Earth Day Books

I got this book for my mom for Christmas, who really likes it so far. I read through it first and was impressed with the layout and extra things that made this cookbook unique and interesting. I love how it helps with eating in the seasons. So many recipes looked intriguing, although I haven't had a chance to make any yet. I'm excited to get another copy for myself!

I have had this book since it was published. It is not only informative, but provides an easy way to dip your cooking skills into the waters of whole food cooking in an easy and educational way. My favorites are Black Bean and Polenta Casserole, White Corn Tortilla Soup, Taco Salad, and Banana Muffins. I have to say that every recipe I have made has turned out well and been delicious. I love that eating and cooking healthy can be so fun and easy. As a busy mom, these are important things to me. 12 Thumbs UP... way up!

I was so thrilled to find this amazing cookbook, categorized by season! I always feel instinctively inspired to eat certain things during different seasons, and once I had this cookbook, I understood why! And I was so thrilled with the fantastic variety of recipes that are offered using ingredients connected with the various seasons. The recipes are easy, yummy, AND kid friendly! And I have been amazed at how good I do feel, when I am eating according to the seasons! I highly recommend this cookbook for anybody wishing to find a way to eat in harmony with the seasons.

This recipe book is wonderful! I love how the author makes good for you foods actually taste really good. I absolutely love this book! If you are looking to eat better and feel better, this is the book for you.

Lots of real-food recipes! I won't have to make a quick trip to the health food store to try out this book. Also looks kid-friendly. The book is well put together and easy to read. I'm sure I'm going to be using it a lot!

Barbara Spring's The Dynamic Great Lakes is a primer on the ecology of the Great Lakes. Written simply and clearly, this relatively short work begins with an overview of Great Lakes ecology and geology. It then takes us on a tour of each lake, highlighting both the natural ecology and environmental problems of each. She concludes with an overview of the 21st century challenges the lakes face, and a challenge to us all to work for their preservation.

Like a good teacher, Barbara repeats herself patiently and expresses herself simply so everyone will understand. The charm of the book made it easy to overlook a few minor inaccuracies. And, in the end, I learned a thing or two, which is probably what Barbara hoped for.

The five great lakes are between the boundaries of Canada and USA. The book describes the lakes, one by one with lots of details. The great lakes are the most important liquid water reserve. Each lake is different. There are ecosystems like nowhere in the world. We have to protect them. The lakes are not usually well known, so with this book, you discover a fantastic area !!

I have a great interest in saving our environment. The only way to do this is through knowledge. I am thankful to the authors that bring their vast knowledge to the reading public.

This book is a masterpiece, filled with fascinating information and references. Barbara Spring has done an outstanding job of bringing her love of the Great Lakes to others. I have been watching the return of the bald eagles to New England. What a wonderous sight to see them soaring overhead after an absence of many years. This was made possible by active ecologists and hard working nature enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about saving the Great Lakes. I feel that this book should be a required read for science classes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who lives on or near the Great Lakes or to anyone interested in preserving the environment. The author taught me as much about the havoc the modern world has strewn on the natural world as she did about Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie.

Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes other than perhaps being able to name them. As Barbara Spring states in her introduction to her outstanding primer The Dynamic Great Lakes they are "a flowing river of seas left behind by Ice Age glaciers and are nearly twenty percent of the world's supply of fresh surface water; the world's greatest freshwater system." The ecosystem of this great body of water is very complex and unfortunately due to pollution and the fallout of modern industry and agriculture they have gone through a gradual transformation.

One of the unique characteristics of this compact book is that it is written in a language devoid of esoteric explanations. The eight chapters of the book reflect the author's teaching and journalistic aptitudes in knowing how to unravel the mystery of the Great Lakes and the many painful dangers it has faced and continues to face.

Each of the five Lakes is introduced with a brief synopsis of important elements distinguishing one from the other such as: elevation, length, breadth, average depth, maximum depth, volume, water area, retention time, population and outlet. From this point of departure the author deals with the various changes that have taken place as well as the various major issues affecting the Lakes. There are also brief descriptions of the various animal life found in each of the Lakes and how they have been affected by pollution and the appearance of harmful species, such as the Lamprey Eel.

