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Building a Better World in Your Backyard - Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys
Luxuriant Environmentalism
Make a huge, positive, global difference from your own home! Prioritize comfort over sacrifice while saving thousands of dollars. Explore dozens of solutions and their impacts on carbon footprint, petroleum footprint, toxic footprint, and other environmental issues.
If 20% of the population implemented half the solutions in this book, it would solve the biggest global problems. All without writing to politicians, joining protests, signing petitions, or being angry at the people that are causing the problems.
Good solutions are often different from conventional environmental wisdom. The average American adult has a carbon footprint of 30 tons per year. Replacing a petroleum car with an electric car will cut 2 tons. But if you live in a cold climate and you switch from electric heat to a rocket mass heater, you will cut 27 tons!
Join Paul and Shawn on a journey featuring simple alternatives that you may have never heard of -- alternatives which are about building a more symbiotic relationship with nature so we can all be even lazier.
Nurture nature and nature nurtures us all.
Make a huge, positive, global difference from your own home! Prioritize comfort over sacrifice while saving thousands of dollars. Explore dozens of solutions and their impacts on carbon footprint, petroleum footprint, toxic footprint, and other environmental issues.
If 20% of the population implemented half the solutions in this book, it would solve the biggest global problems. All without writing to politicians, joining protests, signing petitions, or being angry at the people that are causing the problems.
Good solutions are often different from conventional environmental wisdom. The average American adult has a carbon footprint of 30 tons per year. Replacing a petroleum car with an electric car will cut 2 tons. But if you live in a cold climate and you switch from electric heat to a rocket mass heater, you will cut 27 tons!
Join Paul and Shawn on a journey featuring simple alternatives that you may have never heard of -- alternatives which are about building a more symbiotic relationship with nature so we can all be even lazier.
Nurture nature and nature nurtures us all.
166 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2019
79 people are currently reading
1172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 5, 2019
As Buckminster Fuller said, "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." And this book is chock full of 'new models' of how to do a zillion things... on a human-scale, daily, weekly, here and there, that will have an accumulative, dramatic, real-world effect (while the 'big boys' are swatting down the 'ragers'). I think the important changes happen from the bottom up... and here's the guidebook.
October 13, 2019
Up front: I was one of the people who provided feedback on this book before it was published. I received a free copy in exchange. I'm pleased to see all my feedback was included.
Sometimes when you read a book, it sounds like the author. The book sounds like Paul. I enjoyed the aspects of humor including the phrase “possibly point and laugh” on the copyright page. Other elements of humor that made me smile included “the cancer fairy”, “My guess is that the boat was afraid of the dark”, “dirty cup CSI” and “it's not like the tree will run away while you are chasing it with a chainsaw.”
Parts of the book assume you have land. Even in those parts I learned something like “carrot poop” (exudates) and the “volunteer tomato” vs the “pampered tomato.” Other parts of the book apply to everyone including shampoo. It was also nice seeing diatomaceous earth covered in the book (this was the answer to a question a close family member had years ago).
Most of the book was easy to read. There were some parts that were hard because I can’t relate. And the vocabulary is tougher. For example, I know what a berm is but I still need to think about it. That’s said, I was able to follow all the parts which I wasn’t expecting going in. The parts that apply to everyone were easy to follow.
I also like how the book is meant to be passed around rather than kept forever. My copy is signed so I'm keeping that one. But Paul/Shawn sent me more copies. I was sure to donate a copy to the local library. Best way I can think of to pass a book around.
Sometimes when you read a book, it sounds like the author. The book sounds like Paul. I enjoyed the aspects of humor including the phrase “possibly point and laugh” on the copyright page. Other elements of humor that made me smile included “the cancer fairy”, “My guess is that the boat was afraid of the dark”, “dirty cup CSI” and “it's not like the tree will run away while you are chasing it with a chainsaw.”
Parts of the book assume you have land. Even in those parts I learned something like “carrot poop” (exudates) and the “volunteer tomato” vs the “pampered tomato.” Other parts of the book apply to everyone including shampoo. It was also nice seeing diatomaceous earth covered in the book (this was the answer to a question a close family member had years ago).
Most of the book was easy to read. There were some parts that were hard because I can’t relate. And the vocabulary is tougher. For example, I know what a berm is but I still need to think about it. That’s said, I was able to follow all the parts which I wasn’t expecting going in. The parts that apply to everyone were easy to follow.
I also like how the book is meant to be passed around rather than kept forever. My copy is signed so I'm keeping that one. But Paul/Shawn sent me more copies. I was sure to donate a copy to the local library. Best way I can think of to pass a book around.
January 12, 2020
This straightforward no nonsense book runs through numerous ways you and anyone can both have less negative impact on the world and still live what the authors call a luxurious life.
January 7, 2020
This book contains some great ways you can reduce your environmental footprint without reducing your luxury. They range from the simple ones that even I can do to rather complex ones suitable for folks building a new house.
Much of the material comes from the discussions and articles on permies.com, and there are copious links back to that site to allow you to learn more about many topics.
