Customer Reviews

Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 5:34 Mins

5 minute video explaining why I recommend "Living Like Ed." I did my best to be entertaining and informative. I didn't reveal info within book, instead I focused on how the book was surprisingly helpful to me.

It's easy to read and skim--everyman language. Helpful. Even to green know-it-alls like me. My idea of a "perfect gift" for friends, family, renters, home owners, even landlords like me.

I bought this book because I am a fan of the HGTV show. Living with Ed is reality show about Ed Begley Jr., his delightful wife Rachelle and their Los Angeles area home. The house has been modified over the years Begley has owned it be as eco-friendly as possible with solar panels, wind mills and CFL bulbs. The book Living Like Ed is small paperback that touches on some of the green modifications that anyone can do to save money and be kind to the environment.

Some of the tips are common-sense: don't waste water, grow some of your own food in a vegetable garden, turn off all the lights when you leave the house, walk or ride a bike instead of taking your car for short trips.

Some tips are more expensive. Equipping a house with enough solar panels to get "off the grid" will cost many tens of thousands of dollars, the cost of which may never be amortized. Buying a hybrid-fuel car will cost more than a regularly-powered vehicle.

There are some ideas that I found very helpful: completely disconnecting all unused electronic gadgets and chargers can save up to 10% of your electrical use. Avoid buying items that come with excess packaging. Donate old magazines, toys and electronics to charity. This way these things will help a good cause and keep toxins out of landfills.

One of Ed's central themes is the development of a mindset that looks for ways to reuse and recycle things rather than wasting.

Highly recommended.

As someone who is very concerned about our home, planet Earth, I found Ed Beagley's book very illuminating. Many people ask "what can I really do to help save the planet? After all I'm only one person."

The contents of the book is laid out very well as it's divided into topical sections such as the home, transportation, garden etc. In each of these sections he explains how one can make small changes or large changes to impact the planet in a positive way. For example, I used to waste a lot of water shaving by letting the water just run and run. Now I fill my bathroom sink up with a reasonable quantity of water and shave just using that small little pool. It doesn't seem like I am saving a lot of water but multiply that by 30 days in the month and 365 days a year and I can see how I'm saving many many gallons of water.

Some of the suggestions in the book I have already put into place before reading Ed Beagley's book such as converting over to compact fluorescent bulbs. However he has also raised my awareness for doing a more vigilant job of recycling as well as the dangers of everyday toxins in our homes. Will I be willing to pay more money for less toxic paint for example? I'm not sure but he has certainly given me something to think about.

I also became acquainted with his line of cleaning products called Beagley's Best which is an all natural non-toxic line of household cleaning liquids. I have used all three of his products, the all-purpose cleaner, the glass cleaner, and the amazing spot remover. I am now a Beagley's Best convert when it comes to my cleaning products and best of all they do not smell or leave and offensive order behind. In fact they are virtually odor free. My wife used to complain that the majority of cleaning products made her feel sick after she used them. I recently did a spring cleaning of my apartment and used only Beagley's Best cleaning products and I have to say that it was a most pleasant experience as there were no toxic fumes and it made my work easier because the products worked really well.

So what is my recommendation regarding this book? I think everybody should read Ed's book as it's accessible, easy to read, and entertaining.

A wonderful book that advises you to get started with your own eco-awareness by "picking the low-hanging fruit," i.e., the cheaper, easier things you can do right now (switching lights, composting, gardening, walk, bike, ride public transportation where available and weather permitting, etc.), and then he moves in stages for where you may be or want to go. So this is not a 'CHANGE YOUR LIFE NOW, YOU FOOLS!' kind of book. Ed admits it took him 30 years to get where he is today, and as others have noted, at some cost because of early technology. It's a book worth reading, keeping, and sharing its ideas with others. If for no other reason, to save yourself gads of money year in and year out in your own home.

This was easy to read and VERY informative as well. So many EASY ways to be a lover of the planet.

This Man has been and continues to be a great citizen of our world.

I felt inspired and relieved all the way through this book for saving my money and my planet.

I have done a lot of research into green living, and I do think this book is a fantastic guide. It covers a wide array of things, from the simple things like changing light bulbs and recycling to the more complex and/or expensive, such as solar and wind power, electric cars, etc.

Ed writes in a very personable style, and the additions from his wife keep it down to earth. Ed has been living green for many years, and no matter where you are on your path to going green, you certainly have something to learn from his experience. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I bought this book because I enjoy the HGTV show, Living with Ed. The reality show features Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife, Rachelle Carson. The two of them and the show are clearly authentic, funny and intelligent. Begley is genuinely committed to the environment for the sake of the planet. Rachelle epitomizes what is the reality for most of us--you want to be kind on the environment, but you also want to live in a comfortable, beautiful home.

The same commitment to the environment that is evident on the reality TV show comes across in Living Like Ed. It's obvious that Begley gets his "kicks" from not only using eco-friendly products, but on saving money as well.

Saving money while being green is an important concept, as many of us are under the impression that "eco-friendly" equals "expensive". This is not the case, and this book will teach you how live a green lifestyle and save some bucks.

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

This book will explain what you can do to help the environment as one person or family.I thought it was time to make a difference in this world and this book helps with that. It gave me many idea's.

His book looks at 6 area's in our lives we can be more efficient.The Home,transportation,energy;garden and kitchen;clothing and hair;skin care. He has also included a workbook of questions that you can answer with your own life styles and how to improve it, helping the earth.

Ed Begley is officially my guru! He has sensible options for us all to do little things and some big ones to help our enviroment and biggest of all...save us money!! If we'd all just try one or two of his suggestions we'd make a big difference

This is a great book that not only informs you about how to better care for the environment, but also talks about the science behind these reasons. In addition, it provides very practical advice in a very easy to read and fun format. Highly recommended.