book – Koofie's Natural Living

October 6, 2012October 14, 2012

I’m Famous!

When I was at the Mother Earth News Fair two weeks ago, I stopped by the Storey publishing booth to check out a book called Ecothrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthier Life. I checked it out not only because I’m very interested in the topic or that I have been to two presentations by the author Deborah Niemann, but because she had asked for suggestions for her book on Facebook and I had happily shared (for those who know me in real life, you know I’m always sharing my ideas)!

So I picked up the only copy of the book left because it had already sold out and I paged through it and saw this:

on page 155. I’m famous!

I also got to talk to Deborah in person, which was awesome because she is so agreeable and we have the similar interest in living both green and thrifty – she wrote the book I was going to write… someday 😀 and we had a great conversation!

Now the book is on my Amazon list and seeing as my family loves books as much as I do I’m pretty sure it will show up around Christmas or my birthday, which is good as I have about 7 books on my bedside table to read and only one is fiction (I love those non-fiction books, but I can take weeks to read them instead of days).

So, if you’ve ever wanted to see me “in print” you can, plus you’ll get a helpful book out of the deal! Win-win!

December 28, 2009November 12, 2011

Confession Time

I love reading and am always happy when I find a new “green” book to read. Such is the case with the book I just finished only moments ago, Confessions of an Eco-Sinner: Tracking Down the Sources of My Stuff. I found the book fascinating. Science journalist Fred Pearce traveled all over the world to see where his possessions came from, and where they went once they were thrown away or recycled.

The author not only looks into where his goods come from, but also what journey they take to travel to him (or his local market). He discovers the environmental and social impact of many common foods including his fair-trade coffee, green beans, prawns (shrimp), palm oil, and spices. He also followed the probable journey of the gold used to make his wedding ring. Other journeys in the first five parts of the book included discovering if his fair-trade socks were really fair, where his jeans were made and who made them, the route cotton takes from growth to manufacture to store, and where metals are mined, recycled and manufactured into products.

A sixth part of the book looks at waste produced and where it goes to be disposed of or recycled; believe or not this section also involved world travel and the conclusion that third world countries are much better at recycling then the Western world. Finally, the last section investigates common concerns such as the desertification of Africa, climate change and reducing carbon emission, and finally overpopulation.

One of the things I loved best about this book was that it found answers (or at least information) that I wanted to know, but had neither the time nor means to investigate. I have always wondered how clothes really were made and why they are usually made overseas (beyond the lower cost of labor). I found out about cities and towns over the world that specialize in the manufacture and recycling of certain products. This book gave me more information about why recycling is important, why we should “close the loop” and what the environmental reprocussions of obtaining virgin materials are to the surrounding country and the world.

At first I was afraid that this book would be very depressing and full of doom and gloom. However, there were many uplifting stories as well, full of innovation and hope. I would recommend this book to anyone who cares about the impact of their buying decisions on not only the environment but also on people around the world.

August 20, 2009November 12, 2011

Help Save A Tree – Use a Kindle!

This is a guest post by my father, aka Pop. He is the bearded guy you see in the coffee shop reading his Kindle.

I’ve owned a Kindle for about a year and a half now, so I’ve had plenty of time to judge its strengths…and weaknesses. Since many consider ebooks to be kind to the environment, Koofie asked me to share my opinions of the Kindle – and since she’s my daughter I couldn’t refuse.

When the Kindle was introduced I was attracted to it because I read a lot of books and I like to keep and reread them later. I also like to read more than one book at a time, mixing fiction and non-fiction as my mood dictates. The fact that I could store hundreds of books on a light paperback book-sized device and have every one of them available whenever I wanted really excited me. I also reasoned that buying a Kindle could save me money, money that would offset some of the initial cost. First, I wouldn’t have to buy more bookshelves as my library grew, and second, books for the Kindle are significantly cheaper than the hard-copy books I had been buying. Continue reading “Help Save A Tree – Use a Kindle!”

August 15, 2009November 12, 2011

Review of Earthgirl

I love to read and because I am a middle school teacher I read a lot of young adult literature as well. The other day I was at the library and spied a book called earthgirl by Jennifer Cowan in the teen’s section. I picked it up and put it in my bag to check out. The book was about an average girl who becomes more environmentally aware after she is covered by fast food waste flung out of an SUV while riding her bike. Continue reading “Review of Earthgirl”