It's a quick read, but will give you years of ideas to work on.
Much of the material comes from the discussions and articles on permies.com, and there are copious links back to that site to allow you to learn more about many topics.
It's a quick read, but will give you years of ideas to work on.
August 10, 2022
I both read the book and listened to the podcasts discussing the chapters as they were written. The book is very well written and accessible. Many of the suggestions require little effort and just a bit of awareness. I supported the kickstarter and got ten books, most of which I have already given away.
Update: I donated a copy of this book to the North Hero (VT) Library's continuous book sale, along with the SKIP book. Who knows where they will end up?
Update: I donated a copy of this book to the North Hero (VT) Library's continuous book sale, along with the SKIP book. Who knows where they will end up?
May 5, 2020
PREMISE
When I heard that Paul Wheaton is self-publishing a book on Kickstarter I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.
Paul has been getting his hands dirty for years in Permaculture and sharing information in rambling podcasts and forum posts, and it was about time his knowledge and experience was condensed into a book.
On the other hand, I was apprehensive because having taken part in some of his previous Kickstarter campaigns, the end product never lived up to the hype (on top of massive delays and not so subtle unprofessionalism).
Nonetheless, I was very happy that the campaign killed it with the funding! It’s nice to see thinly disguised Permaculture books (*cough*Richard Perkins*cough*) doing so well in the crowdfunding space.
However, I skipped all that and just got the ebook after the campaign was over.
REVIEW
While promising to not shake angry fists at bad guys, Paul spares no amount of space identifying them throughout the book. The biggest bad guy seems to be toxins/toxicity and a quick search for “tox” brings up 114 hits. So this pretty much sets the theme for the book. Any technique not used by Paul is brushed aside as toxic. This classification is dubious at best.
References are provided throughout the book, all of which point to an online forum where rambling opinions and further unreferenced armchair “research” all clearly show that the truth is dispensed by the Gospel of Paul (there are barely any references that don’t originate with him).
Which leads me to the biggest problem I have with this book - it's one big opinion. If you're looking for an Eco Guru to follow, Paul is the one! His experience is based on communal living on sloped land surrounded by conifer trees in Montana, and if this is not your conext well I’m sorry but you just won’t be able to build a better world. The solutions provided for his very specific circumstances will translate poorly when applied to most other locations.
Some specific ideas that I don’t think would translate well elsewhere include: light bulbs for heating, people heating with RMH (there are good reasons why interest in them is still relatively low), “just do it with conifers”, composting poop on a hill, Wofati building, seeding fruit trees.
It’s also unclear how many ideas have been realized outside of the author’s head? There’s not a single photo in the book and no real demonstration of any of his concepts in practice. Going down the rabbit hole of rambling forum references doesn’t elucidate this either. I can imagine his Wofati house design having massive problems in various scenarios. I wonder if any people actually live in Wofatis year-round? Seems to me a rushed way to present this as the housing solution that will save the planet, as it’s completely untested.
I’m all for testing new ideas and experimenting, if only the presentation wasn’t so pompous and obnoxious. “My hypothetical brainstorms clearly trump other people’s real-life applied solutions that have been working for years and decades” is the style employed throughout the book.
This might seem like harsh criticism, but I think it’s about damn time for Paul to go on a diet of humble pie and provide more substance in the content he releases. Overpromising and under-delivering has come to be closely associated with the Wheaton brand in Permaculture circles. I say all this in the hope of providing candid feedback for improvement and I wish that all of his future crowdfunding projects are as (or more) successful as this one.
On a positive note, I think Paul does an excellent job of introducing people to Permaculture thinking and demystifing some of the more superficial “environmental” high-profile approaches including energy, heating, diet and more.
CONCLUSION
Very easy and entertaining read with some excellent starting points for people who are looking to reduce their environmental footprint. I would recommend using this book as a book of ideas instead of tried and tested techniques, and experimenting your way into methods that fit with your specific context.
When I heard that Paul Wheaton is self-publishing a book on Kickstarter I was excited and apprehensive at the same time.
Paul has been getting his hands dirty for years in Permaculture and sharing information in rambling podcasts and forum posts, and it was about time his knowledge and experience was condensed into a book.
On the other hand, I was apprehensive because having taken part in some of his previous Kickstarter campaigns, the end product never lived up to the hype (on top of massive delays and not so subtle unprofessionalism).
Nonetheless, I was very happy that the campaign killed it with the funding! It’s nice to see thinly disguised Permaculture books (*cough*Richard Perkins*cough*) doing so well in the crowdfunding space.
However, I skipped all that and just got the ebook after the campaign was over.
REVIEW
While promising to not shake angry fists at bad guys, Paul spares no amount of space identifying them throughout the book. The biggest bad guy seems to be toxins/toxicity and a quick search for “tox” brings up 114 hits. So this pretty much sets the theme for the book. Any technique not used by Paul is brushed aside as toxic. This classification is dubious at best.
