We are constantly reviewing new releases of books, films, and other publications that offer valuable advice for smarter living. We update our selections frequently, so be sure to stop by the Reading Room often to see what’s new.
Clicking on a selection will bring you to Amazon.com.
Learning from the Past
“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” ~Pearl Buck
We often research the life styles of the past in our efforts to come up with smarter living ideas for the present and future. Sometimes, we even find that the past can simply repeat itself, as we see today in our return to reusable shopping bags. Here are some of our favorite picks for gaining insight into where we were and where we could be going in our quest for smarter living.
Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America
Pioneer Women: The Lives of Women on the Frontier
Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England
A Taste For War: The Culinary History of the Blue and the Gray
Easy Ways To Go Green Everyday
Here are our top picks for bringing eco-friendly practices into your daily life, without being preached to! One person can make a difference, and these authors will show you how easy and smart it is to go green everyday.
It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living
Eco-Friendly Families
Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home
Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life
Repurpose, Don’t Toss!
Why send that broken crockery to the landfill when you can use it to create beautiful stepping-stones for your garden? Maybe it’s time for that beat-up old sofa to bite the dust, but how about giving Fido a new bed by covering one of the old cushions? Here are our top picks chock full of creative ideas for repurposing before tossing.
Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew and Reuse to Make Things Last
Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things: 2,317 Ways to Save Money and Time
Yankee Magazine's Pantyhose, Hot Peppers, Tea Bags, and More-for the Garden: 1,001 Ingenious Ways to Use Common Household Items to Control Weeds, Beat ... and Save Time (Yankee Magazine Guidebook)Smarter Living in the Kitchen
What steps can you take to make your kitchen and all the activities that grace it a little smarter, a little more eco-friendly? Maybe it’s just a matter of getting back to the basics that you were raised with but have somehow moved past, or maybe it’s time to take advantage of newer products and processes. Here are our top picks for smarter living in the kitchen.
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Green Cleaning For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden))
Good Green Kitchens