The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life: Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live [Paperback]

Nell Newman (Author), Joseph D'Agnese (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 11, 2003

It’s fairly obvious that one can’t be a ‘perfect’ environmentalist. But that’s okay. Perfection isn’t the goal. A good life is. And a good life has as much to do with your intent as with the end result.” —from the Introduction

The Newman’s Own Organics Guide to a Good Life is the essential book for those of us who can’t live in an organic hemp tepee but do care about our quality of life, global warming, clean water, and disappearing resources.

Nell Newman shows you how to do what is within easy reach. Along with realistic, practical advice, she shows how and why living a more environmentally conscious life benefits you and your immediate surroundings. In addition to recycling and reusing, the book covers consumer-related steps such as

• how buying and eating organic food supports small farms (and tastes better, too)
• how you can buy clean power through your regular power company
• which long-distance telephone companies offer competitive pricing and service while returning a portion of their profits to environmental and educational organizations
• where to buy everything—from pots and pans to pet food—so that you can “vote with your dollar” and feel good about your purchases

Packed with profiles of fascinating—and sometimes zany—people and a heavy dose of sanity, this book is organized according to the way you really live, making it easy to identify what areas of change are viable for you. A resource directory of publications, retailers, groups, and associations is included in the back of the book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081296733X
• ISBN-13: 978-0812967333
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Well known for both her family (she's the daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward) and her food (the Newman's Own brand of sauces, snack foods and other delights), Newman here joins forces with Discover contributing editor D'Agnese to offer this well-reasoned and practical handbook to environmentally and socially conscious living. Her suggestions cover such areas as food, transportation, energy and investing, and range from the commonsensical-eat local produce in its season-to the surprising-stock your living room with the 10 plants that "clean air best." Newman assumes her readers aren't zealots, but simply people who want to do right by the earth, and it's this lack of self-righteousness that makes her advice so refreshing. Whether readers want to learn how make nontoxic household cleaners, buy "green power" from the power company, shop more responsibly, practice "social investing" or to encourage their pets to eat organic people food, Newman offers the secrets. Interspersed with her counsel are oddball and often inspirational tales of green living, like the man diagnosed with terminal cancer who took cranberry skins and duck fecal matter to become king of a small soil empire (profits go to inner city charities like the one he started). Full of hints and encouragements-and printed on 100% postconsumer recycled paper-this excellent beginner's resource makes conscientious living look very simple indeed.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Newman isn't just the daughter of celebrated actors and just the founder of Newman's OwnR Organics. She draws on a degree in human ecology to write this manual on living a kinder, less ecologically harmful life.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081296733X
• ISBN-13: 978-0812967333
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Covers everything to help make Earth safer and more pleasant May 6, 2003

By Pamela Lioce

Format:Paperback

This is a good, easy read for anyone interested in making their world a safer more pleasant place to live. It covers everything a person can do to make a difference as far as helping to reverse the damage done by decades of poisoning our planet and thereby ourselves with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. The suggestions in this book are things anyone can do. It also covers the newest degradation to our food supply, genetic engineering. Not written in words that are better left in a science lab but in down-to-earth, common sense language.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book! April 29, 2003

By Starina5

Format:Paperback

Informative, funny and inspiring, this book is a delight to read. The tone - perfection is not necessary, small changes can make big differences - is excellent and not at all preachy. I bought this book on Earth Day and couldn't put it down. I hope this is the first of a series of books by the authors.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An good introduction to living an organic life. May 24, 2004

By C. Wong

Format:Paperback

This book provides a good introduction to living a more environmentally friendly life. It covers the basics of eating, transportation, energy and water issues, investing, cleaning, shopping, gardening and pet care.

Each chapter is sprinkled with stories of organic farmers, environmentalists, or eco-friendly companies and how they are making a difference in the world. There are tips to help a person choose the most environmentally friendly way to do something. For example, in the chapter about pet care there is the story of a golden retriever with hip dysplasia who was helped immensely by a change in diet. Included are ways we can improve the diet of our pets by adding organic and fresh foods to our pet’s diet such as apples, pears, melon balls, carrots and even a recipe for an organic carrot juice.

Throughout the book the authors emphasize that buying products locally is best because it takes resources to move items across the country. Also emphasized is thinking more about where things come from and how they were produced. Companies that use organically grown materials and fair labor practices are emphasized. Included are many resources and web sites throughout as well as a bibliography and 25-page resource directory at the end with names, address, e-mails, and web sites of companies and organizations that correspond with the chapters of the book.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas! September 5, 2003

By merrymousies

Format:Paperback

I think the other reviews caught my key points - what I like best about this book is the positive "can do" attitude, and the fresh ideas. It's layed out well and is up-to-date with our lifestyles. It also has worst offenders lists so you know where to focus in and "10 things you can do" lists in different subject areas.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple things you can do to live organically. June 29, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

The book was an easy read full of good ideas, some of which I have already put into practice in my own life. There is a chapter on consumption, which is kind of depressing as it makes you feel guilty for shopping for pleasure. But the book makes you think, which is what Nell Newman intended. It also makes you angry that the government doesn't insist on a better quality of life for us as far as chemicals/ toxins/ produce are concerned.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not much new here April 19, 2004

By Marsha Wood Wirtel

Format:Paperback

Nell Newman has produced what appears to be a lovingly written appeal to live the "organic good life". I can only imagine that she's preaching to the choir here - there seems to be little that would draw in anyone who isn't already convinced that one should shop sustainably, minimize reliance on private transportation and save water.

Her suggestions are blameless - there's nothing to criticize in the ideas themselves. I just wish that she would have pushed the envelop a bit and worked outside the comfort zone of mass market cliche to try and reach those not already convinced - maybe Susie Suburban who buys some salad dressing already knows to recycle but isn't familiar with other environmentally sound measures - such as rain barrels or car shares.

Still, the text has its charms. Stories of Nell's Ma and Pa (Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman to you and me) remind the reader that this is a real person writing, one who truly believes what she says and has a stake in the information she offers. Most recommended is the essay on generosity found in the last chapter - I don't know if it was ever reprinted elsewhere, but it should be required reading for every American.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars down to earth literally November 6, 2005

By B. Emory

Format:Paperback

I dont know how I heard about this book but it is a fantastic gem.I had enjoyed the newman's salad dressing and the cookies (chocolate chip yum!) but never realized that Nell Newman was such a great writer along with being environmentally conscious. From the book I learned ways to ivest socially, clean my house with healthy non toxic products, and how to be efficient while helping the earth. My next car will definately be a hybrid! She acknowledges that she is not an activist, but more so a contributer to making this earth a little better then when she came onto it. I like also that she included a section on healthy pets since I am obsessed with my pooch.

This book is so simple and staight forward, and she has become a sort of role model in her ways. She is not interested in profit but that we learn the value and importance of personal and eco health. She even recommends to pass this book on then order another and kill more trees (note though this book is made of recylced paper)!