Book Review: Sleeping Naked Is Green by Vanessa Farquharson

In an effort to bring more content to the blog I thought I'd branch out some and instead of talking mainly about Gaelic Polytheism and Gaelic culture, I'd also talk about other subjects which are close to my heart and help make up who I am: green living, permaculture, domesticity, homesteading, frugality, deep ecology and bioregionalism. I might even bring in some photography tips at some point but we'll see. So expect more varied topics from now on and kicking it off is a book review...

Sleeping Naked Is Green is a blog-turned-book much like Julie & Julia but instead of dealing with a woman's trials through cooking, this tackles an eco-cynic's journey into green living. It chronicles 366 consecutive days in the life of Canadian film critic, Vanessa Farquharson.

Reading as an anecdotal memoir meets handy tip guide, Sleeping Naked Is Green has the friendly conversational tone one expects from blogs. Each chapter is a month and each day features one green change the author made such as using a handkerchief instead of tissues (March 20th) or walking home from work twice a week (October 1st).

What is so great about this book, I think, is just how small some of these changes are. I know a lot of people make excuses when it comes to being more green, “oh, I'm too busy to completely mess up my routine with new habits” or “It's such a life overhaul” ad nauseam … but really, there is so much out there that hardly takes any time at all.

Book Review: The Earth Path by Starhawk

The Earth Path is certainly a book written from a Wiccan perspective yet it is one that harbors wisdom for any and all who read it, regardless of their creed. In fact, you could remove all religion/spirituality from this book and still be left with something wholly spiritual and educational.

Topics discussed within The Earth Path include organic and green living, ecology, ecopsychology, bioregionalism, climate change, activism, evolution, social change, permaculture, feminism (though not in the overt manner one would expect from Starhawk), paganism, earth-centered values and wilderness awareness.

The point of this book is to help people become more aligned and connected (or re-connected) with the thing that surround us all and sustains our well-being: nature. Regardless of what we may think, we are not apart from nature but an integral part within it. Nevertheless, until we realize this fact and balance our lives with nature and everything within it, we will always be apart from it.