false 77141 2 Joan Dye Gussow is an extraordinarily ordinary woman. She lives in a home not unlike the average home in a neighborhood that is, more or less, typically suburban. What sets her apart from the rest of us is that she thinks more deeply--and in more eloquent detail--about food. In sharing her ponderings, she sets a delightful example for those of us who seek the healthiest, most pleasurable lifestyle within an environment determined to propel us in the opposite direction. Joan is a suburbanite with a green thumb, with a feisty, defiant spirit and a relentlessly positive outlook. At the heart of This Organic Life is the premise that locally grown food eaten in season makes sense economically, ecologically, and gastronomically. Transporting produce to New York from California--not to mention Central and South America, Australia, or Europe--consumes more energy in transit than it yields in calories. (It costs 435 fossil fuel calories to fly a 5-calorie strawberry from California to New York.) Add in the deleterious effects of agribusiness, such as the endless cycle of pesticide, herbicide, and chemical fertilizers; the loss of topsoil from erosion of over-tilled croplands; depleted aquifers and soil salinization from over-irrigation; and the arguments in favor of "this organic life" become overwhelmingly convincing. Joan's story is funny and fiery as she points out the absurdities we have unthinkingly come to accept. You won't find an electric can opener in this woman's house. In fact, you probably won't find many cans, as Joan has discovered ways to nourish herself, literally and spiritually, from her own backyard. If you are looking for a tale of courage and independence in a setting that is entirely familiar, read her story. 74574 2001 This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader total:206|5:53|4:88|3:52|2:12|1:1| 206 798 354 70 4 1 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Nov 27 06:24:38 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 27 06:24:38 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Mar 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 04 15:02:28 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 12 18:11:44 -0700 2009 This book was really interesting, though Joan does get a little preachy about the environment now...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 05:36:05 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 08:32:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed May 07 08:51:04 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 30 13:06:26 -0700 2008 really enjoyed this book. While there wasn't nearly as much practical advice as I was hoping for, I nonetheless got swept up in Gussow's experience of ripping up her yard to produce as many fruits and vegetables as possible, despite frequent floods, voracious rats and other hungry critters, diffic...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Nov 07 18:44:23 -0800 2007 Tue Feb 05 13:12:02 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Apr 10 10:59:44 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 04 16:26:38 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 10 10:59:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 23 16:51:19 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 16:55:20 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 21:39:28 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 21:44:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Aug 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 04 09:24:10 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 31 10:31:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Aug 19 13:08:14 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 15:00:17 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 13:08:14 -0700 2009
This book is about a woman who decides to try to grow her own food to reduce her carbon footprint and because she won't use pesticides. The book starts with her describing her house and garden, then her ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 21 11:16:45 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 05 10:02:25 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Apr 16 19:40:06 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 19:43:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 24 14:12:41 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 11:32:02 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat May 02 12:15:03 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 12:17:06 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 27 12:45:58 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 27 12:47:30 -0700 2009 story to show how meaningful growing as much food as possible in your YARD
can be! I loved it. ]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jun 25 06:59:46 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 20:35:13 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 25 06:59:46 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Feb 11 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 16 09:55:35 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 16 10:01:48 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Dec 19 11:29:57 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 19 11:33:09 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Mon May 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 16:08:35 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 27 09:08:06 -0700 2009 1 4 0 false false Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 11 10:58:55 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 21:09:07 -0800 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=77141