Customer Reviews

Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World

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I enjoyed this book overall. There only seemed to be a few aspects missing....such as in the baby chapter about cloth diapers. She makes it sound as though there's only one style, when in fact there are loads and loads to choose from--and you can always dry them in the sun (at least during the summer) thus saving even more energy. So if you're having a baby, keep looking into diapers beyond the scope of this book.

The other small (big) thing she didn't mention in the gardening chapter was how destructive peat moss is, and how it's being banned in most of Europe with end-dates in sight, whereas nothing of the sort has happened here yet. Peat bogs contain 10% of the earth's fresh water and cannot recover as quickly as we harvest them for garden use. So don't use PEAT! Even though it's usually one of the cheapest "organic" garden mulches in North America. Also, don't buy peat seed pots (the kind that you can just plant in the ground when you move the seedlings outside)...use coir (coconut husk) instead.

Other than that, I liked her opinions and some of her strategies....some will work better for some people than others, depending of course on family size and where you live.

As the book Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern is primarily aimed at women, I asked my wife to read it first. She gave me a sigh, rolled her eyes and said she would skim it, but it ended up being so interesting she read it cover to cover. Here's a direct quote (honest!):

"This is one of the most informative and life changing books I've ever read. It beats those 'self-help' books hands down as this actually contains practical information that you can use and apply for the rest of your life."

Women spend eight-five cents of every dollar in the US marketplace. Big Green Purse is about harnessing that spending power to improve the environment, influence manufacturers and to help you and your family to live a simpler, cleaner and healthier life.

Although my wife recommends reading the whole book, for those that are short on time it's broken into digestable chunks, such as cars, produce, cosmetics, kids and babies, and so on. Even if you don't read the whole chapter there is a wrap up section at the end which summarizes the main points.

She found it extremely interesting as it gave lots of excellent facts and statistics but doesn't lay on a guilt-trip. However you might feel unwell after reading about all the crap we're putting into our bodies... It makes you want to change your lifestyle for the better and shows easy ways to do this without spending any more money.

There are lots of practical tips and suggestions for which products to buy and avoid. These tips are actually useful rather than generic "buy natural" advice you often get. The book has seven Big Green Purse shopping principles:

Buy less
Read the label
Support sustainable standards
Look for third party verification
Choose fewer ingredients
Pick less packaging
Buy local

Instead of just telling us the three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recyle) Diane actually tells us how we can do it. She expands on information that most of us know at least a little bit about, and my wife picked up a few new facts as well:

Clean, don't sterilize. Avoid anti-bacterial products such as soaps and personal care products as they do more harm than good
Avoid fragrances, phthalates, parabens and triclosan in cosmetics and personal care products
Buy sustainable seafood with the MSC label and select small fish like trout over the larger predators like tuna and seabass
Only certain types of plastics can be recycled - if you have to buy items in plastic, buy ones that can easily be recycled
Plant an eco-lawn as a great alternative to a traditional lawn.
If you plant three trees on the west side of your home you can trim your air-conditioning bill by up to 30% due to the shade they create.

In summary it's a great reference book to have on hand when you go shopping for certain products and although it's geared to women, it has many ideas that men and women would equally find interesting. Finally, my wife says "buy this book and lend to all your friends!"

Diane MacEachern gets it: as consumers, we have the power to create a greener world. (My only disagreement with her is putting the onus of responsibility on women; men count, too.)

We should support only businesses that take strong measures to ensure that they are not polluting the environment and that they conduct business with humanitarian practices. When corporations do not sell their product they will either change what is offensive, or their business will die. That is the beauty of a capitalist society; success is measured by financial strength. And, we as the consumer have the power to influence which companies survive.

MacEachern takes time to point out which companies are "greenwashing" and how to avoid those products.

She focuses on the following:
Coffee, tea and chocolate
Electrical appliances
Clothing and assessories
Personal care products
Household cleaners
Transportation

The book is empowering because we learn that each of us counts in making the world more environmentally safe.

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

Big Green Purse is a clarion call to consumers to exert the "power of the purse" and send the only message the marketplace appears to understand: consumers are getting smarter and better informed, and want to spend their money on products that can help sustain, rather than destroy, the planet.

So what if corporate mentality can't conceive of "green" being anything other than the color of money? If enough consumers - most of whom, let's face it, are women - send the marketplace the message that we will no longer purchase unsafe and polluting products in wasteful packaging, the marketplace will respond.

Diane's book is a wealth of information on products we all use every day, and lots of that information is quite alarming. Did you know, for example, that 89% of the 10,500 chemical ingredients that go into lipstick, nail polish, hair coloring, soap, and other personal-care products have never been safety-tested by the FDA? Nor is it known what the cumulative exposure of chemicals linked to serious health concerns can be, yet we bathe with, slather on our bodies, and make-up our faces every day with countless personal-care products. Who exactly does the FDA exist to protect anyway: people or industries?

The beauty of the book is that is not just a litany of frightening statistics - far from it. It is also brimming with advice and resources on where to purchase greener and safer cosmetics, cars, food, household cleansers, clothing, garden products, electronics, furniture, kids' stuff, and more. Enough information, in short, to empower us to change the way we live.

The marketplace will always sell what brings it the most "green," but if we demand less polluting and safer products, well, we the people will have taken responsibility for doing something ourselves to create a "cleaner, greener world." Hey, it's not like we can wait for Congress to take action ...

Big Green Purse is a book that every household should have on hand. Not only does this book give suggestions as to how to "green-up" your lifestyle, it provides you with the resources to immediately make changes. The writing is simple and to the point. Now when I shop, I feel as though every dollar I spend has a purpose. Whether I'm buying make-up from Everyday Minerals, Dr. Bronner's soaps for my family, or an organic apple from the local farmer's market, I feel my money is making a difference.

This book is one of extreme importance, not only for women, but for ANYONE interested in preserving this planet for future generations. So often "green" books or guides make potential solutions seem time-consuming and nearly impossible to put into action. But MacEachern spells it out quickly, simply, and successfully. Big Green Purse gives easy-to-follow instructions (and offers helpful background info) about precisely how women can, in fact, change this world. This book makes a healthier, greener planet seem attainable and completely possible; readers will feel empowered and totally capable of taking the necessary steps to make sure our world is healthy and functioning for generations to come. A must-read for any responsible citizen of the world.

Just got my copy--it's terrific and packed with fantastic suggestions! Women: we CAN change the world.

This book is very easy to read and extremely informative. She tours all the way from the kitchen through to the bedroom and then some. Well worth the read. Honolulu.

I have told all my friends about this book! I've even bought copies of this books to give to friends. It is a great reference to turn your home and everyday living and thinking to be environmentally correct! It guides you and answers so many questions about products, what to buy, what to use, what we should be using, etc. !! And it isn't overwhelming...I've taken it a little at a time and I've accomplished so much already. My daughter and I have both changed our households completely using this book! I've even written letters to local grocery stores requesting various products, or improvements in their organic produce section. I would never thought I could make a difference. We can! And this book will show you how!

This book makes lots of sense. It's more important then ever to actually read labels and consider packaging when you buy things. Maybe if more people would spend their money only with companies and products that make the effort then there would be more manufacturers and businesses thinking "green." I've found that it's very easy to "go green" in some areas and very hard (or expensive) in others. You have to do what you can. If we all do something then eventually it shouldn't be more expensive to buy biodegradable and sustainable products in packaging made from recycled material, or at least packaged in material that is recyclable.