Product Description

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

• Amazon Sales Rank: #904485 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-11
• Released on: 2003-03-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

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.

Review
“Buy this book! My daughter wrote it and that’s good enough for me!”
-Pop

"Nell Newman makes the message simple, clear and compelling: Knowledge and action add up to revolution. She gracefully conveys both the science and the soul of the issues, and offers practical solutions. Nell is living proof that social activism and environmental responsibility are integral to–not obstacles to–health and success; let her lead you on her candid, thoughtful, gently subversive path to better choices every day, and before you know it, you too are a passionate agent of change for a better world."
-Elaine Marie Lipson, author of The Organic Foods Sourcebook

Customer Reviews

An good introduction to living an organic life.
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.

Not much new here
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.

Great ideas!
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.