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victoriakleinco's reviews
333 reviews
The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work by Simone Stolzoff
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Gonzo Capitalism: Discover Radical New Ways to Monetize Your Creativity, Talents, and Time by Chris Guillebeau
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
It's On Me: Accept Hard Truths, Discover Your Self, and Change Your Life by Sara Kuburic
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
The Success Myth: Our Obsession with Achievement is a Trap. This is how to Break Free by Emma Gannon
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence by Ellie Middleton
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style by Christie Matheson
4.0
Despite all of the progress the environmental movement has made, being both chic and sustainable is still often seen as a frivolous combination. Apparently, growing your own food and wearing stylish, eco-friendly fashions are two separate worlds that we shouldn’t combine.
Not anymore!
Impressively experienced writer Christie Matheson just released her 5th book titled Green Chic: Saving The Earth In Style with Illinois-based Sourcebooks publishing company. Even with the ridiculous influx of eco-living books available in stores, it is safe to say that there is nothing like Green Chic on the shelves. Christie explains it best: “It’s not about buying your way to being green – or just appearing green – it’s about shifting your mindset, changing your attitude, and developing a personal style that is green.”
This is quite a statement to make in a country of citizens who hate to change their personal habits. But if anyone can get through to the superficial yet sustainably curious masses, it’s Christie and Green Chic. Always the thorough writer, Christie personally tried all of her own tips and openly explains the ins and outs of living sustainably and stylish at the same time. Not only is fashion and beauty covered their own chapters, but she also covers: dining, drinking, home, transportation, travel, parties, big and small changes.
It wouldn’t be much of a green book if it wasn’t printed on recycled paper, no? Green Chic’s publisher, Sourcebooks, used 100% post-consumer recycled paper certified by the Forest Stewartship Council and vegetable-based inks to print the book. If that wasn’t enough, the author herself is donating 50% of her royalties from the book to organizations like the Alliance for Climate Protection, Roots & Shoots, and the Central Park Conservancy among others.
Talking about green living without being preachy is a fine line that all of us journalists dance. Christie seems to have found the perfect balance, helping Green Chic to come off as more of a leisurely, informative chat with one of your girlfriends instead of a manual to transform your life. Her accessible writing style is what makes Green Chic one of my all-time favorite green living books – one that I believe will continue to draw in readers for at least the next 5 years.
Not anymore!
Impressively experienced writer Christie Matheson just released her 5th book titled Green Chic: Saving The Earth In Style with Illinois-based Sourcebooks publishing company. Even with the ridiculous influx of eco-living books available in stores, it is safe to say that there is nothing like Green Chic on the shelves. Christie explains it best: “It’s not about buying your way to being green – or just appearing green – it’s about shifting your mindset, changing your attitude, and developing a personal style that is green.”
This is quite a statement to make in a country of citizens who hate to change their personal habits. But if anyone can get through to the superficial yet sustainably curious masses, it’s Christie and Green Chic. Always the thorough writer, Christie personally tried all of her own tips and openly explains the ins and outs of living sustainably and stylish at the same time. Not only is fashion and beauty covered their own chapters, but she also covers: dining, drinking, home, transportation, travel, parties, big and small changes.
It wouldn’t be much of a green book if it wasn’t printed on recycled paper, no? Green Chic’s publisher, Sourcebooks, used 100% post-consumer recycled paper certified by the Forest Stewartship Council and vegetable-based inks to print the book. If that wasn’t enough, the author herself is donating 50% of her royalties from the book to organizations like the Alliance for Climate Protection, Roots & Shoots, and the Central Park Conservancy among others.
Talking about green living without being preachy is a fine line that all of us journalists dance. Christie seems to have found the perfect balance, helping Green Chic to come off as more of a leisurely, informative chat with one of your girlfriends instead of a manual to transform your life. Her accessible writing style is what makes Green Chic one of my all-time favorite green living books – one that I believe will continue to draw in readers for at least the next 5 years.
Climate Solutions: A Citizen's Guide by Peter Barnes
4.0
With all the excitement of bringing your own bags to the grocery story, buying organic cotton clothing and carrying your own water bottle, it is easy to forget that the United States government does not have a plan in place for dealing with the main cause of climate change: carbon. After all the efforts we continue to put for in order to make out personal lives more green, how do we get companies to follow suit?
Establishing an effective and long-term plan for government sanctioned carbon reduction is the main subject of Peter Barnes’ book, Climate Solutions: A Citizen’s Guide – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why. Released at the beginning of 2008, Climate Solutions is a quick 93-page read (I finished it in a few hours). No punches are pulled as Barnes gives us the straight facts about the current state of our environment and the carbon reduction plans major corporations are rooting for. “This citizen’s guide demystifies climate policy so that you can play an active role in forming it. We can’t wait any longer, and we can’t get it wrong,” says Bill McKibben in the book’s forward.
