Customer Reviews

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Generation Green is a book that will truly make a difference with teens and anyone who reads it. I read it fairly quickly and am passing it along to my 18 year old son. This book will teach you ways you can make a difference in many ways, big and small. If each of us changes just one thing that we do we can make big changes. If we each change a few things and increase that over time, we can make even bigger changes and a huge difference for our future and our childrens futures. Why anyone would ignore or not do any of the things mentioned in this book, is just beyond me.
This great little book lets teens know how much water it takes when they take a shower, and really just informs them of the facts of life all over the world and how easy we have it. It then tells them small things they can change in their lifestyle to make big differences.
I think this book should be required reading for every high school. I plan on buying many and giving them to everyone I know, teens and adults.If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.

And good for adults in many ways too. This book packs a lot of useful tips and information together, and while it focuses on things that individuals can do on their own, it doesn't shy away from taking a look at bigger and more systemic environmental issues. It's very readable and engaging and really makes you feel that not only should you be concerned for the environment, but that there are many things you can do which are helpful and proactive.
The end of the text also includes references to books and organizations to look to in order to get more active and engage the issues further.
Very recommended.

In these times we are living in, it is crucial that everyone know how to conserve and recycle. As an adult looking back, we were never taught such things in school. Granted, it's been a few years! But it was just not important in those days 10-15 years ago. I remember my parents recycling pop cans because they went through a case a week as well as the daily newspaper, but they never took it beyond that.

When I was about 17 I took a huge interest in preservation after a project in school in which we had to petition to save one of our local marshlands from being filled in order to build more housing. That battle was won and it made me feel empowered, so I took it a few steps further and did tons of independent research which has brought me to where I am today.

The things that I do to conserve and recycle you would think are common knowledge, especially since we are experiencing all time highs in energy costs. But sadly, the information isn't right in front of you. You have to look for it. And for a child who may not have parents that are into preservation and conservation and isn't hearing about it in school, they are likely to continue on being blissfully ignorant of the dire situation our planet is in.

This book is the perfect solution to that. It covers nearly everything one needs to know to live green and it's packaged nicely in an easy to read and easy to understand format. No big words to intimidate younger kids and slightly larger than normal text make this an easy pick up and read. It also does much to empower kids, labeling them "Generation Green", the hope of the future. It really makes them feel important and feel like they really can do something, and they can! And with this book, hopefully they will.

My little one is far too young to grasp all of this now, but you can bet I'll be holding onto this book for the day when he's ready to read it and become a Green Guardian himself. And hopefully he will spread the word to other children. Teaching our kids to live green is as important as teaching them to walk and talk. If you're not up to speed on all you need to know, just another reason to pick up this book so you can read it together. Highly recommended!

My ten-year-old daughter is a part of "Generation Green." I always wonder if it's a fad or she's just trying to be hip, but I think that it is this generation who WILL make a difference (hopefully).

She always expresses interest in books and shows on how to live a greener life, so I got this book for us to read together.

She's a little young for some of the pop culture references (Gossip Girl) and tips (makeup and cell phones), but in general, these are tips she can use (and me too). I like the idea that our children can guide us.

While she always says she's green, she's the first one complaining if it's too hot (not enough a/c) or too cold (heater turned down), so I'm hoping that a book like this will show her that these things matter.

The book is written by an 18 year old and his mom, so it's very reader-friendly and written in a conversational tone.

I like that each chapter includes "Big steps" and "small steps." The last chapter features a typical teen's routine, and choices that would be typical, green, greener, and greenest. Again -- this causes them to think about if they really want to make the green choice (walk instead of ride) or if they just want slap an earth sticker on their notebook and call themselves an environmentalist.

This book contains some good information. Most I was familiar with but others not. Never heard about the problems with burning candles indoors, but it makes sense.

I also enjoyed the story in the front of the book about Tosh's family packing him ( age 5 through 9) & the family up to move into a wooded area in New Mexico to live off the land. Right down to an Outhouse, chopping wood for heat, catching rain water for drinking, etc.

The reason for the 3 star rating is that I feel the book could be condensed. As one other reviewer said "too wordy" I think of the paper that could have been saved by rearranging the words to a more easily read& shorter format. Nor does this book have an Index. Advertisements, References & a list of Green websites but no Index in the back of the book. I found this frustrating when I wanted to go back & look for various information.