However, we are also reminded throughout the reading of the book that "people power" can have an effect and if we band together and make our voices heard we could exert influence in reversing some of the harmful trends that have caused ecological disaster. For example we are apprised of the situation that occurred in relation to Lake Erie. In 1969 a tributary river of Lake Erie, the Cayahoga, caught on fire due to being heavily coated with oil and debris. As a result, the Federal Water Quality Administration launched a one and half billion dollar municipal sewage treatment program for the Erie Basin which included the five surrounding states: Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

The conclusion of the book most appropriately reminds us that: "we are all challenged to use our knowledge, creativity and common sense to keep the Great Lakes great. Can you think of ways to think globally and act locally?" We are also warned " life on earth is only possible as long as our limited life support system works."

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

The author has captured LIFE! Bravo for old-fashioned writing!

Catherines rare perceptions and insights fill me with a lightness that must be pure oxygenated love...the kind that wants to find an ear and tell them..."Read this! It will make you feel, really feel! They are the stories that our generation needs to tell the next generation on how to be a human bein; not one that changes DNA or breaks the sound barrier, but one that can say I love you and I love life and all it can, and kneels down to little children, and looks up to nature and walks arm in arm with those one meets.

They are Catherine's stories to set a measure by and look at it when we are unsure, a ethical plumline of decency and respect. They are fireside stories to be read in a home where someone has died,in a ghetto with no fire, to a fiend over a cup of coffe and jelly doughnuts, to your husband in bed on a cold night, at a family reunion, to a stranger next to you on the airplane...to anyone to whom you want to give the gift of words...important words of care, mending, smiling and bending,

As comics find the humor in everyday life, Ms. Bauer has found the beauty there. Every essay reminded me that life is indeed full of love and gentle humor and worth the effort. How refreshing to read about the joy of life and not the tragedy - a tribute to the human spirit.

To me essays are strolls through a writer's perceptions of life and people. Bauer's writings are easy on the mind. Reading them is like walking through a beautiful garden fragrant with gorgeous blossoms, overreaching trees and sparkling fountains. At the same time some have a humorous twist that brings a chuckle or two. When I need a lift or a laugh, One Day On Earth, A Third Eye view is a favorite reference And, Bauer's third eye sees life through a clear lens. I love her style and commonsense views. ~ Jo Peddicord, Author and Syndicated Columnist

Catherine writes with an insight into the human soul. She makes me smile and then I'm left with a gentle inner strength - just having shared a moment in Catherine's world. The reader will feel a kin-ship with her chosen subjects whether you are living the rush-hour life or retired. "The House That Frank Built" is a reminder that it isn't the perfection, size, or cost of the house that makes it a home, but the lessons of love, respect, understanding, and tolerance learned in this not-so-perfect house that are important. Her gems of wisdom will delight you and give you cause to look in, through, and beyond the mirror of life. Whether she brings a tear to your eye or a smile to your lips, this is truly an enjoyable book for a second and third read, etc.

MR. ENVIRONMENT

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans (then 10 percent of the population) from diverse backgrounds took to the streets with the common mission of protecting the environment. Earth Day marked the naissance of an era of environmental activism and legislation, and co-founder Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) was the catalyst. In The Man From Clear Lake (University of Wisconsin Press, $30), author Bill Christofferson takes his readers from Nelson's home base in rural Wisconsin to the U.S. Senate, while exploring what spurred him on-a love of nature. This beautifully written biography reveals a man of great diligence, who possessed the ability to mobilize citizens, senators and Presidents to make a stand for "an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all living creatures."

-K.H. in Sept/Oct 2004 issue of E.

A finely written biography that will appeal to virtually anyone with an interest in the history of the environmental movement, Wisconsin history, or great individuals who had a profound impact on this country. Christofferson writes an insightful, yet easy to read novel that keeps the reader coming back for more.

