Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day (Paperback)

by Grist Magazine (Author), Brangien Davis (Editor), Katharine Wroth (Editor) "Curious about how to green your life?..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Energy Star

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Funny, fast-paced, and detailed...[Given 5 stars on the] Green-O-Meter." -- --Outside Magazine

"You're in for a treat, in the form of this snappy little book." -- Shared Vision

..a groovy green heap o' advice for working, working out, eating, shopping, commuting, raising kids, raising pets - basically, for life. -- Seattle Times

Buy this book- the planet you save just might be ours! -- Alonovo.com

Never has a book on going green made me laugh so hard! -- BellaOnline

another book to add to the must read list! -- Treehugger.com

Product Description
Sustainability is the new "bling," and Grist knows how to wear it.

Not a guide about guilt, but about making little choices throughout the day that improve the planet.

Grist is the hottest online magazine covering sustainability and popular culture.

Like Grist, this is a quirky, humorous, entertaining, and sometimes irreverent read. We all have our morning routines, whether it's making coffee, walking the dog, feeding the kids, a shower and a shave, the office commute, or some combination thereof. And at each of these morning moments-in fact, at any given time throughout the day-we're making choices. What to eat, what to wear, how to dispose of dog poop or diapers, how to travel from point A to point B, where to have a post-work cocktail, and on, and on-this compact and resourceful handbook takes a look at how to simplify and "green" our daily choices, from the moment we get up in the morning, until we finally lay our heads down at night.

Grist magazine's news about green issues and sustainable living is far from predictable. A self-proclaimed "beacon in the smog," it provides some of the most refreshing and knowledgeable voices on how to live wisely and promote a healthy world. Consider this guide an off-line beacon, bringing Grist's edgy authority, impeccable research, and planetary cheerleading to a broader audience.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (October 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594850399
• ISBN-13: 978-1594850394
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of fantastic tips for "greening" your daily routines, October 14, 2007

By	Jon M. Brown (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book gives you fun and easy ways to make your everyday chores more environmentally friendly, from choosing what to wear in the morning to what to do with kitty's doo doo. It's an easy, quick read, and I guarantee it'll give you some ideas you haven't thought of before. Even the smallest things can make a difference. One thing I'd like to see added in future books, when talking about coffee... it's important to get away from using coffee makers with hot plates. They waste a lot of energy. Purchase a coffee maker with a thermos for a pot. It will keep the coffee hot for hours, without sucking precious electrons out of the ground.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not easy being green, December 7, 2007

By	Glen Helfand (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Is it possible for a guide to living green to go down easy? Over the course of it's day-to-night structure, this compact, printed on recycled paper with soy ink guide, reveals how just about every facet of modern life is founded upon wasteful, unsustainable, greenhouse gas-creating models. While infused with a realistic nod to the fact that we can't abide by all its suggestions, the information initially comes as a shock. But the suggestions seep in -- drive as little as possible, buy local and organic, use CFL light bulbs, neither paper nor plastic, bring your own bag, etc. This is information that we all need to have and however it gets out there is great. But who's going to send something similarly persuasive to global corporate heads?

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real book for real people, November 29, 2007

By	Kelly Strong "1992 - Most Likely to be a Greener" (Eagle River, Alaska) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've never written one of these before, but when I was asked to review this book, I couldn't resist. It's hard to live green in the world today, but I feel every little bit counts. The thing I love about this book (beyond being easy and fast to read) is that it doesn't make you feel like a loser. It gives the straight-up this-is-what-is-killing-our-planet, and also the don't-lose-sleep-over-this-stuff. I know plastic coffee mugs aren't the best thing for the earth, BUT, I'd rather take a travel mug to the drive-thru coffee shops than throw away 5 paper/plastic cups a week. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference, even if they just start out with baby steps.