Planet Home -- Book Review

On a whim, I began reading Planet Home in the hopes of learning a thing or two new about simplified living. There are so many books on the market these days about simplicity that it is difficult to find anything comprehensive or anything that ventures to offer something you did not learn from another green guru several books back.

Imagine how delighted I was when I found that Planet Home was not only a fine compendium of best practices in green living, but it was also one with new tips and ideas that I had never come across before. Granted, I am a novice at all this green business, but the book truly has a lot to offer. For example, in the chapter on food, Hollender includes a section about buying local and/or organic produce. The common-knowledge benefits of buying local and organic are addressed, but there are also guidelines about what produce to buy when you cannot find these options in your area. He gives a list of the "dirty dozen" -- produce you should always buy organic and the "clean fifteen" -- produce with the lowest pesticide residue. Tidbits like these separate Planet Home from a lot of other green books I have read.

What also separates Planet Home from other books is its understated philosophy about the environment and our relationship to it. Holland writes:

"There are plenty of resources available for people interested in 'eco-friendly' living. And primarily, Planet Home provides a road map for anyone who wants to green and clean a home. But the following pages go well beyond offering typical 'go green' advice. This book is an attempt to inspire us all to open our minds, expand our collective consciousness, and think without compartmentalizing."

In essence, he is writing about being green or, as others may call it, having a simplified life. It goes beyond thinking about something small like using energy-efficient bulbs to thinking about why saving energy is worthwhile in the first place. Is it anything more than the latest fashion in home accessories? Or is it a political statement, a social stance, a new way of thinking about one's part in the world in making the earth sustainable. Holland says all this without being preachy. Rather than proselytize, he gives reference to resources throughout the book. So, when you are ready or so inclined, the knowledge is there for the asking.

Planet Home's organization is useful because it makes the book a resource that you don't just want to stick up on your shelf. As your own green journey evolves (growing from changing one's light bulbs, for example, to changing one's habits of energy consumption), you will want to reread passages and follow up on leads to resources that perhaps you had not tried on your first reading.

Planet Home is a book I read after checking it out from the library. However, after reading it, I know I want a copy for my own collection. It is that good and that useful.