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Reviews
The Toxic Consumer:
Living Healthy in a Hazardous World
A kitchen full of organic fruits and veggies cannot fully save us from the daily toxins that we unknowingly put into our bodies on a day-to-day basis.
Where are these chemicals and how can we avoid them? The Toxic Consumer: Living Healthy in a Hazardous World, by Karen Ashton and Elizabeth Salter Green answers these questions in a step-by-step straightforward style.
Did you know that there is formaldehyde in many brands of toothpaste and that the vast majority of baby bottles are made of Bisphenol A (BPA), a leeching plastic that was originally produced as a synthetic estrogen?
This revealing book explains that the first synthetic chemicals were created in the late 1800s, and boomed after World War II when it was discovered that chemical weapons of war could be used on the agricultural field to battle pests and insects. Later, they took off in the general consumer market as convenient products for our daily lives.
Almost completely unavoidable, harmful chemicals sneak into our products, from cookware to carpets to colognes, wearing attractive masks to make products easy to use and long lasting. While these schemes are advertised as “must haves” to make life easier, they often have detrimental results, affecting our immune, nervous and endocrine systems, among many others.
The Toxic Consumer explains exactly what to look for while offering non-toxic alternatives for our homes, cosmetics, clothing and food. With the help of this valuable guide, you can make responsible choices for you and your family.
The Toxic Consumer, $12.95, is available through Sterling Publishing. For more information, visit www.sterlingpublishing.com or call 212.532.7160. - LP
You Can Save the Earth
Greenhouse gases, plastic floating in the ocean, and melting polar ice caps don’t paint a pretty picture. The environmental issues we face may seem daunting, but there is hope.
You Can Save the Earth: 7 Reasons Why & 7 Simple Steps, edited by Hatherleigh, is an inspirational book that doesn’t gloss over grim realities, but rather, gives the facts along with the message that together we have the power to change the world.
Chock full of moving quotes and simple steps to live more sustainably, You Can Save the Earth reminds us that every action counts, from supporting local farmers and businesses to using refillable water containers, rather than purchasing water in plastic bottles. Astoundingly, it takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce plastic water bottles—enough to fuel over one million vehicles for an entire year.
While You Can Save the Earth deftly puts our habits into perspective, it delivers the facts in an artful balance of realism and optimism. Each chapter closes with an empowering exercise and affirmation. For example the chapter entitled, “All Life Is Interconnected,” contains an exercise to “find a quiet place. Close your eyes for a moment and feel yourself connected to all living things.” This is followed by an affirmation: “I am connected to life and to our Earth.”
Printed with soy ink on 100 percent recycled paper, You Can Save the Earth truly walks the talk. I especially loved the last page, which is a call for the reader to write the next chapter: “Take the lessons you have learned here and share your discoveries with others. Be a force for sustainability in your home, community, and workplace. Choose to lend a hand, plant a tree, and make a difference.”
You Can Save the Earth, $12.95, is available through Hatherleigh Press at www.hatherleighpress.com or 800.528.2550. - EP