Gorgeously Green : 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life

by Sophie Uliano

Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.

In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchenâ even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how

Green your entire beauty regimeDetoxify your homeIndulge in guilt-free shoppingAdopt a home fitness routinePrepare eco-licious treatsGive your kitchen a green makeoverBecome more aware of your impact on the earthThe book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here.

Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can makeâ and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious, time-consuming, or glamourless!

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Green, Environment, Self Help, Nutrition

309 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Environmental guru Sophie Uliano presents GORGEOUSLY GREEN, the modern girl's guide to living in sustainable style."

Reviews

[Katey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes this book read like a premise for a bad sitcom. The wacky wife with all her outrageous ideas and the husband who has to shrug and deal with them: "Oh that Sophie!"

And sometimes it irked me that while there were good, if not great, ideas in this book, the way the author drones on and on about how she does this, that, and the other thing, it makes you feel pretty low that you too aren't doing this, that, and the other thing. But then you remember you don't live in La La L.A. and you don't have a kitchen big enough to have a permanent arts and crafts table for the kids who attend a private school, while you buy very expensive organic personal care products online, while you talk your housekeeper into using non-toxic cleaning products. It changes the perspective a little bit.

While some information I had heard before, some I did not, or at least didn't give much thought to, so I'm glad the book has me thinking about them now, as if I didn't feel guilty enough.

But with the listing of so many websites, this book is now out of date. Just a few I went to had now changed their domain name, no longer exist, or no longer sell online. And whoever edited this did a horrendous job. Typos and grammatical errors galore.


ETA 9/15/14: I no longer own a copy of this book, so I can't comment specifically on anything, but I am sure there was a whole bunch of chemophobia "advice" spewed. And in trying to be more rational and skeptical the last few years, I no longer believe the pseudoscience behind many of the so-called "natural" claims. My primary reason for using certain "green" cleaning and personal care products is it being vegan- not tested on animals and containing no animal ingredients.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other day, I went to Target, going to my usual Target Aisles: bedding, cosmetics, skin care, and books. I bought a makeup bag to corral my lipgloss, blotting papers and brush in my work totebag and Gorgeously Green.

I almost didn’t buy it because I saw it in one of those health food store advertorial magazines and I generally think those are full of nonsense.

Let me tell you: half the book is highlighted with Things I Must Remember. I’m sure it will take me a while to incorporate them all – or even half of them – in to my daily life but I will. There were also a lot of websites where you can buy things and we all know how much I love an internet shopping “trip.”

The thing about Uliano is that she isn’t preachy and she isn’t “all or nothing.” For example, while I agree that using plastic or glass dishes is better than Styrofoam, I am not taking my Tupperware to D & W and asking them to put my sandwich in that. Maybe someday I will but not now. I’m also not going to stop flying to cool places for vacations and I’m not quite ready to give up my plan to go on a cruise with my sister. Uliano understands that we aren’t all going to Go Granola. Of course, now I also have a new vacation destination, entirely thanks to Uliano: an Eco-Spa!

There were other things that thrilled me that I had no idea existed. For example, Woman’s Wonder Bar, which are chocolate candy bars that are supposed to help with PMS and menopause. I am so going to that website and buying some. Eco-friendly poop bags since I must clean up the presents Peggy Sue leaves for the world. There are free ringtones you can download that sound like nature: the mating call of a whale, an owl hooting, various birds. All kinds of things. There is a nonprofit who will take your partially used antibiotics, antifungals, etc and distribute them to developing countries. That’s pretty cool.

There are 8 chapters, each covering a different area of life. The chapters are:
1. Becoming Aware (just what it says.)
2. Green Goddess (all about beauty.)
3. Your Green Temple (all about a healthy body. Yoga and weight training routines are included)
4. Soulful Shopping (self-explanatory, I think!)
5. Your Palace (about your home and garden.)
6. Every Last Bite (not surprisingly, all about food.)
7. Out and About Having Fun (transportation, entertainment and travel.)
8. Go Supergreen (activism and maintenance.)

