Customer Reviews

Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I tried really hard to love this book. While I truly admire Sophie Uliano's enthusiasm and witty tone, there are few "buts" that were quite annoying. What's worse, these nasty "buts" made me question whether the advice given in the book is authentic, useful, and genuine.

1. Do yourself a favour and skip the beauty section of the book. Ms Uliano had to spend more time researching before writing a segment on green beauty. Many of "organic" and "green" products she recommends are loaded with potentially toxic substances such as synthetic preservatives and fragrances. Consistency is key. Poorly researched tips in one section undermine author's credibility in other areas, and in general undermine reader's trust in the whole green living thing.

2. While the book is very informative and packed with easy tips, most chapters look like a link exchange section of a website. Too many links to websites - and some aren't that relevant. What's more irritating, the author blatantly promotes her own website on every page. It may be fun once or twice, but not in every chapter.Sometimes it feels like the author didn't really care about adding more information to the book - why bother if you can easily upload all the articles online?

Speaking of online: most of the tips can be easily found online FOR FREE.

3. Too many typos. It's "Herbatint", not "Hebatint", mind you. And this hair dye is so chemically loaded, you shouldn't really mention it in a green living guide. When I found ten typos, I stopped counting, and I wasn't even in the middle of the book. I know, it's not the author's fault, it's the publisher's lack of effort, but still. Such things don't support the idea of importance of green living.

In general, the book is an easy uplifting read that may convert few babyboomers into "green girls".

This book has sections for every green aspect of life. I wish I could give it four and a half stars because overall it's great to have, but does have a few *minor* problems. It seems to be targeted at thirty to forty something mothers with young children, but I'm none of the above (20s single) and still found this book to be jammed packed with useful information. My favorite section was the beauty one. I was using a natural moisturizer I thought was pretty safe but instead turned out to be a 7 out of 10 hazard on the Cosmetic Database! The book also includes an enlightening section on yoga routines which actually seem doable. The house section is all encompassing, from your mattress down to your shower cleaner. Uliano also provides a handful of skincare recipes which are easy and straightforward. There were somethings that did annoy me with this book, though as I said before they are all minor. Number 1 is that the first chapter can just be ignored, it was boring and really didn't seem to have a point. 2nd is that there are several noticeable typos throughout the book (minor, once again). 3rd, Uliano plugs her website throughout all the sections. If you want to use any of the checklists or quizzes she has created, you need to register on the website first. It's a bit off-putting. 4th, I wish there were more food recipes provided. 5th, a few of her tips seem a bit extreme, i.e. I'm probably not going to pack any carrot sticks the next time I go to the movies or an amusement park. 6th, and this is my biggest gripe, I wish she would include some information on the cost of some of the products and services she mentions! All-in-all, I'm very happy with this book. It has at least a brief overview of everything you could think about greening up (even weddings and dry cleaning) and has literally TONS of useful websites and resources in every section (except the first, which as I said before, is rather aimless). While this book probably won't make you look like the Vargas girl on the front, it will help you live your life in a more earth-friendly manner. I know I'll be referencing it for years to come.

Though this book has some great tips and is fairly easy to read, it could have been summed up in maybe half the pages the author actually used (saving many trees, of course). I found many of her tips to be a bit silly, and her lack of descriptive vocabulary (must everything be "simply to die for" and/or "gorgeous"?) boring. The list of fashion vendors provided in Chapter 4 seems more like shameless free advertising. Some of the vendors no longer exist, and many are quite expensive. Save your money and check out websites or the local library for more up-to-date advice, or start a green group to discuss alternatives to eco-friendly living instead.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I found it to be very cute, but a bit of a puff piece.

There's alot of tid bits of information, but nothing substantial. Some information is conflicting - on one page Sophie says she avoids microwaves and doesn't want it altering the molecules in her food. Yet, on another page, she writes that the microwave is the most eco-friendly way to cook, as it uses the least amount of energy.

And yoga sun salutations and exercise instructions don't belong in a green guide. They just don't!

I also purchased Easy Green Living by Renee Loux and found it to be much more substantial and informative - like a mini encyclopedia on what you need to do to live green.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I think it has a lot of good advice that can be easily applied. On a positive note, it is clearly written for women. The jokes, comments, etc. always refer to "The Gorgeously Green Girl" which makes this book a great gift for female friends and family members. For myself, I found it a bit annoying after a while but could overlook it. The book does contain many, many websites which left me with the impression that everything green that I would be buying must be ordered online! This is not the case. My local health food store carried many of the natural soaps, shampoos, feminine products, etc. mentioned in the book which was a lot easier and cheaper to buy locally. The book does not just focus on women's issues either. There is great advice regarding wrapping your hot water tank, buying Smartstrips to turn your computer completely off, and how to garden organically. I really think you can only benefit from reading this book.

While I commend Ms. Uliano for appealing to the masses and trying to make "going green" seem so simple, I also found so many things about her book to be contradictory and/or against what she supposedly stands for. For example, she recommends Burt's Bees products, but a little research would show they are now owned by Clorox ... not exactly an environmentally-friendly company. As many have pointed out, she contradicts herself re: microwaves.

I found her constant referral to her own website to be redundant and annoying. If all of the information is there on the website, why waste all this paper in the book?!

