Sep/10
9
Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life
5 Comments · Posted by admin in Books
Product Description
Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to “go green”? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don’t know where to start? Don’t stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an …
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EarthFriendly · Gorgeously · Green · Life · Simple · Steps
· September 9, 2010 at 12:43 am
I tried really hard to love this book. While I truly admire Sophie Uliano’s enthusiasm and witty tone, there are few “buts” that were quite annoying. What’s worse, these nasty “buts” made me question whether the advice given in the book is authentic, useful, and genuine.
1. Do yourself a favour and skip the beauty section of the book. Ms Uliano had to spend more time researching before writing a segment on green beauty. Many of “organic” and “green” products she recommends are loaded with potentially toxic substances such as synthetic preservatives and fragrances. Consistency is key. Poorly researched tips in one section undermine author’s credibility in other areas, and in general undermine reader’s trust in the whole green living thing.
2. While the book is very informative and packed with easy tips, most chapters look like a link exchange section of a website. Too many links to websites – and some aren’t that relevant. What’s more irritating, the author blatantly promotes her own website on every page. It may be fun once or twice, but not in every chapter.Sometimes it feels like the author didn’t really care about adding more information to the book – why bother if you can easily upload all the articles online?
Speaking of online: most of the tips can be easily found online FOR FREE.
3. Too many typos. It’s “Herbatint”, not “Hebatint”, mind you. And this hair dye is so chemically loaded, you shouldn’t really mention it in a green living guide. When I found ten typos, I stopped counting, and I wasn’t even in the middle of the book. I know, it’s not the author’s fault, it’s the publisher’s lack of effort, but still. Such things don’t support the idea of importance of green living.
In general, the book is an easy uplifting read that may convert few babyboomers into “green girls”.
Rating: 3 / 5
· September 9, 2010 at 1:04 am
This book has sections for every green aspect of life. I wish I could give it four and a half stars because overall it’s great to have, but does have a few *minor* problems. It seems to be targeted at thirty to forty something mothers with young children, but I’m none of the above (20s single) and still found this book to be jammed packed with useful information. My favorite section was the beauty one. I was using a natural moisturizer I thought was pretty safe but instead turned out to be a 7 out of 10 hazard on the Cosmetic Database! The book also includes an enlightening section on yoga routines which actually seem doable. The house section is all encompassing, from your mattress down to your shower cleaner. Uliano also provides a handful of skincare recipes which are easy and straightforward. There were somethings that did annoy me with this book, though as I said before they are all minor. Number 1 is that the first chapter can just be ignored, it was boring and really didn’t seem to have a point. 2nd is that there are several noticeable typos throughout the book (minor, once again). 3rd, Uliano plugs her website throughout all the sections. If you want to use any of the checklists or quizzes she has created, you need to register on the website first. It’s a bit off-putting. 4th, I wish there were more food recipes provided. 5th, a few of her tips seem a bit extreme, i.e. I’m probably not going to pack any carrot sticks the next time I go to the movies or an amusement park. 6th, and this is my biggest gripe, I wish she would include some information on the cost of some of the products and services she mentions! All-in-all, I’m very happy with this book. It has at least a brief overview of everything you could think about greening up (even weddings and dry cleaning) and has literally TONS of useful websites and resources in every section (except the first, which as I said before, is rather aimless). While this book probably won’t make you look like the Vargas girl on the front, it will help you live your life in a more earth-friendly manner. I know I’ll be referencing it for years to come.
Rating: 4 / 5
· September 9, 2010 at 2:24 am
Though this book has some great tips and is fairly easy to read, it could have been summed up in maybe half the pages the author actually used (saving many trees, of course). I found many of her tips to be a bit silly, and her lack of descriptive vocabulary (must everything be “simply to die for” and/or “gorgeous”?) boring. The list of fashion vendors provided in Chapter 4 seems more like shameless free advertising. Some of the vendors no longer exist, and many are quite expensive. Save your money and check out websites or the local library for more up-to-date advice, or start a green group to discuss alternatives to eco-friendly living instead.
Rating: 2 / 5
· September 9, 2010 at 3:46 am
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I found it to be very cute, but a bit of a puff piece.
There’s alot of tid bits of information, but nothing substantial. Some information is conflicting – on one page Sophie says she avoids microwaves and doesn’t want it altering the molecules in her food. Yet, on another page, she writes that the microwave is the most eco-friendly way to cook, as it uses the least amount of energy.
And yoga sun salutations and exercise instructions don’t belong in a green guide. They just don’t!
I also purchased Easy Green Living by Renee Loux and found it to be much more substantial and informative – like a mini encyclopedia on what you need to do to live green.
Rating: 1 / 5
· September 9, 2010 at 5:27 am
I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I think it has a lot of good advice that can be easily applied. On a positive note, it is clearly written for women. The jokes, comments, etc. always refer to “The Gorgeously Green Girl” which makes this book a great gift for female friends and family members. For myself, I found it a bit annoying after a while but could overlook it. The book does contain many, many websites which left me with the impression that everything green that I would be buying must be ordered online! This is not the case. My local health food store carried many of the natural soaps, shampoos, feminine products, etc. mentioned in the book which was a lot easier and cheaper to buy locally. The book does not just focus on women’s issues either. There is great advice regarding wrapping your hot water tank, buying Smartstrips to turn your computer completely off, and how to garden organically. I really think you can only benefit from reading this book.
Rating: 5 / 5