I bet you’ll find some ways that you can live a more eco-friendly life without driving yourself nuts or becoming one of the Granola Brigade. (Though there *is* a recipe for granola that looks yummy!) You’ll likely find some things you never considered and each small change adds up to a big difference.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an outstanding resource. On the surface it appears to be fluffy girly-girl stuff, but don't be deceived. Sophie Uliano has put together a fun, readable, usable volume on just about every aspect of "greenness" you can think of.

I recommend going through the entire book once so you don't miss out on any juicy tidbits, then keep it for use as a reference. It has a good index, and is loaded with web addresses for earth-friendly products, ideas, like-minded people, and organizations.

I consider myself to be the most earth-wise person I know, because I just don't consume or waste much, and still I was able to find many new ways to be even more conscientious.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am putting this one in the recycling bin, with a warning for those who may fish it out: this book contains inaccurate information, therefore I cannot in good conscience pass it on.

This is not to say it is all inaccurate. There is a lot of accurate information in there likely. However, once you find inaccurate information, you now have to verify every piece against other sources to see if this is the accurate or inaccurate information, which is just too much work when there are plenty of accurate books out there.

It is not a case of outdated research in the examples I found, but genuine mistakes. For example, Uliano explained the problem with the word "unscented" - how it means chemicals have been added to "take away" the scent, therefore it is full of even more chemicals - and applied it to "fragrance-free" despite that the terms are not interchangeable. In fact, the latter term means a fragrance has never touched the product, the very thing she searches for! This is ignorance from poor research and understanding of regulations regarding terminology.

And I can't believe she is dangerously repeating the asbestos in tampons urban legend. Why is there no disclaimer in the beginning of the book to save HarperCollins from erroneous advice?

This poor research is matched by poor editing. Of course, her editor did poorly with the writing style but what really stands out is mistakes that were missed at either the copy editing or, more likely, the proofreading level: while there were grammatical errors to debate, there were spelling errors, e.g. "bottlei", and missing spaces between words that cannot be debated as errors and could have been caught by the most basic of software spellchecks. It looks untouched by anyone at HarperCollins or even a competent agent. It takes away from the authority of being published by a major publishing house.

This is not to say there is not anything positive about the book. Uliano tries hard to make the topic approachable, palatable and digestible. At its best, the book is friendly; at its worse, it reads like a memoir of her shopping as she lists everywhere she shops for every topic (even her favourite item). It just gets old really quick. To boot, her choices do not ship to all areas, so it makes you question what is the point?

A lot of her links are dead (the book is quite old, it happens). In particular, her own site has died: "gorgeously green" now forwards to her personal site that does not have the same features listed in the book. It is time for the book to do what the sites have: die. That is why it gets my first 1 star and why, when I am normally so committed to passing on books - even if I hate them- recycling a book for the first time too.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book because I'm trying to live a more green lifestyle (like everyone else) and thought this might have some good ideas, products, etc. I found that it had a lot of misinformation. I'm not even an expert and I caught errors, so I know someone who knows more than I do would have a field day with this book. another thing that annoyed me were the comparisons like "this cosmetic is only one molecule away from being --fill in toxic chemical here--" Many things are chemically very similar but that doesn't mean they're the same. Disappointing.

[Nicol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that I have already said this, but I am so excited to have the opportunity to review new books. Okay, Gorgeously Green is written by Sophie Uliano. From the back flap it says, "Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don't want to compromise their glamour or style." (Not turning into a non-shaving hippie.)


My first reaction to this book was that I was really excited to read it. I have been thinking for some time about going green in my life and have slowly been making changes. In past posts I have declared that I was greening my clean. I have made huge improvements in that, but some products I am still having a hard time getting rid of. Namely bleach. I am required by state daycare law to sanitize/sterilize all toys once a week. What else can I use to get rid of the vast amounts of snot and saliva (read: germs) that are covering the toys? (I know it may sound gross, but any mother will tell you that kids are discussing little creatures and they do not know how to use a tissue and everything goes into their swollen teething mouths.)


This book is set up as a program to slowly make changes in your own life. It isn't pointing the pollution problem and the melting ice caps on me, but rather guiding me to make small changes, leading to large ones, in my life. You are supposed to do this over an 8 week period, each step representing a week. She encourages you to pick one thing from each chapter/step that you can change. I can handle that!


