Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of Your Life (Paperback)

by Lori Bongiorno (Author), Frances Beinecke (Foreword) "Deciding what to eat for dinner is harder today than ever before..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Certified Organic, Environmental Working Group (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Green, Greener, Greenest is an indispensable resource for anyone trying to reduce their environmental impact: comprehensive and convincing but also sane and realistic.”
—Michael Pollan, bestselling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food

“Lori Bongiorno shows how we can reconnect ourselves with the ecologic cycle with Green Greener Greenest by highlighting how what we eat, buy, wear, build, and clean has a direct link to the health of the environment and the health of ourselves and our families. For anyone who has struggled to figure what do to make a difference, this book offers a clear and concise map to a more connected future.”
—Walker Wells, AICP LEED AP, Sustainable Cities Program Director, Global Green USA

“Lori Bongiorno’s book synthesizes helpful information about how consumers can green their lifestyles through a range of simple choices, from energy and water conservation to grocery shopping, and breaks it down in an easy-to-understand way. Gone are the days when people can claim they just don’t know what they can do to help protect our planet. As this book explains, making a difference is much easier than consumers might think.”
—Tensie Whelan, Executive Director, the Rainforest Alliance

"In one portable volume, Green, Greener, Greenest covers all the bases for those seeking a greener lifestyle. From food, to clothing, to energy use and transportation, Lori Bongiorno's book is an invaluable reference for living in today's world."
—Ronnie Cummins, National Director, Organic Consumers Association

"Lori Bongiorno's handbook to what's good, better and best for the environment provides consumers welcome, clear and highly readable advice on how to be as eco-smart as you want to be.”
Dan Becker, Former Director, Sierra Club Global Warming Program

“Becoming green or sustainable takes time and some effort, but Green, Greener, Greenest makes the process much easier. From food and beverages to personal care products and pest control, Lori Bongiorno gives us practical suggestions to minimize our exposure to potentially harmful substances and to lessen our impact on the environment.”

—Diane Hatz, Founder/Director, Sustainable Table

“‘Going green’ has never been easier now that Lori Bongiorno has helped us sort out the real information from the hype. There is something here for everyone, from those with a casual interest to those who would like to green every aspect of their life.”
—Patti Wood, Executive Director, Grassroots Environmental Education

“This is a useful and up-to-date compendium of the best resources for the eco- conscious. It will save you time in your quest for personal responsibility--time that can be spent in the greenest of all ways, by joining the political battle for sweeping, society-wide change.”
—Bill McKibben author of Fight Global Warming Now and founder of Step It Up

“Green, Greener, Greenest is an excellent compilation of good information, briefly and accessibly presented, and a very useful handbook for green-minded people who mean business.”
—Peter Matthiessen, author of Shadow Country

“Hopeful, helpful, and packed with well researched tips, Green, Greener, Greenest is a great family guide to living the genuinely good life. Whether you are feeding your kids, gardening, choosing cars, clothing or cleaning products, you'll find the information you need to make wise and livable choices.”
—Ann Lovejoy, author and sustainability educator

“From diamonds to diapers and cars to gardens, Lori Bongiorno provides an easy to read primer for making small changes that can make big differences in the health and lives of millions. A book like this could initiate a shift toward improved product safety long before governments step in and do their job.”
—Theo Colborn, PhD, President, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX); Professor, University of Florida

Product Description
How green can you be?

Green: Drive the speed limit
Greener: Drive a fuel-efficient car
Greenest: Bike or walk

The perfect guide to help readers decide how to best spend their time and money to protect the environment, Green, Greener, Greenest offers flexible tips for everyday living, all categorized as "green," "greener," and "greenest." Cutting through the labeling and the hype, it helps readers choose the advice that fits their schedule, their budget, and their interests, with the understanding that there's never one "right way" to make a difference. This indispensable resource will grow with readers-whether a novice in green living or a veteran environmentalist-as their interests and needs change over time.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399534032
• ISBN-13: 978-0399534034
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #307,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched Book Offers Choices, March 25, 2008

By	Norma Lehmeierhartie (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Lori Bongiorno, a journalist, became interested in the environment and the safety of products when her husband got melanoma and died from the cancer. She writes that she learned from her husband's experience that preventing disease is preferable to trying to cure a disease.

With preventing disease on her mind, she wrote Green Greener Greenest, providing the reader with a phletora of tools to stay healthy.

Unlike a number of recently published green books, Green Greener Greenest is well researched and offers much information for those seeking a green lifestyle.

Bongiorno offers environmentally sound choices in food, beverages, personal care products, green choices for babies and children, home building and improvement, apparel and furnishings, cleaning, pest control and transportation. Within each chapter, I really like how she "decodes labels"; the often confusing, sometimes misleading labels that come with many products.

Like a good journalist, she did her homework, providing much research and information to help the reader understand the problems in environmentally unsafe products and to let them decide for themselves what level of green they wish to live by.

I felt that the chapters on home building and improvements and furnishings could have had more information, but it did provide a good starting point. For example, Bongiorno does not discuss the green choices in flooring other than marginally acceptable greener carpeting.

I highly recommend this book.

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Green et al., April 13, 2008

By	Joseph S. Maresca "Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA,... (Bronxville, New York USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The author provides some excellent ideas aimed at preserving
the environment. Some of these are as follows:

o formaldehyde free fiberglass
o washable area rugs
o replaceable carpet tiles to reduce waste in replacement
o dehumidifiers to reduce molds
o low-flow showerheads
o waterbourne polyurethane floor finishes

The authors have done a considerable amount of research
in presenting readers with practical and affordable
earth-friendly products and processes for business and
personal use. The book would be helpful for a wide
group of consumers and users in every industry.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Ways to Make a Real Difference, April 10, 2008

By	Virginia Terry-jacobus (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just in time for Earth Day! My family and I made some Earth Day 2008 resolutions, and after discovering this book, we now know how to make good on them. This is cover-to-cover full with great, practical information and green choices. It covers a wide spectrum of topics and issues, making it the kind of reference book we'll be able to go back to for years.

Highly recommended!