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A Tale of Two Books
Earthworks
When I sat down to write a book review on “green
living” for Word Gathering, I decided to consider two
books: Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple
Sustainability by Greg Horn and Wake Up and Smell
the Planet, edited by Brangien Davis and Katharine
Wroth, of Grist.org. Having read both a while ago, I
thought I would choose one for my review.
I wanted to review a book that was practical,
informative, non-frightening, and certainly not
filled with the gloom and doom that has
dominated the popular press lately. To
prepare, I decided to re-read each of
them. And only then did I remember
the big difference between them.
Horn’s book, Living Green, is
filled with an enormous amount
of factual information, gathered,
he tells us, as a result of his
developing a case of “sick building
syndrome” (also known as MCS,
multiple chemical sensitivity). From this troubling
health event, Horn went on to thoroughly investigate
the sources of contamination in foods, cleaning and
cosmetic products, and building supplies. He tells us
that most people ask him “What can I do?” He offers
150 pages of answers, many of which recommend
organic and safe name-brand products for the green
consumer to search out.
Horn’s book is divided into three sections, with callouts
that describe personal stories or “heroes” of
the environment – individuals or corporations that
are fostering change. The reader also finds helpful
summaries entitled “What you need to know.”
Consider the following Hero description:
Seventh Generation is the leading brand of nontoxic
cleaning supplies in the US, and its products
avoid the hazardous ingredients mentioned above.
They are the best company I have found for green
cleaning products and natural personal care. (p.84)
In spite of its green consumer suggestions, Horn’s
revelations made me feel overwhelmed by all the
toxic chemicals lurking in my everyday life. I was
also a bit put off by the absence of simple solutions.
For example, a recipe for a non-toxic house cleaning
solution would have been really helpful. Instead,
Horn gives a great deal of information about safe
products I can buy.
Wake up and Smell the Planet, on the other hand,
contains just about the same information but
presents it with humor, restraint, and
compassion for the reader who might want
to do something, but just not everything
at once. The book is organized into
sections that correspond to a working
person’s day: so, for example, the
first chapter covers showering,
breakfast (especially coffee), and
some thoughts about clothing.
The following excerpt gives a good
idea of the tone and type of helpful
recommendations that Wake Up offers.
If you take the edge off the day by knocking back
a frosty beverage, spend a few moments between
swigs to consider the container. The can versus
bottle dilemma is a tricky one, but a good basic
rule is to drink locally bottled beer in glass bottles
if you can. (p.142)
Or again:
One way to offset some of the high cost of
organics is to limit your spending on the produce
most likely to be saturated in pesticides. Check
out the Environmental Working Groups website
(www.foodnews.org) to view a handy list ranking
nonorganic produce by pesticide load. (p.132)
The issue in both books is change – what in my life can
I change in order to live more sustainably? Horn’s book
reveals toxins in many unexpected places, and then
helps us to buy environmentally responsible products.
Grist’s book tells us to review what we already have in
our homes, to think about some of our behaviors, and
only lastly to start buying different products. I found
(A Tale of Two Books, continued on page 5)
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