Over the past year, there have been dozens of books on the green theme published, and Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and Cleaner Planet, by Sloane Barnett, is the newest. Barnett does her research and presents a good primer to get anyone started on a healthy, toxic-free life. My biggest complaint is Barnett's obsession over non-toxic cleaning products and cleaning the home. On one hand, I get it--her son, Spencer, had an asthma attack at age three that landed him in the hospital. (Spencer gets better once the toxic cleaning products are removed.) The other source of her obsession is what is a bit annoying--her husband is CEO of Shaklee products, which are non-toxic household cleaning products.
Now, Barnett is not alone--there are entire books written about how to clean your home and with what products. I just think too many--including Barnett--go on and on about cleaning and non-toxic products--just DO IT and move on to more important subjects. really--cleaning the house is not rocket science...
The first three chapters are devoted to the subject of a non-toxic home. In chapter one, we learn "the real dirt on clean."The chapter discusses the probable toxins in our home and what is "scary" vs. is "safe" dirt.
Chapter two informs about the dangerous cleaning products in our home.
Chapter three is about alternative safe cleaning products. This is where we hear how wonderful and superior Shaklee products are. A bit too info-commercial for my tastes. Barnett does offer some simple handmade cleaning solutions and non-toxic household cleaning products that Shaklee doesn't manufacture. The reality--most of the "alternative" non-toxic cleaning products work just fine.
Chapter 4 is about non-toxic body care products. Hair color, deodorant and other unsafe products are discussed and safe alternatives are provided.
In chapter 6, Barnett explains how to eat organic while buying smarter and cheaper and what chemicals to avoid in food.
Chapter 7 discusses clean water. Good advice on how to make your tap water safe and to avoid the extremely wasteful throwaway bottles.
In chapter 8, a broader look at how to keep the air in ones home clean is discussed. Barnett writes about fireplaces and stoves, cabinets, furniture and upholstery and mattresses--all stuff that outgasses and degrades the air quality. She does a good basic job of this, but for ancomprehensive guide to all facets of furniture, walls, floors and more, a great companion to this book is: the award winner, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.
Chapter 9 covers energy in the home and Barnett provides easy ways to save on energy in the home.
There are resources at the end of the book for many green products.
Recommend as a good, green primer for the home.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet (Hardcover)
No comments:
Post a Comment