It goes over several different areas in our lives and how to make Earth-friendly changes. From learning what green is, the green goddess you (cosmetics, hair, feminine stuff), your green temple (exercise), Soulful shopping, your green palace, organic food, entertaining and the larger impact changes that you can make. She discusses fair trade, chemicals to avoid, and how to encourage your friends to become "Gorgeously Green." Also how to tell if the $3 free range eggs that I purchase are really free range. That is important information!
Overall, I found the book a good read. The websites listed in most chapters offers organic, green products for those that do not have access to an organic store or a store that carries limited products. I did find some of the prices a little out of my budgets comfort zone. $44 for a body scrub! And I did not like the multiple references to the authors money (she beat around the bush, but she declares her wealth through the expensive gifts she gives her friends and her housekeeper).
I do recommend this book for anyone who is looking to make environmentally good changes, but not willing to give up the glam lifestyle.

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book virtually transformed my medicine cabinet -- not to mention household, which is shared with a lifelong bachelor who purchases twelve-packs of Ivory bar soap and uses (nay, used!) rubbing alcohol as aftershave -- from the standard Oil Of Olay / Neutrogena / occasional Aveda lineup to serious non-paraben/fragrance-less organic and/or green products that might actually prevent my children from being born with gills and ADHD.

Its cheery tone is a bit much at times (though I do understand that it isn't geared toward embittered, relatively low-maintenance feminist spinsters such as myself), but by god does it contain a plethora of incredibly helpful product recommendations and resources. I never knew that natural eyeliner (a cosmetic I can't live without) existed, let alone that it was comparable in price to my usual Almay, or that it would glide on easier and last longer.

I've always been big on recycling, always had a compost bucket, etc., but this book made the idea of painlessly greenifying myself (and consequently, the planet) way more accessible than it had ever been. WholeBody has become my new home away from home.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat useful, but I found the level of materialism a little high / surprising. I guess the point is that this is helpful for people who don't want to radically change their lifestyles (and to be fair, I have a very high-consumption lifestyle too that I'm not sure will change anytime soon), but I'm not sure how "green" buying tons of super-expensive green products is. She gave lip-service to the make-do-with-less mentality, but certainly allowed me to just look for alternate products to buy without questioning whether I really needed that air purifier. I'm also not sure that I trust this as the most authoritative source, though I will refer to it from time to time. Better than nothing, and certainly accessible (especially if you come from the North Shore or another affluent area; she come off, at least to me, as really, really well-off). But overall I guess it was disappointing.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book changed my life! I have always been environmentally conscientious, but I was lacking some information and practical advice. I'm trying to incorporate as many of the ideas as possible. By going green, I find that I save money in some areas, but spend more in others. For example, I bought cloth napkins, which will save me money in the long run. However, I am now buying organic milk, which is over $2 more a gallon that the regular kind! (You'd think this wouldn't be the case in Wisconsin.) I've also purchased a chlorine filter for our shower, and I'd swear my hair has been better looking and more manageable since it was installed! This is a wonderful book, and I would recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in the green movement.

[Lindsey]

So far this is a great book. I love how I am trying to make my life more green!

[Ysaye Zamore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives you lots to think about! Overwhelming to read front to back if you really want to go green. Better to purchase, read chapters individually, and apply the concepts one by one.

[audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun and cute! I really love how much Sophie Uliano’s personality came through in the book. She definitely got me thinking deeper about my purchasing choices, which I always knew were not well enough informed, but didn’t know how to fix! I appreciate having something to reference about all this, because I am not a big fan of research.
Sometimes because I’m a lesbian of colour and know these kinds of books (written by straight white women) aren’t really targeting me as their audience, I hesitate to believe I will relate to them. I also think I tend to masculinize myself, but I loved how girly this book was! I love when a girl proudly loves being feminine. The book’s core message about staying true to yourself and having it all, being both activist and feminine, really resonated with me!
I did notice some problems with the book, though. There were a bunch of typos scattered throughout. The comments about “something fruity” in the bedsheets section, and the Native American themed birthday were definitely weird to me. Also, even though I didn’t visit any links because I haven’t had WiFi all week, I could guess most of them don’t work anymore or are unupdated. Same with her information lists and stats. The book is just dated. I also think the structuring was really unclear? She seemed to want us to be reading one chapter per week and completing tasks, but she didn’t really clarify that in the introduction. The table of contents labeled some chapters as “weeks” and others as “steps”. So how structured does she want this to be? I understand a reader could do it however they wanted (I read it over a couple of days), but I felt the introduction was disorganized in that way.
Side notes: I didn’t do the savasana pose once lol. Also the cover looks like ai because it’s so smooth, though obviously it isn’t.

