Our top ten green reads of 07

Michael Pollan decided what we should have for dinner, Adria Vasil delivered the decisive guide to all things green in Canada, David Suzuki told the story of his life and everyone’s favorite boy wizard went green. From what we should eat to which green products we should buy, Living Green’s top ten environmental books for 2007 will leave you well-informed…and possibly hungry.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
From a naturalist’s perspective, Michael Pollan asks - and answers - the question of what we should eat for dinner. By following the journey of four meals from farm to table - fast food, organic or alternative grub, sustainable goods and foraged food - Pollan develops a definitive account of the North American way of eating.

Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada by Adria Vasil
Based on the popular and informative NOW column, Ecoholic is a must-have for green Canadians. Author Adria Vasil dishes practical tips and ideas on how to green your life, with topics ranging from home renovation to gardening, greening your office, buying eco-friendly toys and avoiding harmful ingredients in beauty products. Trust us - this book will be well-worn within weeks. Printed with vegetable-based inks on ancient forest-friendly, 100% post-consumer recycled paper in a mill powered by biogas.

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston
In The Wild Trees, Richard Preston tells the spellbinding story of Steve Sillett, Michael Taylor and Canadian botanist Marie Antoine, who found a lost world in the redwoods of California. Preston himself became an expert tree climber and learned the techniques of super-tall tree climbing to tell the fate of the some of the world’s most splendid forests and of the imperiled biosphere they house. An adventure story that reads like a novel and explores life hundreds of feet above the forest floor.

The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living by Josh Dorfman
This book by Sirius Satellite radio host Josh Dorfman provides comprehensive guidance to fashion-forward consumers who are concerned about the long-term health of the planet. From clothing to electronic gadgetry, recreation and financial investment, Dorfman tips us off to trends to watch and eco-conscious products worth buying. Green, it turns out, really is the new black. Printed on 100% chlorine-free, post-consumer recycled paper with energy offset by wind energy credits.

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan
Not Just a Pretty Face delves deeply into the dark side of the beauty industry and looks to hopeful solutions for a healthier future. Shampoo, deodorant, face lotion and other products contain hazardous chemicals that the beauty industry claims are “within acceptable limits,” but there’s nothing acceptable about daily exposure to carcinogenic chemicals from the very products that are supposed to make us feel healthy and beautiful. This scathing investigation peels away less-than-lovely layers to expose an industry in dire need of an extreme makeover.

David Suzuki: The Autobiography
From his childhood in “racist” BC to his early career as a research geneticist and later fame as a beloved radio and television host, David Suzuki reveals his transformation into environmental warrior. Get to know one of Canada’s living legends.

The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating by Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKinnon
Over a meal of fish, potatoes and wild mushrooms foraged outside a cabin in BC, Smith and MacKinnon decided to embark on a year of eating food grown within 100 miles of their Vancouver apartment. The local eating experiment explored questions of globalization, monoculture, the oil industry, ecological collapse and the welfare of our environment.

GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto edited by Alana Wilcox and Jonny Dovercourt
What would make Toronto a greener place? This third book in the uTOpia series asked Torontonians to think about how we might make our city more environmentally wise and responsible. Residents responded with innovative proposals and how-to tips, thoughtful considerations and flights of fancy that just might work: gardening the Gardiner, hydrogen-fuelled cabs, rooftop power, rainwater harvesting, the art of salvage, composting dog poo. Definite food for thought.

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating by Dreena Burton
Eat, Drink & Be Vegan is full of vibrant, healthy and delicious recipes perfect for an everyday meal or special celebration, without the need to rely on overly processed foods. Burton makes it easy to consume a few vegan meals a week, significantly reducing your environmental footprint. Even raging carnivores won’t be able to resist BC-based Burton’s Thai coconut corn stew or tomato-dill-lentil soup.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The final installment of the Harry Potter series is said to be the greenest book in publishing history. Production spurred the development of 32 new ecological papers, six for Potter exclusively, and prompted 300 publishers to adopt new environmental policies, according to Markets Initiative, a Vancouver-based group that helps publishers go green. Publishing the English-language editions of the latest book alone on eco-friendlier paper resulted in the saving of 197 685 trees - an area about 2.5 times the size of Central Park - and reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by 7.9 million kilograms.