“On the surface, global warming appears to be an environmental problem. But deeper down, it’s a result of two economic and political failures,” says Barnes in the first chapter. Four different government tools are discussed in detail: taxes, caps, regulations and investments. After over 30 years in the green energy business, Barnes gets right to the point on each method’s benefits and drawbacks. “In the end, we’ll need a mix [of all four tools:], but before we make our brew we need to know the virtues and flaws of each,” says Barnes.
After the overview, Barnes jumps headlong into an explanation of why a carbon cap-and-dividend plan is the best bet for the planet and its inhabitants. “From a political perspective, a carbon cap with monthly dividends would be the most popular federal program since Social Security,” says Barnes. Just like the other three tools, carbon capping can easily be corrupted, just as it was in Europe. Unfortunately, all of the plans currently in the House and Senate are set to repeat those same European mistakes. Now is the time for us citizens to make our voices heard before the business of carbon reduction is over before it starts.
“We need to limit and pay for atmospheric pollution, and we need to shift subsidies from dirty fuels to clean ones. If we don’t do both of those things, we won’t stop climate change.” Whether you live in the United States or not, Climate Solutions: A Citizen’s Guide – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why is a valuable no-bullshit guide on making government regulations a successful method for reducing carbon pollution. As a registered voter, I feel much more informed after reading this book and plan to make the move to supporting a carbon cap-and-dividend plan with much more fervor.
Establishing an effective and long-term plan for government sanctioned carbon reduction is the main subject of Peter Barnes’ book, Climate Solutions: A Citizen’s Guide – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why. Released at the beginning of 2008, Climate Solutions is a quick 93-page read (I finished it in a few hours). No punches are pulled as Barnes gives us the straight facts about the current state of our environment and the carbon reduction plans major corporations are rooting for. “This citizen’s guide demystifies climate policy so that you can play an active role in forming it. We can’t wait any longer, and we can’t get it wrong,” says Bill McKibben in the book’s forward.
“On the surface, global warming appears to be an environmental problem. But deeper down, it’s a result of two economic and political failures,” says Barnes in the first chapter. Four different government tools are discussed in detail: taxes, caps, regulations and investments. After over 30 years in the green energy business, Barnes gets right to the point on each method’s benefits and drawbacks. “In the end, we’ll need a mix [of all four tools:], but before we make our brew we need to know the virtues and flaws of each,” says Barnes.
After the overview, Barnes jumps headlong into an explanation of why a carbon cap-and-dividend plan is the best bet for the planet and its inhabitants. “From a political perspective, a carbon cap with monthly dividends would be the most popular federal program since Social Security,” says Barnes. Just like the other three tools, carbon capping can easily be corrupted, just as it was in Europe. Unfortunately, all of the plans currently in the House and Senate are set to repeat those same European mistakes. Now is the time for us citizens to make our voices heard before the business of carbon reduction is over before it starts.
“We need to limit and pay for atmospheric pollution, and we need to shift subsidies from dirty fuels to clean ones. If we don’t do both of those things, we won’t stop climate change.” Whether you live in the United States or not, Climate Solutions: A Citizen’s Guide – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why is a valuable no-bullshit guide on making government regulations a successful method for reducing carbon pollution. As a registered voter, I feel much more informed after reading this book and plan to make the move to supporting a carbon cap-and-dividend plan with much more fervor.
Good Bug Bad Bug: Who's Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically by Jessica Walliser
4.0
Being a gardener has never been easier and more difficult. While planting and pruning is still as simple as ever, prolific plumes of pests are commonplace. What’s a dirt lover to do!?
The eco-answer has arrived with Good Bug, Bad Bug by Jessica Walliser. Printed on water-proofed, laminated pages and wire-bound, Good Bug, Bad Bug is written in easy to understand language. You can quickly identify invasive and beneficial insects. Walliser provides expert organic advice on how to attract the good guys and manage the bad guys without toxic chemicals.
From container gardens to acre-sized plots, Good Bug, Bad Bug is the perfect reference guide for every grower. Thanks to climate change, pests are invading regions they aren’t native to. That means more destruction and increased confusion. Walliser’s approach is simple and green: get rid of the bad ones and encourage the good ones to stick around. Color pictures, an informative introduction, glossary, and product directory round of the books’ awesome qualities.
The eco-answer has arrived with Good Bug, Bad Bug by Jessica Walliser. Printed on water-proofed, laminated pages and wire-bound, Good Bug, Bad Bug is written in easy to understand language. You can quickly identify invasive and beneficial insects. Walliser provides expert organic advice on how to attract the good guys and manage the bad guys without toxic chemicals.
From container gardens to acre-sized plots, Good Bug, Bad Bug is the perfect reference guide for every grower. Thanks to climate change, pests are invading regions they aren’t native to. That means more destruction and increased confusion. Walliser’s approach is simple and green: get rid of the bad ones and encourage the good ones to stick around. Color pictures, an informative introduction, glossary, and product directory round of the books’ awesome qualities.