[Valentina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like she was promoting websites for most of the book.

Being “eco-friendly” does not mean you buy more products and dump out your old ones. That action she promotes on her book adds more waste to the environment and we are only promoting capitalism and spending culture.

It does have some useful information but I don’t think it’s worth the read because there’s a lot random information in the book like links to business that are eco friendly.

I think this book does show eco-friendly ways to live like using natural products and such but I also think that it is biased. Not all drugstore products are bad. There are some that dermatologists reccomend. Natural products are good but if you also compare to dermatologist grade products, they aren’t that good. Dermatologists have scientific research on certain products that show observations for aging and health, etc. (example: tretinoin reduced wrinkles proven by research and is not a part of the “eco” community, it’s a prescription drug for your face)

[Alyssa Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jesus Christ. So much disappointment.
I honestly don’t even know why I gave it the second star- probably just for all the websites and shops she suggests are cool to be able to check out, even if I may or may not be interested in using all of them.

This was a load of fear-mongering, pseudoscience rubbish written by some wealthy white woman living in LA that just oozes apathetic privilege from every page. Most everything in this book is either not true, grossly exaggerated, or meant to guilt trip you into change - especially if you’re not a loaded stay at home mom in a big city. Basically 95% of this book just left me either rolling my eyes or pissed off.

And it’s obviously pretty outdated at this point. So I’ll be returning this to my coworker who insisted I read this.

[Kristy Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the references/links are no longer working.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic guide to going green
Felt more like a list of links to sites that could be useful
A lot of advice is outdated
And the style of writing is very ‘Entertainment Weekly’

[Bivisyani Questibrilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be frank with you: when I first started reading this book (which was years ago), I didn't enjoy it at all. I found it too...how do I put this? Standoffish? It just seemed like the author wanted to feel good about herself and so she bragged about how she is going green. Years later—specifically last month—I grabbed this book again and gave it another go, mostly because I wanted to start this whole new lifestyle and wanted to learn how to do it. Again, I found the book rather show-off-ish and I couldn't really stomach it, but I decided to power through. Now, as a somewhat new adult, it relates to me better and it kept me going. I've also read some of the bad reviews about this book, and I was sure I was going to join them after reading this book...but here I am.

What I did not enjoy about this book is how holistic—am I using this word right?—and holier-than-thou the author can sometimes feel. She speaks a lot about how much of a better person she is now, after she decided to go green and the rest of the world is deluded. She's right, of course, we're all oblivious of how badly we treat the earth—but put it quite like that can repulse a well-meaning newbie, such as myself. Also, it can sometimes feel like she is running rampant being silly and her friends and family just has to put up with it—which I think someone already mentions. Her credibility is also, to me, doubtful, since her background as a yoga instructor, she approaches to this whole thing from a yogi's perspective—which is not everyone's cup of tea. Her lack of in-text citation in most parts prevents us to read further about the topic—or even acknowledge her research. As I am new to this, I have no idea whether all the info she gives out is correct—but I read that some are mistaken, so I might need to double check and that just doubles my work.

Of course, I wouldn't go through with it if I knew it was pointless. I kept my mind open and read until the end—and not in vain, I might add. In the end, I did learn a lot of new things and, at least, get a starting point on what to research. Since the author lives in the U.S., most of what she shares can't be applied to my situation anyway, so I have to research further. But now I know what to look out for. This reminds me that it's such a shame that she doesn't really talk much about eco-living in the UK since she's British, and there's bound to be ways on how she could find out. Lastly, I think the best part to read this book is to go along with the steps and doing exactly what the author expects you to do—while at the same time doing your own research on the side. It would help shape your life in the direction that you, hopefully, want. That being said, that's not what I did—as I was juggling a dozen things at once—but that doesn't stop the book from being useful.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was worried this would be too fluffy given that I've read several books and countless non-profit organization newsletters on the topic. I was sort of right; it is pretty darned "fluffy", and she sounds almost Valley-girl-ish with all her "Hello!"s.

