing but peas, fresh or canned. He ate peas for breakfast and brunch, for dinner and lunch 'til he tooted just like a brass band! Peter loves peas but the peas make him a little smelly. Then one day, Peter turns as green as a pea--and he can't stop tooting! At school his classmates tease him but on the way home some aliens spot Peter, take him to their planet, Krell and declare him King! On the alien planet, Peter is loved for being green and incredibly smelly. The only problem is the planet lacks peas. Peter is slowly turning pink and smelling sweeter so the aliens return Peter back to his home where he decides on a new food to love!

Extraordinary Leaves


Dennis Schrader - 2008
    They are the unappreciated gifts of nature, worthy of far more extensive study by all.Extraordinary Leaves is a celebration of one of nature's miracles. As Dennis Schrader explains: "To prepare this book, I have been obligated to take a more intimate look at all aspect of leaves -their many uses, their place in history, the science behind what's going on in a leaf and the unadulterated, simple beauty of the leaf itself."Photographer Stephen Green-Armytage discovered the beauty of leaves while browsing in a greenhouse. The more he looked at the intricate patterns, the more fascinated he became. His photography in this book is the result of years of study, and it is strikingly beautiful.Through words and images, Extraordinary Leaves provides an insightful tour. Topics include color, pattern, texture and shape. Among the specific plants covered are coleus, kale, caladium and ferns.

Doing Good Well: What Does (and Does Not) Make Sense in the Nonprofit World


Willie Cheng - 2008
    Is continuous growth the hallmark of a successful charity? No, it's just the opposite - the ultimate aim of a charity is to be extinct.Would you use volunteers if it actually cost more than hiring paid skilled staff? Yes, if engagement with the community is crucial.Call these examples, ironies, paradoxes or simply insights into why the charity sector is what it is. Doing Good Well is a thinking man's guide to the nonprofit world. It is replete with nonprofit paradigms. It provides a different twist to what one might regard as straightforward notions such as mission, staff compensation, governance and corporate social responsibility. And it surprises and challenges even as it seeks to explain charity-specific issues such as charitableness, bridging the rich/poor divide, informed giving and social entrepreneurship.And as he deconstructs existing paradigms, Willie Cheng creates new ones.Through an easy writing style, hearty anecdotes and thought-provoking perspectives, Cheng engages the readers with a strategic review of not just the status quo but also the enormous potential in the nonprofit world. The theme of the book is change. Inasmuch as charities are about changing society for the better, this book seeks to set the stage for interesting introspection.Whether you are a volunteer, business executive, nonprofit worker, governor or regulator, it's time to start asking the questions that would help the charity sector itself change for the better. In Cheng's words, charity is no longer simply about "Just Doing Good" but "Doing Good Well."

Creatures of the Deep Blue


Jonathan Bird - 2008
    While the colourful and varied forms of invertebrates and reef fish may enchant us, it is the large animals that really grab and hold our interest. From the gentle plant-eating manatee to carnivorous sharks to massive whales that can dwarf a school bus, the ocean is filled with a staggering number of big animals. Join underwater photographer Jonathan Bird on this underwater safari to explore the wealth of large marine animals that make their homes in the big blue. This book looks in depth at the amazing range of life underwater with incredible photography and fascinating editorial the best photojournalist of current times.

Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy-Efficient Home Construction


David R. Johnston - 2008
    It starts with clear explanations of the concepts and fundamentals of green, healthy and energy-efficient construction and walks the reader through the entire construction process, injecting expert advice at every decision point. Construction techniques, materials, and products are thoroughly explained, making the often vaguely understood concepts cleanly understandable. The book gives builders and architects the tools to respond to growing requests from homeowners for green and energy-efficient houses, whether new or remodeled. Homeowners can use the book to understand the concepts, process, and options, whether they're doing it themselves or working with a professional.