References are provided throughout the book, all of which point to an online forum where rambling opinions and further unreferenced armchair “research” all clearly show that the truth is dispensed by the Gospel of Paul (there are barely any references that don’t originate with him).
Which leads me to the biggest problem I have with this book - it's one big opinion. If you're looking for an Eco Guru to follow, Paul is the one! His experience is based on communal living on sloped land surrounded by conifer trees in Montana, and if this is not your conext well I’m sorry but you just won’t be able to build a better world. The solutions provided for his very specific circumstances will translate poorly when applied to most other locations.
Some specific ideas that I don’t think would translate well elsewhere include: light bulbs for heating, people heating with RMH (there are good reasons why interest in them is still relatively low), “just do it with conifers”, composting poop on a hill, Wofati building, seeding fruit trees.
It’s also unclear how many ideas have been realized outside of the author’s head? There’s not a single photo in the book and no real demonstration of any of his concepts in practice. Going down the rabbit hole of rambling forum references doesn’t elucidate this either. I can imagine his Wofati house design having massive problems in various scenarios. I wonder if any people actually live in Wofatis year-round? Seems to me a rushed way to present this as the housing solution that will save the planet, as it’s completely untested.
I’m all for testing new ideas and experimenting, if only the presentation wasn’t so pompous and obnoxious. “My hypothetical brainstorms clearly trump other people’s real-life applied solutions that have been working for years and decades” is the style employed throughout the book.
This might seem like harsh criticism, but I think it’s about damn time for Paul to go on a diet of humble pie and provide more substance in the content he releases. Overpromising and under-delivering has come to be closely associated with the Wheaton brand in Permaculture circles. I say all this in the hope of providing candid feedback for improvement and I wish that all of his future crowdfunding projects are as (or more) successful as this one.
On a positive note, I think Paul does an excellent job of introducing people to Permaculture thinking and demystifing some of the more superficial “environmental” high-profile approaches including energy, heating, diet and more.
CONCLUSION
Very easy and entertaining read with some excellent starting points for people who are looking to reduce their environmental footprint. I would recommend using this book as a book of ideas instead of tried and tested techniques, and experimenting your way into methods that fit with your specific context.
January 12, 2020
I've read plenty of books about the problem, but far fewer books that give concrete, actionable ideas that are as simple as, *don't put artificial fertilizers or herbicides on your lawn.* That simple act will not only decrease fossil fuel use (which is what artificial fertilizer is made from), but it will save the rivers and oceans that receive the rain run-off from your lawn, start to return carbon to the soil of your lawn, a mixed lawn (mine has crocus that just finished blooming and English Daisy starting to bloom) will support local bees, and keeping the grass looking more like a shag rug than Berber carpet saves more time and energy in the mowing department and conserves water. This is the rabbit hole leading from just one chapter of this inspiring book.
Some of the most critical ideas in this book will stretch people's minds about "what our neighborhood should look like", but it is big business that profit from the current image. Grocery chains and Big Oil profit from the policy of planting ornamental rather than edible fruit trees on boulevards and in parks. Many companies profit from convincing people to buy piles of cheap consumer goods rather than heading over to Permies dot com where we talk about how to grow it, build it, nurture it, cook with it, clean with it, all the time.
Some of the most critical ideas in this book will stretch people's minds about "what our neighborhood should look like", but it is big business that profit from the current image. Grocery chains and Big Oil profit from the policy of planting ornamental rather than edible fruit trees on boulevards and in parks. Many companies profit from convincing people to buy piles of cheap consumer goods rather than heading over to Permies dot com where we talk about how to grow it, build it, nurture it, cook with it, clean with it, all the time.
December 24, 2019
It is derived from the hope that was left in Pandora's box.
A calm calming voice in the stampede of chickens running around without their heads.
The immediacy and urgency of modernity is helping to distract from the perspective we so desperately need to properly effect our future in positive ways.
Some simple, some not so easy, steps to build a better world, to get to a more sustainable and productive life.
Building a better world in your backyard, even works when you don't (yet?) have a back yard to work int.
A calm calming voice in the stampede of chickens running around without their heads.
The immediacy and urgency of modernity is helping to distract from the perspective we so desperately need to properly effect our future in positive ways.
Some simple, some not so easy, steps to build a better world, to get to a more sustainable and productive life.
Building a better world in your backyard, even works when you don't (yet?) have a back yard to work int.
January 14, 2020
I live in a cold climate, so this book is tailored exactly for my needs. I'm in a transition phase between corporate job and early retirement combined with homesteading, so it fits perfectly my situation. I was an avid reader of permies.com and Paul's writings for over six years, so after reading the table of contents I was pretty sure that "I know it all". I was wrong.
The book sums it up. It makes connections between separate topics I thought I knew, by providing metrics for each problem and solution. It is deeply rooted in original meaning of permaculture, it is positivistic and down to earth practical. The book encourages you to take action and to lead by example, which is exactly what I'm trying to do on my small scale. It gives you opportunity to see your score on the Wheaton Eco Scale, which is pretty good reality check of how "green" you are.