On the other hand, I did learn a few things, and I am a sucker for reviews and recommendations on the green products (everything from laundry, to kitchen, to body care, to make-up) out there.

There were only a couple of things that kind of irked me. One was her remark about her 6 year old daughter being a wannabe consumer and how she'd have to "home-school her and live in an Amish community" if she wanted to shield her daughter from all the ads bombarding her (p.93). I'm glad she said "and" instead of "or", but still, I cringe when people use the old erroneous stereotype of homeschoolers being a sheltered bunch.

The second thing that bothered me is that after extolling the virtues of air drying, she says that "I do have to iron a bit more now that I air-dry." (p. 149) First of all, that's not true. I find that the wrinkles work themselves out in the sun, and pretty much everything is wrinkle free when dried (except for bath towels, oddly enough, but who cares?). Dh, as current chair of his department, needs to look reasonable to meet with deans, provosts, etc., and his air-dried dress shirts are perfectly acceptable. Another thing, irons use huge amounts of electricity, so it's not much of a trade-off for not using the dryer if you have to iron.

Some things I liked a lot in the book are:
1) her use of "slow" food as an acronym - Seasonal, Local, Organic, Whole...very clever.
2) there is an excellent quote from David Steinman in the book, quoted from his book (Safe Trip to Eden): "If you worry about some of the added costs of purchasing organic foods, but you give to charity, think of organic food as giving to the most effective environmental charity today, more powerful even than the American Cancer Society."
3) specific recommendations on products and sites

I read it the day that I had to lie in bed to recuperate from a swollen leg from a yellow jacket sting and took copious notes. It made a lazy day a bit more fun, and lying in bed a bit more bearable.

[Yoonmee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2008, this book already feels out of date. It's a good primer for anyone who wants to start out being "green," but almost all of the tips/suggestions in here can be found in almost any magazine or website on being "green." These days, most of the information found in this book seems like common knowledge. One nice thing about this book is that the author isn't too terribly strict about being green. She acknowledges when she herself could be greener and acknowledges that an "extreme" green lifestyle is not feasible for everyone, nor does everyone want that for themselves. She's also aware that beseeching her readers to live a more extreme green lifestyle will scare people away. Thus, she advocates baby steps towards living a green life.

All that said, this book often reads like a shopping manual. Good grief! Reading this book made me want to go out and purchase all this new stuff (haha), which doesn't do much for cutting down on consumption.

Another criticism is that she references the Environmental Working Group many times for cosmetics/skincare recommendations. While the EWG often has great advice, it's often somewhat alarmist in its message. Take it with a grain of salt, is what I'm saying.

Two because it's informative, but it'll get out of date really quickly. If you've been living under a rock for the past several years, this book might be a revelation, but most of the advice she offers is pretty much common sense kind of stuff. I might have given it 3 or 4 stars had I read it back in 2008 because the information might have been a tad bit newer to me back then, but then again maybe not. A good book if you're a beginner, but most likely you're already somewhat aware of many of the issues she mentions in the book. If you really want to be green, check it out from your local library before purchasing. =)

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeously Green is a little bit pushy and gimmicky. I was annoyed by the constant use of the phrase "gorgeously green" (really, if that's the title, do we need to keep hearing the phrase over and over?) and I didn't like that Uliano stuck her own skincare brand in her list of recommended skincare products. I understand that she probably felt that she might as well, but it felt like she had an agenda which distracted me from her mostly good advice. Also, she said to give copies of the book with nontoxic nail polish to pregnant friends. That was rather blatant.

I did like the way she described why it was important to use less chemicals and more organic things, but I felt like she really let down an entire group of people when she left cloth diapers out of the book. She went through many of the harsh chemicals in skincare items, yet said that she didn't even want to get into the whole cloth diaper "thing". She said there was no excuse not to use biodegradable wipes. I understand that she has a six-year-old and probably doesn't have much personal interest in using cloth diapers, but if you're going to write a book on how to be kinder to the environment and go into the harmful chemicals in beauty products, why not go the extra little bit and mention how cloth diapers are now very easy and save plenty of trees/landfill space? I'm the laziest person I know and yet I manage to use cloth, so I don't understand why she left them out.

