Green Book Review: Big Green Purse
April 17, 2008 by Peggy
Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern will give you the tools you need to make environmentally sound spending decisions. The book is geared toward women since they spend .85 cents of each dollar in the marketplace. I can see the book working in the family library as well, but males may want to skip some sections of the book, like those dealing with cosmetics.
My favorite thing about Big Green Purse is that MacEachern doesn’t just suggest which items to buy and which to avoid, but she also explains the why behind everything. And she motivates the reader by explaining which steps to take first. The book doesn’t overwhelm, but encourages. The author doesn’t come across as a finger pointer, but rather as an effective environmental counselor willing to help those who seek to make change happen for the environment.
Some of the topics covered in Big Green Purse include:
- Cosmetics and personal care products
- Coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate
- Fruits, veggies, dairy, meat, poultry and seafood
- Cleaners, scrubs, polishers and fresheners
- Clothing, accessories and jewelry
- Lawn, garden and patio
- Baby and kid food, gear and toys
- Lights, appliances and electronics
- Furniture, paint, flooring and fabrics
Why is MacEachern talking so much about how we spend our money? To quote the author:
“By intentionally shifting our spending to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefits, we can use our purse like a bright green ring threaded through the nose of the marketplace bull — and pull that bull in a greener, more eco-friendly direction.”
Since Big Green Purse is so throughly researched and comprehensive (411 recycled pages), it can easily serve as a big green bible for anyone looking to live a greener life. More resources are also available online. At BigGreenPurse.com, you can take the pledge to shift just $1,000 of your annual spending budget to green products.
Next week: Check back for your chance to win a copy of Big Green Purse. Details to come in a separate contest post.