In the book everyone will find something that can be applied in own backyard or homestead. Arsenal of techniques is rich: hugels, trees, perennial, wind, polycultures, composting, lawn care, rotational grazing, animal care, fencing, bees, natural swimming pools and famous wofati - a truly ecological building. It even answers a fundamental question where to pee and introduces some diversity to this noble task.
The biggest surprise in this book is that, although it is 200 pages long, it actually never ends. For each concept presented in the book, a link is provided. The links make it very easy to find a reference to the particular concept in a jungle of posts on permies.com - the book can be expanded enormously by following the links! Whooping number of over 350 links! And if it is still not enough, you can ask for more information there, and nice folks will surely help you out.
After attempting to practice permaculture for a couple of years, I know that some things are not as simple, as the book describes them, and before trying to implement them in your own backyard, you'd better follow the links and learn more. This book content-forum content connection is precious and allows me to give this book the highest score. And it is so … permaculture.
I have cackled wildly at least once, with permission of the author :) Why? Read chapter 10. The Story of Gert was a life changer to me some time ago when it has appeared on permies.com for the first time, and I hope it will change way more lives (thanks Paul, I owe you).
As Conclusions chapter says, we have to "share the problems and a set of spiffy solutions that can be done at home." and that's exactly what this book is about. It is a book for eco-warrior, not for an unwitting eco-poser. As the book says "for nearly every global problem, there are solutions we can implement in our backyard that save us money and help us live more luxuriant lives." Let's do it now!
The book sums it up. It makes connections between separate topics I thought I knew, by providing metrics for each problem and solution. It is deeply rooted in original meaning of permaculture, it is positivistic and down to earth practical. The book encourages you to take action and to lead by example, which is exactly what I'm trying to do on my small scale. It gives you opportunity to see your score on the Wheaton Eco Scale, which is pretty good reality check of how "green" you are.
In the book everyone will find something that can be applied in own backyard or homestead. Arsenal of techniques is rich: hugels, trees, perennial, wind, polycultures, composting, lawn care, rotational grazing, animal care, fencing, bees, natural swimming pools and famous wofati - a truly ecological building. It even answers a fundamental question where to pee and introduces some diversity to this noble task.
The biggest surprise in this book is that, although it is 200 pages long, it actually never ends. For each concept presented in the book, a link is provided. The links make it very easy to find a reference to the particular concept in a jungle of posts on permies.com - the book can be expanded enormously by following the links! Whooping number of over 350 links! And if it is still not enough, you can ask for more information there, and nice folks will surely help you out.
After attempting to practice permaculture for a couple of years, I know that some things are not as simple, as the book describes them, and before trying to implement them in your own backyard, you'd better follow the links and learn more. This book content-forum content connection is precious and allows me to give this book the highest score. And it is so … permaculture.
I have cackled wildly at least once, with permission of the author :) Why? Read chapter 10. The Story of Gert was a life changer to me some time ago when it has appeared on permies.com for the first time, and I hope it will change way more lives (thanks Paul, I owe you).
As Conclusions chapter says, we have to "share the problems and a set of spiffy solutions that can be done at home." and that's exactly what this book is about. It is a book for eco-warrior, not for an unwitting eco-poser. As the book says "for nearly every global problem, there are solutions we can implement in our backyard that save us money and help us live more luxuriant lives." Let's do it now!
February 13, 2020
This book is full of ideas for cutting one's carbon footprint and saving money, and they're not the ones many of us have heard of before. They range from growing food (the most important suggestion) to community living, to heating more efficiently by heating the person not the place, to drying cloths on a clothesline, and a whole lot more! They're ways to save the word without having to battle the bad guys--we just starve them of their money and have a more awesome life in the process.
Paul and Shawn use the word "luxuriant" a lot. This isn't the kind of luxuriant that's had at other's expense, but rather just having a easier, more enjoyable life. I really appreciate the suggestions in this book--they're inspiring and there's something in this book that all of us can do right now, even if we can't do it all. Every little bit helps!
The illustrations really pull this book together! Being artistically inclined, I'm always a bit bummed when books are poorly illustrated and the illustrations distract rather than aid the book. The illustrations in this book add so much to it, keeping it fun and interesting and beautiful and helping explain concepts.
This is a great book, and I got a bunch of extra copies to distribute to all the "little libraries" I find!
Paul and Shawn use the word "luxuriant" a lot. This isn't the kind of luxuriant that's had at other's expense, but rather just having a easier, more enjoyable life. I really appreciate the suggestions in this book--they're inspiring and there's something in this book that all of us can do right now, even if we can't do it all. Every little bit helps!
The illustrations really pull this book together! Being artistically inclined, I'm always a bit bummed when books are poorly illustrated and the illustrations distract rather than aid the book. The illustrations in this book add so much to it, keeping it fun and interesting and beautiful and helping explain concepts.
This is a great book, and I got a bunch of extra copies to distribute to all the "little libraries" I find!