Finally, a talented writer and historian has told the compelling story of the founder of Earth Day, and indeed the modern environmental movement, Gaylord Nelson. This book is a must read for anyone who supports the environment, has taken part in Earth Day, or just wants to read about an entertaining politician. Christofferson's light and witty pen keeps the story moving. You won't be able to set it down.

Gaylord Nelson had a great politican career, as a text book
liberal governor and later senator who was the prime mover behind Earth Day. Nelson's greatest achievement may have been
working with Bill Christofferson on this book, which reads more like a novel, that you can not put down, than a standard politican bio. Christofferson has a magnificent way of drawing the reader into the most seemingly boring aspects of state and local government. Nelson was one of the best liked senators of the last century, even Lyndon Johnson, who Nelson strongly opposed on Vietnam, made a private contribute to his senate reelection campaign in 1968. Nelson's life was very straight forward, with little drama or tension. It would be interesting to see what Christofferson could do with senators from the same period who had longer careers and more national fame, such as William Fulbright (Arkansas senator who had to deal with civil rights issues in Washington and back home and battles with LBJ over Vietnam) or Margaret Chase Smith (first woman senator and also first senator to denounce Joe McCarthy, but later became a hawk on Vietnam and lost touch with Maine voters). It is a blessing that Gaylord Nelson is still around to know that this book about his career will keep his memory alive for many years to come.

Christofferson tells us so vividly about the life of Gaylord Nelson. His prose has such flow that you don't really realize you're reading a biography until you have finished reading the book! The life of Nelson is truly an incredible one, and Christofferson does a magnificent job of relaying that life and the history of Earth Day to the reader. This is a "must" book, not just for the nature lover or the environmentalist, but also for those who want to learn about the real, behind-the-scenes heros of our great country. A book to read, indeed!

If it is Sitchin then it is a very good read

This book is a clone of Sitchin's theories. If you like Sitchin; chances are you read this book already. I should give this book 2 or 3 stars because of no originality, but Sitchin's theories are interesting.

This book of essays presented at the first Sitchin Studies day is a must for those of us that have read the Earth Chronicles. Upon reading the first few pages, I discovered that I was not alone in my love of Sitchin, I was in fact in very good company. I especially appreciated the essay by Neil Freer with his "take no prisoners" logic. While all the essays clear up confusion and answer my questions, his was my favorite. This is not a book of theory, of the perception of myths, or wishful thinking. This book tells it like it is. I think it can stand on it's own to capture the interest of even those unaware of Sitchins work. For those of us who are aware, it validates our thinking and lets us know that we are not alone!

This book of essays presented at the first Sitchin Studies day is a must for those of us that have read the Earth Chronicles. Upon reading the first few pages, I discovered that I was not alone in my love of Sitchin, I was in fact in very good company. I especially appreciated the essay by Neil Freer with his "take no prisoners" logic. While all the essays clear up confusion and answer my questions, his was my favorite. This is not a book of theory, of the perception of myths, or wishful thinking. This book tells it like it is. I think it can stand on it's own to capture the interest of even those unaware of Sitchins work. For those of us who are aware, it validates our thinking and lets us know that we are not alone!

I truly enjoyed every paper included in this book. It was wonderful to read the expanded views of others. The writers span many vocations and have so many thoughts that I shared while reading the Earth Chronicles! If you have the series, add this also.

What can one person do to make a positive impact in the face of the enormous challenge posed by global warming? The answer to that question is given simply and elegantly by Marc Franke in "One Week to Save the Earth". As the subtitle suggests, this book really does provide simple actions you can quickly take to reduce your energy consumption along with explanations of why it matters. The book is organized into 5 sections that provide the reader with background information on the current environmental problems, ways you can reduce your energy consumption in your daily life and how you can engage society to amplify your impact. The book is loaded with practical information about energy saving products along with their benefits and where they can be purchased. I found that I could easily go to any portion of the book and read about a topic without having to refer back to some earlier section. I was so impressed with "One Week to Save the Earth" that I purchased 11 copies to share with a church class I was leading on environmental stewardship

As an aside, I have had the pleasure of meeting Marc and have had heard him speak on several occasions. As one would expect from "One Week to Save the Earth", he has a broad knowledge of energy topics and fortunately, he is as adept at conveying information verbally as with his writing. Marc has a knack for engaging his audience in a positive way and for stimulating discussion that often continues well after the session has ended. I think the enthusiasm he has for sharing information with his audience is also revealed in his writing. This book definitely belongs in the hands of everyone searching for a way to make their way of life more sustainable.