Other than those things rubbing me the wrong way, I thought she had some very good advice (I was glad she included so many websites to find information, though I do wonder if she was paid for advertising certain sites.)

[Chelsey Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had Sophie Uliano's Gorgeously Green recommended to me by a friend.

I liked this book. While I already knew a lot of the information contained within its pages, it would be a really great starter for someone who doesn't know much about "living green" and wants to learn more.

There were a lot of resources within to keep motivated and suggestions on where to shop (which kind of came across to me like advertising) which again, will be most useful for someone who has no idea where to start.

I found it to be pretty comprehensive, though I found some of the generalizations tiresome (I really don't care about shopping for shoes, or clothes, as the book seems to suggest that all women--or readers of this book--will want).

Still, it was comprehensive and did let me in on some little tips and secrets for living green. I definitely think that Sophie's heart is in the right place and I applaud her for her effort towards creating a greener earth. I also really liked the little statistics included with the book--they really put how important it is to be green into perspective.


If you're already living fairly "green" then this book is going to be a rehashing of information that you likely already know, but there might be a few things contained within that you find helpful (at the very least, if you're looking for somewhere to shop online, this book has a bevy of links to online, organic, or earth-friendly retailers).

I think, if you're just starting out and want to make a difference, then this book will be incredibly useful for you.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is divided into 8 sections where each section describes a large number of changes the average woman can make to reduce waste, toxins, and to be more environmentally aware. Sometimes reading through the sections, I became overwhelmed. I'd think that one or two things sounded easy, but then the author would just keep going with her wonderful information, and I'd start to feel a bit lost. Even though she kept reminding me, as the reader, that she's only asking for one little change--and she even has simple changes listed at the end of each section to pick one from--I kept thinking that I'm not doing enough.

That being said, I did implement at least one change from each section. Some, I was surprised, were things that I'm already doing but need to get better at. Some were new and very simple. For example, I ordered a bottle of non-toxic nail polish remover. I was skeptical so I ordered the smallest size available--but it worked like a charm. It smelled nasty in the bottle, but once it dried on my fingers--it smelled fruity.

This is not a book that's meant to be read once and then put down. It's a good idea to occasionally revisit each section to mark your progress and see if there's a new idea to try.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how the author begins the book by suggesting that we just pick 1 thing from each step (i.e. chapter) of the book to implement in our lives to help us lead a greener life. I'm a firm believer that if everyone would take just a few simple steps our environment and our lives would be so much healthier. I get disappointed with attempts to encourage everyone to go totally green...I just think that's too overwhelming for most people and the end result is they do nothing. However, even though the author started out with that tone, and attempted to keep re-visiting it throughout the book, I feel it did get overwhelming. It was like she would go thru the chapter and tell you all the horribly bad reasons not to use many different products, but then at the end says, just pick 1 to not use, while you are sitting here thinking, oh my, I really need to change everything!

That being said, I did just go out and purchase the book yesterday (the copy I read originally was from the library). The reason I purchased it is that there is truly a ton of great information in it. She recommends a lot of alternative products and their websites and there was no way I could write them all down.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this is SO SO much different and better than any other "ways to go green" guide or book that just drowns you in stats and makes you feel like everything is a lost cause and why bother. This woman was on Oprah with Julia ROberts a week or so ago and she said a few things that made me really interested in this book. Mainly, "Do what you can!" She is a girly girl who likes to look good and didn't want her life and family life overhauled in one night and realized that's impossible. So she took steps and educated herself and this book truly invigorates you to do the same. You learn so much and feel so much more intelligent after reading it, you really can't be lazy after knowing what you know. 90% of the things in here are so doable for the busiest, poorest of us, me being in both those categories. It's a fun read too! It is filled with great ideas for gifts, exercises, you name it, it is fantastic! I would love to start a challenge amongst my friends to cehck off one thing per week we are working on or have changed. IT'S NOT THAT HARD!! I've been doing this for awhile and didn't really know how much I was actually doing! Yippee!

[Sariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I knew a lot of the things in this book already, it was still very informative. I was aware of all the horrible things in cleaning supplies, thanks to "Organic Housekeeping", and knew about the nasty stuff in nearly everything else in the terrifying "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know" The problem I had was finding alternatives to the beauty products. So conventional make-up is full of carcinogens and hormone disrupters. So what do I do now? This book will actually tell you where you can find it. It eliminates a lot of the detective work I already had to do!

The only problem I have with the book is that a some of her suggestions for a greener solution may be better for you, but they're not very economical. $20 for 16 ounces of shampoo? I think not. Luckily I discovered "Natural Beauty at Home" a while back and can make my own safe products at a fraction of the cost - with the exception of make-up.

I had gotten rather lax about my green commitment lately - with moving and a brand new baby and all - but reading this book as helped to re-inspire me. I'm excited to make even more changes!

[Dawnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this book as a gift for Christmas. I had seen the book at my friend's house and she had really enjoyed it. The author lives in Hollywood, teachs yoga, and is trying to live a green life.

I found the book to be a very good guide for the best home, beauty and personal products to buy that are green, organic, etc. The information on all of the horrible things that are in makeup was eye opening, to be sure! However, I had a difficult time with her section on organic gardening. She has a list of items that she says are fine for composting, including yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, moldy cheese and potato chips. It is NEVER a good idea to have those items in your compost unless you don't mind rats or other disgusting rodents.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. I have about 30 different pages with the corners turned, so that is a good thing. I appreciate that fact that this woman encourages the readers to be pesky and ask questions of any organization and how green they run them. One of my plans will be to talk to our elementary school about a no-idling rule.

[Kelda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having been loaned this book by a friend, I made an effort to get through it(and failed) The author, a Californian yoga instructor, seeks to inspire and motivate towards a greener life style with out the sacrifice of vanity and "good housekeeping" Actually this is a noble premise and her lists of the toxic and harmful ingredients contained in our every day, even several times a day - products are useful. She counters these lists with suggestions for alternatives , like using white vinegar for most of your household cleaning needs (very effective)and heated sesame oil with a few drops essential oil for a moisturizer, as well as listing products made by earth/health friendly companies. But you have to endure the cluby and somewhat cheesy tone which made me feel a bit like I was reading Cosmo, and the presumption of chumminess. However this does promote accessibility of an important and often daunting subject, so....

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

All 'Green' books I read pretty much tell me the same thing, as did this one. But this one was a bit different than the others. It was a lot more detailed and gave lots of web sites to visit to learn more about how to keep yourself, your home, and the planet green. What I liked was how it mentioned beauty products. I have super sensitive skin, and after I read the beauty chapter and reading the list of toxins that are in the products we use, it's no wonder my skin looks like crap. There's a great web site www.safecosmetics.org where you can type in your products and it will tell you how harmful or not they are. That's a real eye opener. The book did get kind of boring towards the end, because I really felt like I was reading the same info over and over that I had read in other 'green' books. But it was still very helpful, and if I thought that anyone would actually read it, I'd give it as a gift. So get out there and be green.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am really enjoying this book so far. i love that it's not one of those green books where everything is bad and you should live in a hole. i feel like can actually do some of these things (and want to), and that it's more than just trash and gardening. she also talks about beauty and health. i am really liking this book so far.

i love this book. i have really learned alot from it. it will be in currently reading list for a while. each chapter is a weekly goal so to speak, so as soon as i finish the last few pages i am going to start again and do it one week at a time. it's a 8-step program with each step being a different area to work on.

i recommend this book for any one that wants to live a more green life but don't want to sacrifice in style and personal beauty regimens. i love it.

[Natalie Hoage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!! I love the way Uliano writes and shares her ideas and knowledge with the reader. She doesn't preach to the reader. She doesn't make you feel like if you don't do every single thing she mentions in the book that you are a bad person...instead, she tells the reader that every small change they make does make a difference.
This book changed my life. I know that sounds corny, but it really did. I've changed my cleaning products, laundry products, bath products. I reuse everything I possible can and I recycle like crazy! I buy organic foods for the baby, and he now wears environment safe, biodegradable (and flushable!) diapers. I even bought a compost bin and grow a lot of my own fruits and vegis!! And I refer back to the book on a regular basis. I even joined the gorgeously green club!
If you are at all interested in becoming more eco-friendly, READ THIS BOOK!!