January 13, 2020
Want to stop bitching and moaning about the state of the world? Want to find concrete ways to clean up your piece of it? This gem of a book is a door opener to a myriad of ways to do your part, save money, improve your health, and--wait for it--get to feel virtuous. Buy it, read it, pass it on...better yet, buy two copies, pass one on and keep the other for reference. Information leavened with humor. What could be better?
January 13, 2020
Finally, some direction on simple things that anyone can do to actually change the world around them. And more importantly to not damage the world beneath their feet. A lot of the books on the environment focus on the problem and why the world is doomed. Paul Wheaton delivers some easy to follow guidelines to actually stop adding to the mess and clean up your own side of the street, and back yard.
January 12, 2020
Everyone should read this because while no one (probably) can do everything in this book, everyone can do something here .
January 12, 2020
Easy to read and full of wonderful and implementable suggestions for improving your life, environment, and your impact on the earth. Not everything discussed will apply to everyone, but there is something in it for everyone.
January 17, 2020
Excellent information with interesting perspectives. All topics are presented in small bites with a great deal of information packed into a small space. Get at least 2 copies and give one away.
December 23, 2020
Big fan of the "don't be angry at bad guys" theme. Not every specific solution here would apply to all people in all climates, but the thought process will.
May 2, 2020
Interesting, easy to read, and doesn't take itself too seriously. While I'm probably Wheaton Eco Level 2 right now, I do intend to work on rising through the ranks!
February 26, 2020
When it comes to nonfiction environmental books these days, I feel that we’re reaching “peek dystopia.”
Or, at least I hope we are. Because it seems that between books about our warming planet, animal extinction, water shortages and wars, I’m sufficiently enlightened and depressed.
What we don’t have enough of these days are hands-on books about doing something to make the world better right in your own backyard, which is the subtitle of this very practical and subservisely entertaining book by Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop.
I was already familiar with Paul Wheaton through the website he founded Permies.com. If you want to know everything about permaculture, homesteading, solar power, you name it, this is a very good place to start.
And this book is in many ways a “best of” Permies.com.
The authors are promoting what they call “luxuriant environmentalism.” By that, they’re saying that you can still be comfortable and sustainable. And you can save money along the way. In other words, just because you can’t afford a Tesla and a solar array doesn’t mean you can’t achieve significant energy savings. And they’re right. A Tesla, after all, is just a really big lithium-ion battery — which carries a host of its own environmental baggage. So why not just focus on the little things, like light bulbs and the thermostat and cutting back on the clothes dryer.
Where the book shines is in its focus on permaculture. Permaculture is a word I find difficult to explain because its really a way of life. It’s about recycling, about keeping chemicals out of the soil, about gardening in ways that work with the soil and not against it, and about getting along with all those critters that we’ve been raised to believe are pests.
As a vegan, I was worried the book would focus too much on using animals (as so much of homesteading does) but the book is actually much more about saving energy, smarter gardening, Hugelkultur (sounds complicated but not, and very cool), and healthier living. It’s impossible to cover everything in this book — like building a “freaky cheap home that doesn’t look freaky cheap,” or “better than solar panels: a solar food dehidrator.” But I guarantee that by the end of this book you’ll find a nugget or two of advice (probably many more) that will help you improve the world and your life.
In the end, we need to spend less time complaining about how those in power are ruining the planet (which they are!) and focus on what we can do. As Paul writes:
Nearly all these massive problems are caused, indirectly, by us. By you. And when we get angry at “them” it turns out that we paid “them” to create this problem. . . . The problem is ourselves. We need to own our own shit. We need to clean our own backyard and stop feeding the monsters that are, in turn, harming (and even killing) our friends and families. If we stop giving money to the monsters, they stop being monsters.
NOTE: This review was first posted on EcoLitBooks.com.
Or, at least I hope we are. Because it seems that between books about our warming planet, animal extinction, water shortages and wars, I’m sufficiently enlightened and depressed.
What we don’t have enough of these days are hands-on books about doing something to make the world better right in your own backyard, which is the subtitle of this very practical and subservisely entertaining book by Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop.
I was already familiar with Paul Wheaton through the website he founded Permies.com. If you want to know everything about permaculture, homesteading, solar power, you name it, this is a very good place to start.
And this book is in many ways a “best of” Permies.com.
The authors are promoting what they call “luxuriant environmentalism.” By that, they’re saying that you can still be comfortable and sustainable. And you can save money along the way. In other words, just because you can’t afford a Tesla and a solar array doesn’t mean you can’t achieve significant energy savings. And they’re right. A Tesla, after all, is just a really big lithium-ion battery — which carries a host of its own environmental baggage. So why not just focus on the little things, like light bulbs and the thermostat and cutting back on the clothes dryer.
Where the book shines is in its focus on permaculture. Permaculture is a word I find difficult to explain because its really a way of life. It’s about recycling, about keeping chemicals out of the soil, about gardening in ways that work with the soil and not against it, and about getting along with all those critters that we’ve been raised to believe are pests.
