• Overview
• Food
• Baby Care
• Hazards & Threats
• News
• Our Purpose
• Prevention
• Products
• Sustainability & Lifestyle
• All Articles
• All Videos

Blog

by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

Looking for new books to add to your healthy living library? Look no further. We asked our blogger network what their favorites are and compiled a list of the best of the best (for both kids and adults). Enjoy!

Betsy of Eco-Novice recommends the following five books:

• Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home by Christopher Gavigan (published 2009) was the first green book I read and also how I discovered a now-favorite organization and resource: Healthy Child Healthy World. I checked out the book from the library and soon knew I wanted to own a copy that I could read at my leisure while nursing my new baby. This book features chapters on pregnancy, cleaning, eating, body care, children's gear (toys, clothing and other gear), yard care, water and air, pets, home improvement, and community activism. Each chapter is organized into 10 steps. You could attempt to do all 10 steps for a chapter before moving on, or skim all the chapters and choose the easiest one or two steps from each chapter to get started. While the focus of the book is on creating a non-toxic environment for you and your children, the book has many ideas for eco-friendlier living (alternatives to paper towels, throwing a green baby shower, etc.) peppered throughout the text. Gavigan's book also contains many useful one-page "Copy & Carry" reference guides as well as sections in each chapter written by experts and celebrity parents. It also has an excellent resource section.
• Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care (published 2007) is written by Dr. Alan Greene, a well-respected pediatrician and authority on green parenting. This book features extensive coverage of issues related to pregnancy and labor (with nearly one-quarter of the book devoted to these topics). Other chapters discuss the nursery, kitchen, bathroom, garden, and whole house issues. I liked the "Buying Green" sections (recommended websites, brands, companies, and products) in each chapter, as well as the additional information and green resources provided at the end. Although the focus on the book is on non-toxic living, Greene also provides many practical ideas for leaving a smaller footprint.
• Smart Mama's Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce your Child's Toxic Chemical Exposure (published 2009) is my latest find. One thing is for sure: author Jennifer Taggart (an environmental lawyer) knows her stuff and is very comfortable discussing the intricacies of chemistry, toxicology and governmental regulation. The book begins by discussing the prevalence of toxic chemicals and their effects on children and then contains chapters addressing whole house issues, lead, the kitchen, food and beverages, nursery, playroom and baby gear, bathroom, cleaning, and pests. This books also includes a guide for choosing a day-care and a list of useful acronymns/abbreviations. Of all the green books I've read or perused, I think this one has the most detailed background scientific and regulatory information on toxic chemicals (perhaps more than would be of interest to the average parent). The best feature of Taggart's book are the sections called "Smart Mama's Simple Steps to Reduce Exposure." These sections offer a summary of the steps you can take to reduce your exposure to the various toxic chemicals (asbestos, lead, BPA, and so on) discussed in each chapter. For the big worriers out there (like myself), I think it's useful to be able to quickly find and read expert recommendations for reducing toxic chemical exposure, without having to wade through the sometimes harrowing reasons for avoiding these chemicals. In addition, I found Taggart's "Simple Steps" to be realistic and practical, and also mindful of budgetary constraints. Often she presents the ideal solution, as well as several easier or cheaper steps that at least mitigate if not eliminate exposure.
• In The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-to-Earth Ways for Parents to Save Money and the Planet (published 2010), authors Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelley focus on earth-friendly living on a budget. The book includes plenty of information about avoiding toxic chemicals, but especially compared to the previous books, this green guide focuses on leaving a smaller footprint (often by simply consuming less). "The Eco-nomical Baby Guide" has an exceptional section on cloth diapers. It also has chapters on identifying which baby supplies you really need, buying used gear, eco-friendly companies, feeding baby, overcoming obstacles, and simple ways to help the planet. The authors give advice on where to save and where to splurge, and they present green product recommendations for a range of budgets. This book is very easy to browse and glean information from and has great additional resources listed at the end of each chapter. Last year I posted a full review of this book as well as ten things I learned from reading the book that I wish I had known before I had kids.
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (published 2006) is a long book about where food comes from by journalist Michael Pollan. It is not a comprehensive guide about going green or non-toxic living, but it was an integral part of my own journey toward greener living. In a nutshell, "Omnivore’s Dilemma" convinced me to strive to eat more naturally, more in harmony with our own biology, more the way our ancestors ate (before fast food and TV dinners came along). It inspired me to stop eating ground beef, join a CSA, eat less processed food, read ingredient labels religiously, make my own bread and granola, and pay attention to federal agricultural policy. I wrote about how "Omnivore’s Dilemma" changed my life in this post. While I found the book to be a quick and fascinating read, it is rather long. For a more accessible/ quickly digested version, you can watch the documentary Food Inc., which is based on "Omnivore’s Dilemma" and Fast Food Nation (which is too gross for me to read). Michael Pollan's subsequent books In Defense of Food and Food Rules are quicker reads and have many useful guidelines for healthy eating.

