Book Reviews
I refer to books I read in my blog, but I know how frustrating it is to have to scroll through lots of writing to find the bit you want. I thought I would therefore add a page with some of the books I have refered to, not all will be sustainably bias.
SUSTAINABILITY - environmental, financial and social
How bad are my bananas? The carbon foot print of everything.
Mike Berners-Lee
This book looks at the carbon foot print of many every day items we come across and tries to give us a feel for the size of foot print of every day items. A bit like we all know a house costs more than a city car which in turn cost more than a cup of coffee.
The book is divided into sections based on carbon foot print size after Mike has gone through the basics of a carbon foot print, and how he has calculated them. It is a good book, Mike himself admits some of the figures he quotes are guestimates but they are the best figures we have. An interesting read for anyone who is interested in tackling their own footprint. It also challenges some accepted social norms such as the carbon foot print of plastic and paper bags.
The book is divided into sections based on carbon foot print size after Mike has gone through the basics of a carbon foot print, and how he has calculated them. It is a good book, Mike himself admits some of the figures he quotes are guestimates but they are the best figures we have. An interesting read for anyone who is interested in tackling their own footprint. It also challenges some accepted social norms such as the carbon foot print of plastic and paper bags.
Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle.
Lloyd Alter
Lloyd Alter structures his book around a the study by Aalto University into how much carbon, per head, can the planet afford. He then uses the areas the study uses to look at his own footprint, and others, to assess how we might downsize without loss of quality of life and in some cases with the potential to improve quality of life and reduce spending. A win win.
Lloyd has an easy to read conversational style of writing which make what could be a very dry subject accessible. Each chapter is subdivided into sections allowing the book to be picked up and put down. This means sections can be reflected upon before moving on.
Lloyd has an easy to read conversational style of writing which make what could be a very dry subject accessible. Each chapter is subdivided into sections allowing the book to be picked up and put down. This means sections can be reflected upon before moving on.
Miss Minimallist. The inspiration to Downsize, declutter and simplify.
Francine Jay
Francine Jay runs us through a series of examples of how we can get rid of the possessions that slow us down but serve no positive purpose in our lives. She looks at how by doing this we create space in our homes, our heads and our diaries. If you need inspiration to clear out old stuff, or support with tricky hand me downs and gifts this is a great place to start.
HUMOUR
The ramblings and rants of a middle aged mum.
Molly May and Phillip Kearney
This is an excellent light hearted look at the life of many middle aged mums. How we interact with those around us and cope with the ups and downs of life. It is all done with excellent humour and leaves me with the lasting image of Molly sat in her living room surrounded by boxes of sexy under wear, bought by accident! Worth a read, my 13 year old daughter also found it hilarious.
Barmy Britain.
Jack Crossley
This is a series of linked quotes, often from newspapers reflecting some of the bizarre stories from Britain. Not all will amuse you, but it will have you laughing in parts. My daughter and I spent a merry evening reading it side by side and laughing out loud, much to everyone elses irritation!
