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This book is a very interesting little handbook that lists various things that you can do to make your life greener. You can start out with just a couple little things and then just keep making your life greener and greener.

I like to think I'm a bit more informed than the average American in regards to the environment (I'm Canadian and moved here 4 yrs ago) but I must give kudos to this book and suggest that every household keep one on their kitchen counter or coffee table. I'd like to see a page-a-day calendar like this as well. Easy to use, realistic tips.

This book is quite informational. I definitely enjoyed reading it and obtaining a few new ideas. However, for someone who has been aware of "being green" for a while, it likely won't present a lot of new information. I think it'd be a great gift for someone who is thinking of green but doesn't know where to start.

HElp to get my head out of the sand and make a difference in what I am doing and how I am living

This little book is an easy and quick read. The best feature is the checklist items at the end, which gives you a lot to think about. It is also a great way to get started on the road to "living green". It has a lot of information and it isn't complicated at all. It actually has some cute drawings and it is so user friendly that my 12 year old niece read it as well. I would definitely recommend it.

This is where I started when I began exploring of building my house underground. What bothers me is so much cement. I like Mike Oehler better. Check him out too and decide for yourself.

I thought the book was a very informative and practical account as well as very well produced and edited.

Thanks!

This is a great book! If you really wanted to build your own earth-sheltered home you could certainly do it using the information presented here (though a wiser course would be to pick up more sources). Thanks to this book and "The New Ecological Home", building our own home with environmentally conscious materials and possibly earth bermed or sheltered is high on our list of priorities. There is only one complaint I have about many books of this variety. They tend to cover difficulties with things like building code and location very lightly.

Building code and location are going to be huge factors in building an earth sheltered structure, especially one made with fewer traditional modern building materials. Difficulties with local regulations or inflexible inspectors/building comissions may prevent you from being able to build in the area you want. This may drive an individual to build in locations further away from urban centers where they might work. Commuting is no fun; and if you wanted to look at it from an environmental standpoint commuting a greater distance to work, grocery market or schools has just raised your carbon footprint and negated some of the savings your earth sheltered home has created.

I would highly recommend that individuals check local code thoroughly and choose a location suitable to their daily needs such as work or other social necessities before building. One need not build out of logs and plaster to have an earth sheltered home, though I understand that the point of this book is to have an affordable home and avoiding expensive modern materials. Take a bigger picture of what you are trying to accomplish; if you are purchasing this book it is somewhat safe to assume you are concerned about the environment. Please also consider materials used. Rob Roy's excellent use of modern materials such as rubber membranes and concrete block are high in initial cost to produce, environmentally speaking, but last longer and provide more benefit to long term savings such as insulative qualities and maintenance costs than lesser materials might. A lot of other earth-sheltered builders advocate natural materials to a fault, they have people using composting toilets and straw-bale homes. While effective in an environmental sense, they are not attractive to the average person. Rob Roy's book moves in a positive direction by using modern materials with environmentally conscious construction to create a home that just about anybody would like to live in.

This is the so called "holy book" for building an earth sheltered home. Definitely should have started 20 years ago but it is needed for today's building needs. Energy efficient - low cost ( pretty labor intensive ) Awesome to build. Have a five year plan.

An excellent reference for those who are interested in Earth Bermed and Earth Sheltered houses. His attention to detail in the excavation and foundation chapters is worth the price of the book alone. Especially when there is a lack of in depth internet resources available for those wishing to build their own earth sheltered house. Although this book deserves the 5 stars for fulfilling its basic promise, I wish he had devoted some time to discussing plumbing for a simple structure. But overall, he gives this reader 90% of the information necessary to start a small sized earth bermed house.

If you are looking to have an earth roof, you will need to purchase his other book "Timber Framing" where he goes into rich detail the structural engineering requirements of load and tension and compression. With these 2 books, you should be able to complete rough plans for a structural engineer to review and stamp with little or none modifications.

Also, for those searching for energy efficient stoves, I recommend aprovecho.org's institutional rocket stove or Ianto Evans Rocket Stove which are both 300% more efficient than traditional wood stoves.

On a conclusionary note. I priced out timber framing members for the roof section of a square 30'x30' roof and it came out to over $9000 in timber alone ( not including the tongue & groove planking). Compare that to a traditional 8/12 pitch roof somewhere in the $3000 price range for rafters, ridge, and plywood. Put a metal roof on that and you should be good for over 30 years atleast. Sure the earth roof is better for the ecosystem and eye but a regular roof allows placement of rainwater collection, solartubes and solar heaters/panels as well. For the cost conscious, I have come to the conclusion that a traditional roof that is superinsulated along with the earth berming techniques in this book will allow people to have their own energy efficient house for less than they think.