As a vegan, I was worried the book would focus too much on using animals (as so much of homesteading does) but the book is actually much more about saving energy, smarter gardening, Hugelkultur (sounds complicated but not, and very cool), and healthier living. It’s impossible to cover everything in this book — like building a “freaky cheap home that doesn’t look freaky cheap,” or “better than solar panels: a solar food dehidrator.” But I guarantee that by the end of this book you’ll find a nugget or two of advice (probably many more) that will help you improve the world and your life.
In the end, we need to spend less time complaining about how those in power are ruining the planet (which they are!) and focus on what we can do. As Paul writes:
Nearly all these massive problems are caused, indirectly, by us. By you. And when we get angry at “them” it turns out that we paid “them” to create this problem. . . . The problem is ourselves. We need to own our own shit. We need to clean our own backyard and stop feeding the monsters that are, in turn, harming (and even killing) our friends and families. If we stop giving money to the monsters, they stop being monsters.
NOTE: This review was first posted on EcoLitBooks.com.
March 21, 2020
"I'm gonna shine my light so others can shine theirs." That's what I get. If you're looking for the answer to everything, don't panic. It's 42. Meanwhile, some of us are on the way to a better world of our own making with this introduction to developing sustainable communities with realistic understandings.
Complex concepts, practical insights, discussing the unspeakable (poop, glorious poop!), exploring solutions, and more are presented with levity and writing that is fun to follow. They provoke thought and inspire action aside deeper contemplation, while leaving room for a reader to envision a dream and path of their own.
With the first read, my overall impression was they don't 'tell what to do' as much as say, "This is what we've learned so far, your move."
With the second read, I appreciated the lack of catering to instant gratification that leads to mindless action and consumerism. Broad views with sufficient detail to use as a springboard for further dreaming, purposeful scheming, and with time, manifesting that dream. No cheap shots at those who capitalize on apathy, anger, fear, and who make it necessary to stand up and speak out. Rather, careful aim is taken at the bulls eye of our pains, with sure follow through by outlining what can be done.
It's easy to think you can buy a book that claims to contain 'everything you need to know', then dive in. If you go that route, you may first want to put a mattress in the bottom of that hole and don't breathe. It's gonna stink when you realize there isn't enough paper in the world to write such a book. The diving in part is a fantastic idea, however this book is the mattress you probably want to land on to get your thinking dirty first, then your hands and feet.
I'm grateful they took time to write this book for the rest of us who strive toward inner and outer self-sustainability. I am already buying copies to share. Thank you, Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop.
Complex concepts, practical insights, discussing the unspeakable (poop, glorious poop!), exploring solutions, and more are presented with levity and writing that is fun to follow. They provoke thought and inspire action aside deeper contemplation, while leaving room for a reader to envision a dream and path of their own.
With the first read, my overall impression was they don't 'tell what to do' as much as say, "This is what we've learned so far, your move."
With the second read, I appreciated the lack of catering to instant gratification that leads to mindless action and consumerism. Broad views with sufficient detail to use as a springboard for further dreaming, purposeful scheming, and with time, manifesting that dream. No cheap shots at those who capitalize on apathy, anger, fear, and who make it necessary to stand up and speak out. Rather, careful aim is taken at the bulls eye of our pains, with sure follow through by outlining what can be done.
It's easy to think you can buy a book that claims to contain 'everything you need to know', then dive in. If you go that route, you may first want to put a mattress in the bottom of that hole and don't breathe. It's gonna stink when you realize there isn't enough paper in the world to write such a book. The diving in part is a fantastic idea, however this book is the mattress you probably want to land on to get your thinking dirty first, then your hands and feet.
I'm grateful they took time to write this book for the rest of us who strive toward inner and outer self-sustainability. I am already buying copies to share. Thank you, Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop.
January 23, 2021
Much of this book went over my head because the lifestyle it proposes is much different than the one I've lived and am living.
Still, it was good food for thought and it introduced me to topics I want to learn more about:
- Permaculture
- Hügelkultur
- Conserving graywater
- Design for a better swimming pool
- Design for a 21st century outhouse
- Wofati
- Going without soap and shampoo
Still, it was good food for thought and it introduced me to topics I want to learn more about:
- Permaculture
- Hügelkultur
- Conserving graywater
- Design for a better swimming pool
- Design for a 21st century outhouse
- Wofati
- Going without soap and shampoo
April 16, 2020
This book is the best! It comes at the right time to save our planet and the environment. The author shows us simple ways at home we can heal our planet. Kudos to the author.
NYC-S Rosen
NYC-S Rosen
October 18, 2020
Exceptionally dense tome of information about how to work on bettering the world starting with yourself.
October 27, 2019
For anyone who is not already familiar with the world of permaculture, this is a great introduction to it. For those who are familiar, I'm sure there will be at least some ideas in this book that are new to you or offer an alternative (maybe cheaper and more luxurious) way of doing something.
The humor interjected throughout keeps this non-fiction book entertaining and easy to read, and it is refreshingly optimistic about how much an individual can help make a better world.