Marc makes learning what we can do to treat the Earth with dignity and respect very easy, with websites and ideas that each of us can follow. I intend for my grandchildren to live here, so I need to do my part. This book made me realize that even small efforts done by everyone have big results.

Gail Krumheuer

This book should be read by everyone. The author puts the crisis of global climate change in simple terms, and calls for action, starting with individual actions, in a sensible and straightforward, yet interesting and inspiring, way. The severity of his warning, and his dedication to helping the reader become part of the solution, is evident throughout the book, and the book itself is chock full of valuable resources and good ideas toward positive change.

This is a fantastic book for getting the message out.
With an easily readable flow the author handles complex environmental issues in a straightforward manner that inspires action. His "Tech notes on ethanol" (pare 44) are the best summary of the issue I have seen.

Outstanding every one should take a momnet to save the earth.
Julia Dennis
West Liberty, Iowa

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

"Beyond Earth Day" gives an amazingly thorough look at the state of our planet, then and now. Discussions of issues are well-referenced and Gaylord Nelson courageously presents honest solutions to problems that many people take pains to ignore. He offers history, wisdom, and guidance in an age when "environment" is an important issue to Americans, yet many are unaware of the seriousness of the issues our water, air, soils and biodiversity face. An America united by the knowledge offered by Senator Nelson has the capability to change the course of catastrophic events involving the very elements needed for life. Share the intelligence of this important book with everyone you know.

This book covers what should be the most important Issue to all people in the human-rat race. It's an attempt to make people realize how fast we are using up our natural resourses.
I can only hope that this book makes it to the top 10 best sellers list, so that it gets read by a large segment of the population. It's a vary important message and it's easy to read in a short amount of time, and once you read it it would be wise to give it to a friend and have them read it and pass it on to someone else.
Why can't an American president stand up, and run on smaller population and less consumption? Humans will gain less and less with over-population.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

This is an excellent book. I just recently started raising chickens and was disappointed at the information available at the local library. I purchased Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide , Day Range Poultry: Every Chicken Owner's Guide to Grazing Gardens and Improving Pastures , and Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities . Recent reading at the library about pasture raising livestock got me interested in this title. The volume they discuss is a little more than I was interested in, but that is not the fault of the book. It is well written, an easy read, and comprehensive in the amount of information it contains. The only thing I could add to Claudia Campbell's comments is that information is also included in business organization, strategies and marketing. If you go into poultry on this scale, it has to make a profit to be sustainable. I agree this book is a complete resource.

As for my ambitions, I found Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide an excellent introductory text and Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities adequate for my needs. Both these books have ample reviews and I could not add to them. We live in a small rural area and the library depends on local donations. Chickens In Your Backyard and Day Range Poultry will be donated to the library. Storey's will be kept as a reference.

This is a great book for commercial chicken operations. This book is not much use for the small flock owner. For small flock or backyard flock owners I recommend "The Chicken Tractor" by the same authors..

I just finished Day Range Poultry and am thoroughly impressed. They not only tell you what Day Range is, but compare it to other methods of raising birds listing the pros and cons of each. If you want to start raising birds, especially large numbers of birds, everything is here, in detail. How to set up a Day Range system for broilers, layers, and turkeys, including shelters, what worked and what didn't for them, feeds and feeding, protection from predators fencing and moving about the pasture for optimum manure spreading.
They talk a lot about designing a rotation system using pastured poultry with crops and other species to optimize your potentional profits. Everything is geared to optimizing the use of the land without high $ input while at the same time maintaining healthy, happy animals and increasing land fertility. They also include a section on incubating eggs with a troubleshooting chart when things go wrong. The section on processing is complete, from choosing equipment to the actual processing of your birds for home or for sale. You don't need another book to get started, all the info needed is here, with an extensive resource guide. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who is serious about rasing poultry for themselves or as a small home based business.