I love this book. It arrived in a little over a week and was new as promised at the whopping price of 54 cents or some ridiculous price. It was basically free. I just paid the shipping. Thank you!

Simple recipes and simple ingredients. Though not gourmet, these recipes are good and hard to fail. Both the beginner and the expert can enjoy Taste of Home recipes.

This is great resource for real world implementation of alternative energy solutions. Provides a step by step resource to help make it a reality. Good starting point. I was surprised it covered more than just solar technologies to include:
- Wind
- Hydro
- and others.

While the DOE (Department of Energy) has a good informative internet site (that is free), I decided on the Real Goods book because I have been familiar with Real Goods for many years. While it cost me some dollars, it is nicely organized and some what complete.

I gave this book to friends for Christmas. They are in the process of building a "green" home, and have found the book very valuable!

This book is the absolute best for covering renewable energy on a residential-sized scale. It covers all things solar/renewable energy: converting solar energy to electricity, wind generators, solar water heating, solar water pumping, energy conservation, off-the-electrical grid and grid intertie applications. There's an appendix with charts, maps and worksheets that help you design your own solar home and energy system. It is well written, with the information easy to follow. There is just enough theory included so you can follow the technical descriptions of the system components. It's got 634 pages and there's not much wasted space. The chapter on "Natural Burial" is a little over-the-top, but I guess the editor is just trying to be comprehensive.
I have lived off-grid for over seven years and teach a renewable energy class at a nearby community college. I tell my students that if they are going to buy just one book on renewable energy, to buy this, the latest edition of the Solar Living Sourcebook.
Keep in mind, this is a catalog for Giam/Real Goods. Products and services are described and prices are listed. They would like you to do business with them. I have found that many of the products listed can be found cheaper elsewhere, but having the prices listed is a plus...you can put together a system and get a ball-park figure (a little on the high side) on how much the system will cost you. In my opinion, Real Goods is a reputable company, very service oriented, and very knowledgeable.
If you want more information on residential sized renewable energy systems, the magazine Home Power (www.homepower.com) is superb. They publish six issues a year, with a hands-on type format that makes you want to get out there and build something!
If you are interested in using solar energy to make electricity, but want the advantages of being tied to the grid, the book Got Sun? Go Solar by Rex Ewing and Doug Pratt is excellent. If living off-the-grid is more to your taste, check out The Renewable Energy Handbook by William Kemp.

I wish I had checked out the library copy before buying. If you're looking for a broad-based overview of eneregy options -- Solar, thermal, greywater, micro-hydro, landscape lights, bird fountains, etc -- this can be your one-shop-stop. Real Goods has blended energy overviews with their catalog, so if micro-hydro-electric (!?!?) interests you, then by all means look no further, Real Goods will be happy to retail out their product to you. However, I found most of the energy information available out on the 'net --free and more specific and informative, and alternate sources for energy products and options more abundant and lots cheaper.

If you have a serious interest in something specific, example PV systems, I found no single source, but recommend Kemp, "Got Sun? Go Solar" for helpful overview and great links and resources, and "The Renewable Energy Handbook", a better option to Real Goods. All from Amazon, and more applicable for actually getting greener and saving a buck in the process. These leave searching for the best and most applicable products and options to you, and there's much out there to choose from, and some very informative nuggets to be had along the way.

(FWIW: our city recently held a sustainable living fair, attended by Real Goods. But when I followed up on their "Call us when you're ready, happy to help you go green!", I received an abrupt "We don't service your area.". I guess green refers to the energy movement AND to those ready to cash in on it.)

I am extremely pleased with this book. I didn't expect so many checklists, diagrams, illustrations, different ways to analyze and consider your need and style and preferences-- this little book is just PACKED full of good stuff and it's FUN to read-- go figure! The underlying ideas are very reminiscent of old Feng Shui ideas-- that your living space affects your mood and thus your life-- except more practical and without the superstition. I loved the explanation of flow through the apartment, and the easy, step-by-step weekly plans-- because otherwise it would all be too overwhelming. But it's not overwhelming because the author really holds your hand and walks you through the whole process and it's quite enjoyable! Whew, what a relief!

The author and his family famously live in a 250-square-foot apartment, and the Apartment Therapy blog often focuses on making the most out of tiny spaces, so I was expecting more of a small-space orientation in the book. Unfortunately, most of the concrete examples given were of people whose spacious 2-bedroom/living/dining apartments had sweeping views of the Hudson River just waiting to be spotlighted. I guess people who live in cramped studios can't afford to hire decorators, but it was a disappointment not to have any examples I could identify with.