I also found her reference to "granola"-types to be quite offensive. Just because you care for the environment, but don't wish to buy into the American consumerist culture, that makes you a granola?? Why such a negative connotation?? You can be environmentally conscious, chic, and beautiful without having to purchase new products ... where is the mention of second-hand shops? These not only are better for the environment than purchasing NEW products, but there are many shops (like the one down the street from my house) that sell expensive, designer, barely-used (sometimes brand new!) clothes for less than half the original price. What could be more eco-friendly?!

I'm all for getting everyone to recognize changes need to be made, but I don't think supporting our cultural norms of consumption is the way to go.

Seems like she's jumping onto the green bandwagon because it's the cool thing to do these days. None of her info has citations and some of it is conflicting (re: microwave usage). And I really don't care for the yoga poses in the book...seems like she's advertising for her yoga studio. There are better books out there, like Renee Loux's.

Gorgeously Green, by Sophie Uliano, is a hip new guide to making environmentally-friendly and healthy choices that fit your lifestyle.

Each chapter is a step in the process of becoming Gorgeously Green with plenty of practical and concrete suggestions. If you still need a little push, Uliano prioritizes the information so you know which simple changes will give you the mot dramatic and immediate benefits.

Written in a breezy "girlfriend" style, Gorgeously Green trims the sometimes overwhelming task of improving your life into manageable, but meaningful, steps. Also appreciated is the constant reminder that little changes can add up. Follow one small suggestion each day and you're on your way to a more eco-chic you.

Although Uliano is obviously very intelligent and Gorgeously Green offers consistently smart advice, the tone sometimes veers a little towards the superficiality of La-La Land (Uliano is a yoga instructor in L.A.). For the most part, however, she accomplishes her goal of making the tips more accessible. Gorgeously Green isn't aimed towards the homemade dyed in the organic wool crunchy crowd-the audience is the everyday gal who wants to go green but doesn't want to sacrifice all glamor and convenience in the process.

There are a lot of books that talk about green living in abstract terms, or bombard you with details without any structure, but Gorgeously Green offers a clear approach with plenty of actionable tips. For example, which organic deodorants actually work? Which ingredients are the worse environmental and health offenders? Which appliances are leaking the most energy in your house? Gorgeously Green has the helpful answers.

There are plenty of shopping tips, but there is also an emphasis on reducing consumption-to lighten the load on both the environment and your wallet. Plus there is information about activism and ways to spread the word now that you are committed to a greener life.

One of the strongest features of Gorgeously Green is the website access to interactive exams, printable lists, and up-to-date resources. So, when you head to the supermarket, drugstore, or even your own cabinet, you don't have to continually flip back and forth in the book.

I've already taken my first step in becoming Gorgeously Green and I'm excited to continue to clean-up my house and my life for the benefit of my family and the planet.

As you begin your journey, Gorgeously Green will travel with you. The smallest baby steps can lead you along the path of a holistic approach to earth-friendly, healthy lifestyle.

Let me start by saying that, in general, I like this book. I was able to find a few tid bits of info that I was unaware of before and that I found helpful. I was happy to be introduced to various websites and items that, again, I had been unaware of before reading this book. However, like many of the other reviewers, I occasionally found the mention of her own product line annoying, I found a few contradictory info that made me wonder about the integrity of the rest of the info I read, and I found that the typos were very annoying, mostly because they did not just apply to the text itself, but also to the websites she promotes (i.e. she refers to [...] which is a furniture website when she should be refering to [...] which sell wooden sunglasses).

My biggest problem with this book is that it's too narrow in scope with regards to the audience it is trying to reach. I am an Hispanic, well educated, overweight, single mother of a biracial 2.5 yo daughter. First, despite the fact that I make a very good living for myself and my daughter, a lot of the products she discusses I would find difficult to afford, even though she herself reports that they are reasonably priced. Second, the clothes she promotes do not sell clothes to woman, who like me, are in a plus size. Third, she does a very poor job at including other races in her book. I suppose if you are an upper Middle Class (if there is such a thing anymore), Caucasian, married, mother of two who is trim and slim this book would be absolutely perfect for you and you wouldn't give variances a second chance.

I would still recommend this book to others but would definately warn them of the above.

Ms. Uliano's antiquated and uninformed comments regarding the treatment of animals in zoos and theme parks are highly insulting to the tireless efforts of zoological personnel. The animals in their care are considered to be priceless treasures, and they are physically, emotionally, and mentally better cared for than humans. The money raised by zoos is used to promote such causes as education, conservation, and species survival. With poaching, habitat encroachment, and civil wars threatening wildlife all across the globe, Ms. Uliano may not be aware that the "wild" that she so righteously touts is not the safe haven for these creatures that it may once have been. Most other cultures do not hold wildlife in such high esteem as the financial abundance of America allows us to do. While Ms. Uliano may be up late at night with online shopping, zookeepers are up late tending to a sick animal, participating in a new birth, or providing round-the-clock care for a youngster abandoned by its mother. Were it not for these heroes, species like the California condor, the Arabian oryx, and the Giant Panda would not have been brought back from the brink of extinction. If Ms. Uliano would care to look out from underneath her designer cosmetics and really help preserve the planet, she would not flagrantly attack the very institutions who are working harder towards that goal than she is.