My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants That Purify Your Home or Office
Plants are the lungs of the earth. This revolutionary guide, based on 25 years of research by NASA, shows how common houseplants can combat sick building syndrome and cleanse the home or office of common pollutants. Color photos & llustrations.
Mass Market Paperbound, 144 pages
Published
April 1st 1997
by Penguin Books
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
214)
OK SO everything in your house / apartment / office off-gases horrible things (including formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene) and since interior air doesn't circulate that well, poisonous air tends to accumulate. Then you breathe it and it can make you sick (headaches, eye pain, cancer, whatever). Plants can purify the air because they are so magical and science is cool. On one hand, I'm not sure if the science behind some of these ideas is totally pure but I do agree with the general th...more
"How to Grow Fresh Air" is a nonfiction book about plants' ability to remove common office and household toxins from our indoor air. The book had two parts: 31 pages on how plants purify the air and what the research said about which plants are best at removing common air pollutants; and 100 pages with details about the 50 house plants.
The first part discussed indoor air pollution and the health problems caused by it (with a chart showing what sources--like carpeting, paint...more
The first part discussed indoor air pollution and the health problems caused by it (with a chart showing what sources--like carpeting, paint...more
The premise: Plants have beneficial properties for indoor environments. They circulate and humidify air through transpiration. They add oxygen (and sequester carbon, yay!). Certain plants have sweet bacteria on their roots that sucks air down into the soil and detoxes it of scary chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and ammonia. They release phytochemicals that kill molds and microbes. Awesome!
Now let's write a vacuous picture book that dedicates two thirds of its page...more
Now let's write a vacuous picture book that dedicates two thirds of its page...more
Just took this book back to the library. Although it was interesting, and well photographed, I wanted it to give me a plan for growing my own little "air purifier." This book would be a handy reference for someone who is already familiar with growing indooor plants, but for someone like me (who is not in anyway a green thumb) the book wasn't very helpful.
Although this is more of a reference book I wanted to share it on goodreads because I think it's so useful. It discusses houseplants that will filter the air in your home. Our homes are full of lots of chemicals--toxic and otherwise--and specific plants are useful for filtering specific chemicals. This is a wonderful way to "clean up" our homes (and make them look nice too).
BTW, HomeDepot had several of the plants they recommended, at about half the price of my local nur...more
BTW, HomeDepot had several of the plants they recommended, at about half the price of my local nur...more
view 2 comments
This is one of my all time favorite books and is one of my favorite books to give as a gift. I've lost count as to how many times I've given this as a gift. I first discovered this book on the bookshelf at a friend's mom's house. I find that it is easy to read and along with wonderful pictures extremely informative. It’s a great gift for any house plant lover or for someone who is just starting their house plant collection.
This is such a neat book! I recently became interested in using plant in the home to purify the air and this book was so helpful in providing an education on the topic. The information is informative, yet concise. It also includes a look at 50 individual plants and their performance in the home.
Didn't have as much info on how to take care of the plants once you have them on hand. At least I found out that the Gerbera daisies I like are good for air quality. I really like that flower. I have a Peace Lily, Golden Pothos, and a philodendron though.
This book has a great explanation about the top 50 plants that can clean your air; and most of them are easily found at most garden stores ... and usually are easy to care for, except for some having susceptibility to mites.
Great info on plants that filter VOCs and other air pollutants from the home. Really nice photos including close-up shots of the plants.
Worth it for the list of plants. The science section at the beginning of the book is a bit wordy but illuminating nonetheless.
Very interesting book! Great for the selection of plants to make your living area healthier.
I wish there was more info in the book overall - it gives a good basic intro to the plants and how to care for them, but leaves me still not sure about some things, like hydroplanting, (can't remember the word for soil free water planting with special rocks?) which I had never heard of previously. Good starting point to expanding the TED talk on growing your own fresh air I think.
Helpful, accessible, and a solution! An easy one at that.
Ok, so most houseplants help to purify your home. I guess I already knew that, but it was nice to have that confirmed?
The book has good information, but does not discuss toxicity to pets. Organization could have been a bit better.
Basically, I am sticking with whatever plants I can find easily at a garden store or big box home store.
Basically, I am sticking with whatever plants I can find easily at a garden store or big box home store.
addendums needed for this book:
1 "and how to keep your cat from eating them"
2 "what to do if your cat has eaten your Madagascar palm - late night visits to the vet - and notes on prevention"
I had forgotten why I had cut back on house plants, saw this book, read it and got inspired to repopulate my house with greenery. Then I remembered the dark history of Cosmo vs. my plants - the arms race - sharp plants - plants placed high upon pedestals - Cosmo ...more
1 "and how to keep your cat from eating them"
2 "what to do if your cat has eaten your Madagascar palm - late night visits to the vet - and notes on prevention"
I had forgotten why I had cut back on house plants, saw this book, read it and got inspired to repopulate my house with greenery. Then I remembered the dark history of Cosmo vs. my plants - the arms race - sharp plants - plants placed high upon pedestals - Cosmo ...more
Cami
rated it
Recommends it for:
houseplant owners
Shelves:
home-and-garden-it-yourself,
how-to-books
This was an interesting take on a houseplant book.
It took various plants, many not usual 'houseplants,' and rated them according to their ability to remove chemical vapors, the ease of growth and maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate.
The Areca and Lady Palms tied as the top two best over all, while the beautiful Moth Orchid and the cute Kalanchoe received the lowest over-all ratings.
Don't know what any of these plants are? Read the book.
It took various plants, many not usual 'houseplants,' and rated them according to their ability to remove chemical vapors, the ease of growth and maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate.
The Areca and Lady Palms tied as the top two best over all, while the beautiful Moth Orchid and the cute Kalanchoe received the lowest over-all ratings.
Don't know what any of these plants are? Read the book.
Wolverton was involved in studies done by NASA to find ways to keep air within a space ship breathable. This book explains how plants can be used to remove toxins from the air. It has a guide that rates plants according to their ability to freshen air, their ease of care, and some other characteristics.
Interesting and well informed. His research is methodical. It did motivate me to populate my house with plants!
Interesting and well informed. His research is methodical. It did motivate me to populate my house with plants!
This book is the best plant book ever. BC Wolverton makes a top 50 "best air quality" list of all the plants he's researched in his years at NASA. The book reads from the best to worst, each plant being judged on the same criteria. At the beginning of the book are a few short chapters with additional information - eg. what plants remove the most formaldehyde (found in garbage bags, carpet, and paper towels).
Lemur
added it
This book explains how houseplants remove indoor air pollutants. We have plastics, resins, glues, formaldehyde, even pollutants that come off of our bodies in our homes. Plants eat it up. Nasa uses plants in space (peace lillies) to keep the air clean. My house is now full of plants.
yes, nasa has trailers where they are trying to figure out which plants won't kill us all when we're hanging out star trek style. if you worry about exposures from your computer this book has several plant recommendations.
bottom line: palms=good air purifiers.
bottom line: palms=good air purifiers.
I've taken this one out of the library a few times, too. Nice photos and it itemizes which pollutants different plants are good at eliminating from the air; goes into detail on requirements for growth and care.
useful, short, and lots of good pictures. just the thing to light my fire and get me to get some houseplants and some gardening done. plus, less formaldehyde in the house is always a good thing.
Great information about which house plants produce the best air for your home.
Using houseplants to improve your surroundings and health. WOW! Great ideas.
Cariann
added it
How plants can help cut down on the toxins in your home.
Dayna
marked it as to-read
MichelleMarie
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
