An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Benjamin Franklin
General Household
Go Green, Live Rich
Going green doesn't cost more--you can actually make a profit, and this book has the numbers to prove it.
David Bach, author of five New York Times bestsellers, is not an expert on the environment. He writes books about how to get rich. And he has decided that the best strategy today for gaining wealth is to go green. After all, securing wealth and securing the planet are both about securing the future, for ourselves and our families.
David's wealth strategy is based on "small daily savings that can add up to a richer future." There's nothing new environmentally in this book--the 50 green tips are all the same ideas you'll read everywhere else, including on my website. What sets this book apart is that it analyzes the financial savings you'll experience by taking green actions in your life. He's calculated that if you do only four of these tips, and invest those daily savings, you could earn nearly $700,000 in 30 years.
Even though I know all the green tips in this book and already do most of them, I'm learning how I can turn my green choices into money in the bank. This book not only dispels any myth that it costs more to go green but shows that you can actually come out ahead by living green. Follow this plan and you too can be a green millionaire.
Green Housekeeping
[reissue of Organic Housekeeping with a new title]
Yes, there is still something new to say about creating a nontoxic home.
Even if you have other books on creating a nontoxic and organic home, you will still learn more from this book. This really is a book about housekeeping first and foremost, so it contains everything from organization, recycling and hiring help, as well as very detailed explanations on how to clean everything throughout the house. There are ten pages, for example, on dishwashing because she covers sponges and scrubbers, bacteria, dish liquids, dishwasher detergents, how to load a dishwasher, and how to wash dishes by hand to save water. All the practical details of healthy housekeeping are clearly tried-and-true from her own experience. Includes lots of references to research on toxic chemicals in products and some truly innovative natural approaches to cleaning (my favorite is how to clean carpet with snow). I'm keeping this book on my shelf of handy reference books.
Home Enlightenment
How to eliminate toxic exposures, protect the earth, reconnect with nature, and make-it-yourself at home.
A hefty room-by-room guide that brings together the author's vast experience as a natural homemaker. I'm recommending this book for it's nature orientation and practical homemaking advice from a nontoxic and earth-friendly viewpoint. In addition to the text, it is filled with informative sidebars containing "words to the wise" that explain products and ingredients, "shopping solutions," and the "make-it-yourself" formulas Annie is known for. Overall the book gives a good overview of the many ways one can make a pleasing and natural home environment.
Homes That Heal and Those That Don't
An overview of the indoor home environment from a baubiology perspective.
This book goes through the home room-by-room showing how one might be exposed to chemicals, microorganisms, electromagnetic fields, radiation, and unhealthy thermal and moisture conditions and gives advice for corrections.
Healing Environments
One of the first books on creating a healthy home and still one of the best.
Unfortunately, this book is out-of-print, but you can still purchase used copies on amazon.com. Written by an architect who is well-trained in designing living spaces, this book was the first to take a comprehensive look at all the factors in one's home that can contribute to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. She looks at not only how home environments can cause no harm, but also how a home can have healing qualities. In addition to reducing exposure to toxic chemicals, the book covers light, color, temperature, sound, and connection with nature, as well as how to bring all these together to create a living space that supports health on all levels.
The Safe Shoppers' Bible
A thick reference book with copious lists of carcinogens, toxics, and brand-name products rated for their relative safety.
Though there is some overlap with Home Safe Home and Debra's List, the book includes some products I don't cover and gives ratings details beyond what I give. On the other hand, the scope of the book covers only household cleaners, bodycare products and food, and is a decade out of date. While you won't get the latest information from this book, what it contains is still worth reading. Many brand-name products are listed, which can help you sort out what's toxic from what's not.
Better Basics for the Home
868 practical formulas for all kinds of household products, including cleaning products, bodycare products, baby care, disinfectants, lawn and garden care, insect repellents, paints, stains, dyes, art supplies, and more.
Following in the footsteps of Clean & Green, Annie gives us more simple recipes. My copy of this book is well-used.
Home Safe Home
Learn about the health effects and safe alternatives for more than 100 common household products.
Are there hidden hazards in your home? Every item in your home may contain toxic ingredients that can harm your health--from rashes to cancer. You can protect yourself and your family from everyday toxics and harmful household products. This 2005 revision of Home Safe Home reveals the health effects of and safe alternatives to: tap water and processed foods, home and garden pesticides, over-the-counter medications, synthetic fibers and fabrics, carpeting and furniture, cleaning products, beauty products, home office products, indoor air pollutants...and more. Product entries tell what toxic chemicals are found in specific products and safe solutions you can buy or make at home. Contains a whole chapter that explains toxic exposures and how they affect you individually.