I am not one of those people who believes global warming is man made. I'm not even sure there is global warming and many years from now when the seas have not risen I'm sure someone will take credit for saving us all. Still, I do thing we can behave more responsibly while at the same time enjoying ourselves. This book addresses many important environmental issues everyone should be aware of. While this is geared for teens I see no reason why the whole family can use this book, even if there are no teens at home.

We keep this book in the kitchen and we strive to do our best. We also do not loose sleep if we forget to try. We do our best and we are aware.

In my opinion this book is a great start in taking steps to reach teens and expand their world vision. I watched this book make its rounds with teens. Not one picked it up and read it through. That didn't worry me. They all kept picking it up and thumbing through it. Once in awhile I get the comment "I can do that!". Isn't this what the book is about? It is a guidebook not a novel. It tries to help solve a problem, not add to it. Towards the end of the book there is a chapter about teens taking action. My only quibble is that it featured too darn few examples. I'm sure that there are more out there.

The main criticisms I've read say that it is 'old hat' for eco-conscious teens. That is fine and good but I believe that the target of this book is for teens not-so-eco-aware. That's the point, right? An educational little book. Another criticism is the book lacks color and pictures. Uh, hello, this is an eco-friendly book made from recyclable paper and eco-friendly inks. Says so right on the back cover. My last point is asking this: Does a book need plenty of color and lots of pictures to retain the vapid attention span of a teen? If so, then they will need much more help than this book can provide.

Generation Green is the kind of book that I think would be absolutely perfect for high school teachers to use as a learning tool. The chapters are presented in easily digestible segments, and the information is real. This is important: the facts found here are the same as you'd read in newspapers, magazines, and other books. In other words, it isn't dumbed down for the teen audience. Occasionally, though, the language used is. Maybe it's because I'm almost 30, and the target audience is half my age, but the slang seemed very forced at times. Generation Green is at its best when it focuses on the information and advice rather than trying to sound hip. If there's one guarantee is writing aimed at teens, it's this: the hipper you try to sound, the lamer you come across. Fortunately, the writing style hits much more often than it misses.

I'm looking forward to giving this to my sister-in-law, who at the time of this review is 16 years old. I think Generation Green can be a real success if it catches kids at just that right time in their lives, when they start to recognize that there are important things happening in the world, and that they are a part of it and can make a difference. Generation Green succeeds in presenting solutions in a way that doesn't come across as intimidating or overwhelming. For a succinct and informative look at what is turning into the defining problem of the 21st century, I recommend checking this book out.

As a twenty something San Franciscan, I live in the heart and generation of the Green movement. As a result, I have become increasingly conscious of environmental issues and I have recently felt compelled to take action and do my part. So when I spotted 'Generation Green' on the display table at my local independent book shop, I was instantly intrigued.

What a great investment this book turned out to be. Not only is full of important information about how we are destroying our beautiful planet, but it provides useful ideas on ways we can contribute individually and collectively in order to save Earth. Each chapter examines a different environmental issue and is organized to include celebrity interviews along with website suggestions to gain more insight on the areas that interest you. And because it's geared towards teens, Linda and her teenage son Tosh write in a playful manner, keeping the material light-hearted and fun.

Reading 'Generation Green' left me feeling inspired and empowered. I have already implemented some of Linda and Tosh's suggestions to improve my habits and to reduce my carbon footprint. I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone who hasn't already jumped on the Green wagon...it will change your life.

I started going green a couple years ago mostly because it saves you money and helps you live a healthier lifestyle, the whole saving the Earth thing is just an added bonus. So I am always on the lookout for ways to better myself which is why I picked up Generation Green (even if the subtitle The Ultimate Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life puts me a little out of the target demo). The book comes from the mother-son team of Linda and Tosh Siversen.

As someone that goes out of his way to learn about living green, there really isn't much in the book that helps me, but the book is perfect for those who are just getting into the Green movement no matter the age even if the book skews young with how to balance the new technology with living healthy so people of any age can come away with plenty of good practices to lower their carbon footprint with moving into a shack and growing their own organic food.

The book is also well arrange with plenty of attention grabbing blurbs and interviews for those that only have little spurts of time to read or just short attention spans. And if you do end up buying the book, be sure to pass it around to anyone who could learn something from it so it doesn't just end up in a landfill when you are done.