This is a well written book with plenty of info on tested methods as well as the latest thinking and market-wise advise. It is mostly applicable to the larger scale operatons, though. I wanted something for a small number of chickens--one or two dozen--and so found this less useful. I should have bought a different book because of the scale of my needs, but that is not the book's fault.

Being a retired elementary teacher I greatly enjoyed reading this book to pre-school and elementary age students. This book puts into context how we must keep cities cleaned up, picked up and looking nice. I believe the author and illustrator has done a great job in getting the point across in a level that ages 3 to 9 will enjoy.

One of the best ways to teach kids lessons is to make them laugh -- and think -- by telling a story they can picture themselves in. With humorous and charming artwork and rhyme, The Day the Trash Came Out to Play describes a case of littering gone wild, as all the trash in town escapes their receptacles and "comes out to play." The litterbug learns his lesson and in the process brings his community together to practice the four "R"s of environmental activism: rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle. It's a lesson all kids need to be exposed to and this book does it very well.

Wonderful book for children!
Playfully focuses on personal responsibility with littering rather than the many abstract and gloomy environmental books I have previously bought for my kids. Although I am a strong environmentalist, I find other family members such as my father enjoy reading the book to my kids as well because it appeals to his more traditional values. Upbeat and rhythmic, it contains a message that I am certain my children will remember in their daily activities.
Ready for the next one from this author!

The Day The Trash Came Out To Play is a unique and whimsical picture book written by David M. Beadle and illustrated by Laurie A. Faust. Featuring an underlying message about the importance of cleaning up after oneself, the story begins when a young boy thoughtlessly discards a candy wrapper on the street of his beautiful home town. This starts an escalating cataclysm as, piece by piece, litter spreads out over the land. A desperate situation is in need of a diligent remedy before the whole town becomes buried under a strong-willed pile of trash! A most delightful story to share, The Day The Trash Came Out To Play would make a welcome and popular addition to both school and community library picture book collections.

My grandson's birthday is on Earth Day, so what more appropriate could this book be? Each child in his Kindergarten class donates a book to the class on their birthday, so I bought him this book to take to his class. You can not imagine what a hit it has turned out to be. The children read/sing it everyday. The pictures are fantasic and the narrative beautiful. This book rates 5++++ stars!!

Librarians and teachers looking for a great theme book to share on Earth Day will delight in this one. The lively rhyme may be sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The animals portrayed have all been brought back from the brink of extinction, which proves the effectiveness of conservation programs, and the gentle, detailed illustrations portray a dazzling variety of ecosystems. It will complement any teaching shelf.

Earth Day Birthday is a beautifully illustrated picture book for young readers, demonstrating the wonder and importance of the planet's varied environment and the amazing creatures who thrive in it. The text by Pattie Schnetzler is patterned after the popular "Twelve Days of Christmas" song; each two-page spread features lavish color illustrations and lyrics such as "On the eighth Earth Day Birthday the wide world gave to me... / Eight cranes a-dancing / six owls a-hooting / five spotted fawns / four salmon leaping / three panthers creeping / two grizzlies sleeping / and a bald eagle in a blue sky." The final two pages offer a brief history and incentive to celebrate Earth Day, as well as the simple music for singing aloud. Wonderfully enhanced with the artwork of Chad Wallace, Earth Day Birthday is a counting book classic to share with preschool and kindergarten age boys and girls.

A perfect way to celebrate Earth Day every day for you and your child. Earth Day Birthday shows twelve different species of animals in their natural habitats. The catchy sing-along text combined with the awesome action illustrations truly make this book a treasure!