My only gripe would be that for most of the solutions that involve building something, there's not enough detail to go start implementing after reading this book. But there are plenty of footnoted resources provided that you can go check out to find more information. And I can understand the decision to leave out all of the details as it does make the book more approachable and digestible than it otherwise would be, and I think the main goal is to get the ideas out to as many people as possible.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was the comparisons of the impacts of different solutions. That way you can (roughly) quantify your efforts and decide where that effort is best spent. What's even better though, is that most solutions offer a way to do something that not only helps the planet, but that will also be cheaper and more luxuriant than what you're already doing. It makes many solutions appealing regardless of the environmental benefit.
Read it, then pass it on.
The humor interjected throughout keeps this non-fiction book entertaining and easy to read, and it is refreshingly optimistic about how much an individual can help make a better world.
My only gripe would be that for most of the solutions that involve building something, there's not enough detail to go start implementing after reading this book. But there are plenty of footnoted resources provided that you can go check out to find more information. And I can understand the decision to leave out all of the details as it does make the book more approachable and digestible than it otherwise would be, and I think the main goal is to get the ideas out to as many people as possible.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was the comparisons of the impacts of different solutions. That way you can (roughly) quantify your efforts and decide where that effort is best spent. What's even better though, is that most solutions offer a way to do something that not only helps the planet, but that will also be cheaper and more luxuriant than what you're already doing. It makes many solutions appealing regardless of the environmental benefit.
Read it, then pass it on.
December 8, 2020
I loved this little book! Full of practical advice, easy to read (and funny) and very inspiring.
June 3, 2021
Quick, informative read which if l’d refer back to in the future. Some parts are not so relevant for my Southern Hemisphere context but that’s okay!
November 12, 2020
I was seriously impressed with this book. It's well-written and filled with lots of interesting ideas.
The aim of Building a Better World is to help the reader make an impact—not by being a better and louder complainer, but in realistic practical ways and without sacrificing personal comfort. The authors define this as "luxuriant environmentalism." That in itself ought to grab your attention, because most people claiming to try to save the planet tell us we need to make personal sacrifices to do that saving. The ideas in this book, however, offer less wasteful but comfortable lifestyle changes that will also save you money. Following is a rundown of what you will find.
Part 1. Do you already consider yourself environmentally conscientious? The first section of this book will absolutely challenge you on that. The authors begin with a very simple test, and then challenge some of the popular eco-ideas with which we've been greenwashed. This section wraps up by presenting three different footprints which can all be reduced without a sacrifice to personal comfort: carbon footprint, petroleum footprint, and toxic footprint.
Part 2 addresses general strategies to reduce these three footprints. It begins with the Wheaton Eco Scale, which gives the reader a chance to see how they realistically line up on a scale of zero to ten.
Several interesting ideas are presented. One is a system of rating the production of food according to its carbon footprint: from the Standard American Diet (SAD) of purchased foods with its footprint of 10.5 tons of carbon, down to VORP grown (virgin—i.e. raw, fresh, or minimally processed—, strictly organic, rich soil, polyculture/permaculture) with a carbon footprint of -1. Another interesting idea is to label foods with a GAT score indicating the amount of government-mandated acceptable levels of toxicity in each food item.
Part 3 addresses reducing energy consumption within the walls of your home, but without sacrificing personal comfort. Analyzes general energy usage in typical homes and numerous small and easy ways to make a big impact. Chapter 15 offers numerous ways to reduce the toxic footprint in your home, all economical and easy to do.
Part 4 is entitled "More Than Half of Each Footprint Can Be Resolved in a Backyard." Of course, not everyone has a backyard, but you'll still find an interesting discussion of possibilities. The ideas in this section start with the easiest ("Double the Food with One Tenth the Effort") and progress to ideas that will take a little more work but reap huge benefits ("Harvesting Electricity in Your Backyard" and "The Conventional Lawn vs a Mowable Meadow.") Also discusses the dark side of native plants, 20 things to do with twigs that fall in your yard, not composting, and greywater recycling.
Part 5 offers even more ideas for those with the ability to homestead. Entitled "Counter the Footprint of 20 People on a Homestead," it discusses the benefits (to everyone) of livestock, replacing petroleum with people, dealing with poop and pee, natural swimming pools, and why you should destroy your orchard! (Shocked? Read the book for a great reason why!) For those entertaining the idea of building their own home, there's an excellent chapter on "A Building Design That Solves Almost Everything."
Part 6, "Conclusion," summarizes the book's message nicely.
One thing that impresses me about this book is that the authors respect folks who have different opinions regarding environmental problems and their causes. This is important because no one responds well to criticism about their beliefs and opinions. If we truly believe things need to be changed, then we can only be successful through cooperation. The authors acknowledge there are differences of opinion, and then go on to give an extremely compelling rationale for adopting the ideas advocated in the book.
So. Do you want to make a difference without sacrificing comfort? Then this book is for you. Do you want to cut your bills and save money? Then this book is for you. A must-have for every home and community library.