Charise of I Thought I Knew Mama adds these four:

• The Unhealthy Truth: One Mother’s Shocking Investigation into the Dangers of America’s Food Supply– and What Every Family Can Do to Protect Itself: I had the good fortune to see the author of this book, Robyn O’Brien, speak at a luncheon sponsored by Stonyfield Organic, and it was incredibly eye-opening. I have been glued to Robyn’s book, "The Unhealthy Truth," since then. You can read much of what I learned in this post – Why Do Children Have More Food Allergies Than Ever Before? – but the book is jam packed with even more incredible information like this.
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: "Silent Spring" was recommended to me by one of my favorite green mama bloggers, Michelle at Everything’s Abuzz. This book came out in 1962 and was basically the birth of the green living movement. It is a classic and focuses on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture which have led to dangerous chemicals in our food supply.
• The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health: I have been hearing about this book for quite some time, and a friend of mine just gave it to me. So far, I am totally captivated by it. T. Colin Campbell provides detailed examinations of studies that conclusively demonstrate the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. You may not want to hear this info, but I think the scientific links between nutrition and disease prevention (and reversal!) are too profound to ignore.
• Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life: This book by Sophie Uliano is for all the women out there who just don’t know where to begin. This book gives easy answers and tips, and it focuses on all of the areas that touch women’s lives like beauty, home, shopping, fitness, and all things kitchen. If green living seems time-consuming, boring, or without glamour, then try this book.

Dagmar of Dagmar’s Momsense recommends these two:

• Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care by Deirdre Imus. It is a complete guide to raising healthy kids. And 100% of the profits of the book will benefit the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer.
• The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone. It’s not just a fabulous cook book, it also addresses topics like sustainability.

Jeanne from The Green Samaritan adds eight more:

• Do Your Part, A Practical Guide to Everyday Green Living by Terri Bennett: Recently released, "Do Your Part" offers the reader the information to decide what’s most important for their family and lifestyle. Taking a look at some hard facts like how much Americans consume and waste, Terri encourages personal responsibility for the impact each one of us creates and the subsequent commitment to making smarter choices so that we can collectively reduce our individual eco-footprint. With cleaning recipes, a room by room checklist and other useful websites included, there is good information for every shade of green.
• Toxic Free: How to Protect Your Health and Home from the Chemicals That Are Making You Sick by Debra Lynn Dadd: "Toxic Free" is a comprehensive, yet easy guide to access information for healthier, non-toxic living. Dadd has spent the last twenty-five years researching and writing about everyday toxins after she started experiencing chronic headaches, insomnia and other issues. In her search to understand why she was always sick, she came to understand that the greatest exposure lies right within our own homes. In "Toxic Free," Dadd offers practical guidance on how to reduce your toxic exposure and increase your body’s ability to eliminate toxics.
• Spit That Out! The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt by Paige Wolfe: Whew! It’s a mouthful, but offers information that helps make navigating the world of green as a new mother much easier. Paige’s quirky and funny book takes on just about every issue a new mother faces from what to do with those non-organic clothing gifts, breastfeeding versus formula to everyday food choices with quotes like “Organic is the biggest buzz word since Happy Meal”. (Editor’s Note: Check out Lori of Groovy Green Livin’s full review of this book, too!)
• Energy Wise Landscape Design by Sue Reed: If you are looking for a great reference guide on how to landscape naturally and with little impact as possible, "Energy Wise" provides a wealth of information from energy use to water conservation.
• Celebrate Green by Corey and Lynn Cowell: No matter what the occasion, Celebrate Green has tips and suggestions to decorate and celebrate any holiday with eco-friendly exuberance. (Editor’s Note: Mkokopelli has a full review and giveaway of this book!)

And a few children’s books that are favorites with the kids include:

• The Great Kapok Tree and The Dragon and The Unicorn by Lynne Cherry: As an author and illustrator, Lynne brings beautiful images with heartfelt words to teach our children about the natural world.
• Faces of the Earth by Elizabeth Almy: A local author and educator, Beth captures unique characteristics from the animals that reside at the Natural Science Center here in Greensboro. Beth’s goal is to engage the reader to connect emotionally with the featured animals, encourage support of local zoos, museums and science centers as well as to foster greater awareness of wildlife worldwide.

Michelle of Simplify, Live, Love adds four more kids’ books:

• The Lorax (Classic Seuss) My ALL TIME favorite book teaching kids to conserve resources and take care of animals. My kids love this book and ask me to read it almost every day. Dr. Seuss has a really cool Lorax project rife with fun activities, information, and free downloads. Seussville also has a lot of great educational resources.
• Compost Stew. Did you know you can compost dryer lint? I didn’t until I read this cute book about composting! I love this “cookbook” take on learning the alphabet! It’s very unique and refreshing. The author, Mary McKenna Siddals, has a website with lots of fun composting ideas!
• The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore). I love this book because it takes on a reformist tone. It talks about some harmful activities people do and shows how to make small changes to help the Earth! My kids love the all Berenstain Bears Book and this one in particular. If you’re looking for ideas to each your kids about air pollution and chemicals, this website has a nice compilation of activities.
• Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet – Finally, if you’re looking for good information for a more advanced reader, this is an excellent book! It tells stories of every day people making big changes in their own communities and encourages kids to find their own ways to make positive environmental impacts!

And here are some more random submissions:

• The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter (Mkokopelli has a full review and giveaway of this book!)
• The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen (Blogger, Waughmadness, especially loves this one.)
• The Conscious Kitchen: The New Way To Buy And Cook Food - To Protect The Earth, Improve Your Health, And Eat Deliciously by Alexandra Zissu
• The Complete Organic Pregnancy by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu
• Planet Home: Conscious Choices for Cleaning and Greening the World You Care About Most by Alexandra Zissu, Jeffrey Hollender
• The Butcher’s Guide to Well-Raised Meat by Joshua Applestone, Jessica Applestone, and Alexandra Zissu

A few books from my library didn’t make the cut - and I’m sure some from yours didn’t either. So, let’s make a bigger, better list by sharing all of our favorites in the comments!

What are your favorite books about non-toxic and green living?

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.

Photo courtesy shutterhack / CC BY 2.0

More comments:

Print this page | Email a friend