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Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making
Simple steps for sustainable living Creating a green and healthy home might seem like an overwhelming task at times. Practically Green takes the practical approach to mindful Start small and go from there. Author Micaela Preston takes the guesswork out of green living by helping you make smart, healthy choices for your family without spending tedious hours researching the pros and cons of all the products available on the market today. In Practically Green you'll
- GenresNonfictionReferenceGreen
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 27, 2012
A gift from a friend that has great, practical tips on how to live "green". Some of the tips I was well familiar with but it was good to be reminded of, and some were good, new ideas for me to use. I really appreciated the author's perspective that while we may have a goal to "live green", there are occasions when it's not practical and that's okay...a nice, relaxed approach. It's an easy, quick read too.
November 18, 2009
Good for beginners to the green game; nothing new for the rest of us.
March 24, 2021
A bunch of typos/sentences with phrases doubled (at least in the ebook). 95% of the info I already knew.
February 3, 2013
I read Practically Green in one sitting. One of the reasons for this is that there’s a lot of DIY projects included here, many for children (which I do not have, so I skimmed those), and I was reading the book on the subway. As much as I’d like to be able to make “Volcano Sink Scrub� to clean my kitchen sink right after reading the recipe, that is something I’ll have to revisit when I am prepared to make it, not when I’m avoiding getting an armpit in the face as the train takes me to my destination.
The other reason this was a quick read for me was because this is a book for green beginners (and, as we all know, I am a Green Master. Note: this item in parentheses is a joke). But, given that this book was written in 2009, many of the ideas author Micaela Preston proposes have become part of the green psyche that many of us already know. Preston makes suggestions for small changes, like bringing your own bags when shopping, or buying materials BPA-free. The organization of the book is very helpful, broken down into 6 sections: Eating (how to shop for sustainable food), Living (using nontoxic products), Cleaning (recipes for making natural cleaning products at home), Caring (for natural bath and body care), Wearing (information about natural and sustainable clothing), and Conserving (buying less).
The most shocking thing I learned in this book, which I hadn’t gleaned from reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, is this: “Stating that chicken has ‘no added hormones� is meaningless because by law poultry aren’t allowed to be given hormones.� I don’t eat chicken anymore, but, man. We really have no idea what is going on with so much of the food we buy. I’ll continue to stick to the farmers market, thank you.
Long and short: this is a great book for an introduction to going green. It’ll give you some recipes to try out (you may see a review in the future based on experiences!), and a better idea of how to green most aspects of your lifestyle. This would be a great read in particular for parents, as many of the recipes for food and activities would appeal to children (crayon cupcakes, for instance).
The other reason this was a quick read for me was because this is a book for green beginners (and, as we all know, I am a Green Master. Note: this item in parentheses is a joke). But, given that this book was written in 2009, many of the ideas author Micaela Preston proposes have become part of the green psyche that many of us already know. Preston makes suggestions for small changes, like bringing your own bags when shopping, or buying materials BPA-free. The organization of the book is very helpful, broken down into 6 sections: Eating (how to shop for sustainable food), Living (using nontoxic products), Cleaning (recipes for making natural cleaning products at home), Caring (for natural bath and body care), Wearing (information about natural and sustainable clothing), and Conserving (buying less).
The most shocking thing I learned in this book, which I hadn’t gleaned from reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, is this: “Stating that chicken has ‘no added hormones� is meaningless because by law poultry aren’t allowed to be given hormones.� I don’t eat chicken anymore, but, man. We really have no idea what is going on with so much of the food we buy. I’ll continue to stick to the farmers market, thank you.
Long and short: this is a great book for an introduction to going green. It’ll give you some recipes to try out (you may see a review in the future based on experiences!), and a better idea of how to green most aspects of your lifestyle. This would be a great read in particular for parents, as many of the recipes for food and activities would appeal to children (crayon cupcakes, for instance).
May 15, 2012
This is a good book if you're new to green living. It has tips on all aspects of household life: personal care, grocery shopping, clothing purchases, etc. I already knew most of it going into the book and was familiar with nearly all of the brands, but the writer does a good job of explaining how to "go green" without breaking the bank. I also agree with the author's theory about using up what you already have and then replacing it with greener items, rather than dumping entire products into the garbage and running out to buy new ones.
Overall it had a lot of good information, minus a few glitches in the text. (not sure if that was due to editing or kindle formatting, but whatever, I understood the point being made each time)
Overall it had a lot of good information, minus a few glitches in the text. (not sure if that was due to editing or kindle formatting, but whatever, I understood the point being made each time)
June 4, 2021
A beginners� guide and an intermediates� reminder. This book is full of helpful tips and ideas, and while it’s nothing new or revolutionary, it’s nice to have all the reminders out there in one place, along with plenty of resources (including direct links if you read the ebook) to go digging for more. I think the strength of this book is that it does not patronize and could be a handy tool for someone wanting to make some green changes in their life.
May 7, 2012
Good review of things I knew already, with some of the "whys" behind it that was more clear than what I previously had understood. Also her approach wasn't a "hell fire and damnation" if you weren't an environmental Nazi 24/7. There were some points I'd not previously thought about, so yes a good read!
May 4, 2012
Fairly simple and common sense tips on living green without impacting your life too much. Most of it I knew already, but still useful.
August 23, 2024
This was a surprise gift left on my desk at work. So far, it's been helpful. I enjoy any tips on being green.
October 2, 2012
Very informative on how to make small simple changes in your everyday life to live greener and healthier.
March 4, 2017
This book gave many practical tips to encourage you to be ecofriendly. It does not go into as much detail as the book "Less Plastic", which was much more persuasive.
July 11, 2013
Excellent collection of various strategies for green/frugal/efficient living. The author uses simple and methodical writing to get her point across.
April 5, 2025
Beautiful,poetic
Want to read
April 19, 2012[free nook book]
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