That said, the book is more of an introduction to design philosophy than a practical guide, and on that level it succeeds very well. I particularly liked the section on how to choose colors if you are a completely non-visual person.

Libro muy interesante y de gran ayuda para actualizar la casa y vivir más cómodo y más feliz.

I first started with this book in December of 2007 and have revisited it more times than I can count. I got it from the library and am finally purchasing my own copy because they kept making me bring it back (imagine that!).

While I can understand the other reviewers frustration with its lack of visuals to back up its content, I actually find that refreshing. Instead of showing you other people's spaces, styles and solutions, it walks you through the process of analyzing your own space, defining your own style, and addressing the direct and indirect lifestyle issues that affect how your home actually functions.

Once I was able to recognize and rectify the issues this book helped me identify, it was amazing how things began to come together. It has been a phenomenal springboard for our home in terms of both healthy functioning, and creating a decorative scheme that actually works with who we are.

I simply can't recommend this book enough. I had wanted this book for awhile and my fiance finally purchased it for my birthday. What started out as an "I'll casually read this book" turned into a project that the both of us took on to completely redo and clean out our apartment. After finishing reading the book we were left with a gorgeous apartment, a lot less junk and a clearer way to think if we really need all that 'stuff'.

Clean Your House for Pennies a Day THE SAFE NON-TOXIC WAY

From the back of the book:

Save Your Health, Your Money, Your Planet

How many times have you said you're killing yourself trying to keep your house clean? You might have been joking, but you're closer to the truth than you think if you're using expensive commercial cleansers. Karen Logan, an environmentalist with years of experience developing and selling her own line of eco-friendly cleaning products, reveals the secret of using simple, ordinary ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, soap, lemon juice, and salt to make safe, inexpensive cleaners.

For instance, did you know:
* Olive oil is not only good as a salad dressing but also as a furniture polish
* Plain club soda works great as a window cleaner
* You can make your copper-bottomed pots sparkle with just lemon juice and salt
* And ordinary liquid soap and water will clean up those ants marching through your kitchen?

Happy, healthy cleaning!

I like this book a lot. I have used some of the recipes, but vinegar and plain baking soda alone are my preferred cleaning ingredients. It's very motivating and a great rescource for various 'green' cleaning needs
However, her website, no longer exists. The 818 telephone number has also been disconnected. I wanted to check out some of her products. Does any one know where I can find her company?

While the writer has great ideas of cleaning products that are harmful to use in the house and what they have in them, she uses old concepts that my grandmother used 50 years ago. This book is not really all that useful in my opinion when just basic baking soda and white vinegar have been a cleaning substance for many years. This book is not original at all.

I love this little book. I have tried several of the recipes for cleaners and find that they work very well. It is unfortunate that the author can't be reached. She made a point of stating in the book that she was available ..had special bottles for the products etc. But , as it has been several years since the book was written, she seems to have dropped out of sight. I have been able to find adequate containers...and have begun to switch to using mostly these products for cleaning. I purchased a few basic essential oils...the price for them was quite reasonable..and Dr Bronners soaps are wonderful. It is pleasure to clean with products that don't make you gasp for breath...and knowing that I am doing something to help save the earth is a really good thing.

I've read just about all of the "natural cleaning" books out nowadays, and I feel this one is still the best. Not only are these recipes safe, but they WORK. From one who hates cleaning and tries to avoid it as much as possible, I actually have found myself enjoying working with peppermint-scented bathroom cleaners, just as an example.

Oh, and finding the various bottles needed isn't all that hard using the internet. :)

Interesting book with fun projects. The illustrations are enticing, making a knitter want to try creating using the easily understood directions.

I follow Ann and Kay's blog, and this book did not disappoint. Beautiful pictures, well written patterns, funny and touching stories, I would recommend this book to knitters of all skill levels. I think there's something for everyone here, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of their next collection.

I LOVE this book - and frankly have an addiction to many items. I come back to them over and over. I have also forced my addiction onto others who now know where my addiction comes from. The ballband dishcloth, the burp cloth, the mitar square - how did I live without these in my knitting world? I have made the patterns in the book as well as making modifications to them over and over. You will never get sick of this one. I will treasure this book FOREVER! Get this book - you won't be sorry! And don't forget to check out the ladies' blog - great stuff!

I love this book! I bought it for myself, and then bought one later for my sister-in-law for her birthday. It has some easy patterns and some for the more advanced knitter. If you are looking for something different - not the same old sweaters, scarves, and mittens - you'll find this is a great book. Most of the patterns are for the home, but there are patterns for a house coat, gown, and baby sweater. The writing has a certain witty charm, and these ladies have found interesting things to use for yarn, and interesting ways to involve their families in knitting. I don't think you'll be disappointed with Mason-Dixon Knitting.