The aim of Building a Better World is to help the reader make an impact—not by being a better and louder complainer, but in realistic practical ways and without sacrificing personal comfort. The authors define this as "luxuriant environmentalism." That in itself ought to grab your attention, because most people claiming to try to save the planet tell us we need to make personal sacrifices to do that saving. The ideas in this book, however, offer less wasteful but comfortable lifestyle changes that will also save you money. Following is a rundown of what you will find.
Part 1. Do you already consider yourself environmentally conscientious? The first section of this book will absolutely challenge you on that. The authors begin with a very simple test, and then challenge some of the popular eco-ideas with which we've been greenwashed. This section wraps up by presenting three different footprints which can all be reduced without a sacrifice to personal comfort: carbon footprint, petroleum footprint, and toxic footprint.
Part 2 addresses general strategies to reduce these three footprints. It begins with the Wheaton Eco Scale, which gives the reader a chance to see how they realistically line up on a scale of zero to ten.
Several interesting ideas are presented. One is a system of rating the production of food according to its carbon footprint: from the Standard American Diet (SAD) of purchased foods with its footprint of 10.5 tons of carbon, down to VORP grown (virgin—i.e. raw, fresh, or minimally processed—, strictly organic, rich soil, polyculture/permaculture) with a carbon footprint of -1. Another interesting idea is to label foods with a GAT score indicating the amount of government-mandated acceptable levels of toxicity in each food item.
Part 3 addresses reducing energy consumption within the walls of your home, but without sacrificing personal comfort. Analyzes general energy usage in typical homes and numerous small and easy ways to make a big impact. Chapter 15 offers numerous ways to reduce the toxic footprint in your home, all economical and easy to do.
Part 4 is entitled "More Than Half of Each Footprint Can Be Resolved in a Backyard." Of course, not everyone has a backyard, but you'll still find an interesting discussion of possibilities. The ideas in this section start with the easiest ("Double the Food with One Tenth the Effort") and progress to ideas that will take a little more work but reap huge benefits ("Harvesting Electricity in Your Backyard" and "The Conventional Lawn vs a Mowable Meadow.") Also discusses the dark side of native plants, 20 things to do with twigs that fall in your yard, not composting, and greywater recycling.
Part 5 offers even more ideas for those with the ability to homestead. Entitled "Counter the Footprint of 20 People on a Homestead," it discusses the benefits (to everyone) of livestock, replacing petroleum with people, dealing with poop and pee, natural swimming pools, and why you should destroy your orchard! (Shocked? Read the book for a great reason why!) For those entertaining the idea of building their own home, there's an excellent chapter on "A Building Design That Solves Almost Everything."
Part 6, "Conclusion," summarizes the book's message nicely.
One thing that impresses me about this book is that the authors respect folks who have different opinions regarding environmental problems and their causes. This is important because no one responds well to criticism about their beliefs and opinions. If we truly believe things need to be changed, then we can only be successful through cooperation. The authors acknowledge there are differences of opinion, and then go on to give an extremely compelling rationale for adopting the ideas advocated in the book.
So. Do you want to make a difference without sacrificing comfort? Then this book is for you. Do you want to cut your bills and save money? Then this book is for you. A must-have for every home and community library.
May 31, 2021
This is more a list of good ideas than a deep dive how-to kind of thing. Wheaton's conversational style is fun to read, and I am very interested in meeting him to verify that he truly does not stink (as he states in the chapter on going pooless).
Some of the smaller ideas seem very doable to me (for example, building multiple income streams to move the reader toward their permaculture dreams) without lots of step-by-step instruction, maybe because I've read more in those areas. Other ideas--building a wofati or a dry composting toilet--seem pretty intimidating, at least to me.
Overall, a fun read, and a good overview of Wheaton's philosophy.
Some of the smaller ideas seem very doable to me (for example, building multiple income streams to move the reader toward their permaculture dreams) without lots of step-by-step instruction, maybe because I've read more in those areas. Other ideas--building a wofati or a dry composting toilet--seem pretty intimidating, at least to me.
Overall, a fun read, and a good overview of Wheaton's philosophy.
July 7, 2021
This is a book that made me rethink some of the so-called environmentally conscious things I do like using energy-saving lightbulbs and composting (not good enough!). Two friends read this book before I did and passed it on to me. The author has a page at the front where you write down your name and then pass on the book to someone else, so fewer books have to be printed and bought--great idea!
One thing I can do right away is dig a hole in my back yard and put all the branches there instead of leaving them on my curb for the wood chipper to come by and chew them up--less petroleum used and more nutrients in my backyard for all the plants I grow.
One thing I can do right away is dig a hole in my back yard and put all the branches there instead of leaving them on my curb for the wood chipper to come by and chew them up--less petroleum used and more nutrients in my backyard for all the plants I grow.
January 31, 2021
Excellent book with tons of great ideas. Lots more ideas than answers, but definitely thought provoking, and something I will be recommending to anyone interested in being green and/or growing their own food.
January 14, 2020
There are many chapters that did not interest me, but plenty of novel information to make it worth it.
The author has a good sense of humor that permeates this book and makes it a pleasure to read.
The author has a good sense of humor that permeates this book and makes it a pleasure to read.
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