I am in love with this book. Truly. I've only owned it for 3 weeks, and I feel like it has gone everywhere with me since I made the purchase.

3 weeks in and I'm working on my 3rd pattern from the book.

This book is great for knitters who enjoy the basics of knitting... the kind of knitting where you can pick up your needles and GO. The authors give you a basic pattern and all the tools you need to take it and make it your own.

I think every knitter everywhere should have this book.

I should mention that I actually sat down and read it cover to cover... the writing is so warm and light... the authors make you feel like you're sitting in their living room having a conversation with you. It's lovely.

Frankly, I'm surprised that a book about how rude people have become is only 200 pages.

After her hilarious book about punctuation, Lynne Truss has assembled all of her crotchety old woman-styled rantings and ravings into a very intelligent and well-researched book on how we, as a society, are getting ruder. I expected nothing less; after all, before her, `hilarious' and `punctuation' were two words I didn't think went very well together.

The new collection, "Talk to the Hand," is a brilliant book for anyone who has ever passive-aggressively dreamt about backhanding someone for lacking manners. The book details 6 different behaviors people have begun exhibiting more and more that are leading to the death of the world and what we should do (if we can do anything) to combat these behaviors. Rather than a self-help angle, though, Truss focuses more on the root causes of the rise in these behaviors, and offers her own theories, which involve most of the usual grumpy old people answers like television, mobile phones, the internet, etc.

Sure, it may not have as much to offer in the way of life advice as her last, but even if you're not a grouchy person who mourns the death of manners, you're bound to enjoy the prose in this piece. Truss' trademark subversive wit and sardonic jibes kept me laughing all the way through; she's like a humorous grandmother spouting off about youth today and why they suck, but she's younger and a lot less illogical.

I did not enjoy this book. It read to me as an undisciplined rave with no depth, few interesting illustrations, and no wider vision or philosophical comment to make. One might at least have hoped for some interesting vocabulary to redeem it, but one hoped in vain. Truss writes about rudeness, and yet I consider it an impertinence to bother us with such an uninformed rant. She was highly entertaining in "Eats Shoots and Leaves", and has assumed that she can write what she likes thereafter and still make sales.
I was bored with her self-indulgence and couldn't finish it fast enough. She was trying to be funny and failing to succeed.

I found this book very interesting, and I believe it meant a lot to me because I see the lack of courtesy today as an indication of the looming decay of civilization! My blood pressure goes up when I hold open a door and people walk past me as if I wasn't there. I rant for hours after somebody throws a cigarette butt on the ground.

I was surprised so many people did not enjoy it. My guess is that the people who did not enjoy the book aren't bothered or worried about the rudeness in our culture. It's surprising to me, but there must be a lot of people who don't see a problem with the current state of courtesy. Those people wouldn't like this book.

So, if you think people are generally rude, and there are deeper implications associated with rudeness, I think you will like this book. If you do not think rudeness is a problem or that it's not a serious problem, you will probably think Ms. Truss is crazy.

Witty, smart and a good second to Eats, Shoots & Leaves.
If you are a writer, you love this book.

I did not like this book. I thought I would read a funny satirical book, however, the author is having an affair with a thesauras making the book long winded and definitely not funn.

Bought this for my daughter (a single homeowner). She didn't have much to say about it.

This book did not help me at all. It was all just alist of ideas of businesses to start(I could have written it) but no concrete advise on how to start. I finally found a business I love! and it was not listed in the book.

Lots of good ideas in this book. Each idea is only given a brief overview but it's a good way to get your own ideas going and they give you resources to find more information. Most of the business ideas were practical and do-able for most people. I liked it!

I read this book looking for ideas to help supplement by regular income by doing something from home. This was NOT the book for me. Most of the suggestions were totally useless for me and required a lot of skills/education that I don't have and would have to obtain before I started. For example, two of the suggestions are Accountant and Lawyer (!). This would better have been titled as "Careers That Allow You To Work At Home If You Want To." Also, as a side note, the projected earnings about Medical Transcriptionist was WAY overinflated...I am doing that currently, and my mother owns her own business and makes really good money, but not the $40-$60 an hour stated in the book. That's outrageous!

I enjoyed looking at the various options, however some "home Business'" were really not logical. However even, this book does stimulate the mind, and gets you thinking about what talents you have that you could put to use as a home business.

I loved this book, granted you could really think of many of these ideas yourself, but truly not everyone is savvy on the internet to research. Finding a home based business is a tough task, you may want to read and re-read many of the ideas that spark an interest with you! If you do not like dogs, don't be a pet sitter. Take notes at every opportunity.