Sheherazade Goldsmith wants you to grow herbs and vegetables, use energy-efficient lighting, bake bread and if you’re brave enough raise a pig or two. A Slice of Organic Life, which compiles Goldsmith’s sensible and folksy suggestions for eco-friendly, back-to-the-earth living, encourages us to change our planet-damaging lifestyle habits one at a time, whether we’re city dwellers, suburbanites or rural residents.
Goldsmith believes it’s the tiny changes we make that are crucial, noting that each one of us has a role to play in reversing the decline of our planet, whether it’s turning our televisions off at the wall or installing a wood-burning stove. So, are you ready to change the world? A Slice of Organic Life, which hops on the trendy, sustainable living bandwagon, gently shows you how in three instructive sections: one for city dwellers with no land, another for those who have garden space and the third for people of the 40-acre ilk. Earth-friendly tips abound, from growing lettuces and using natural cleaning products to composting, churning butter and heating household water naturally. While some tips are sketchy, such as how to Nourish Skin Naturally (only one homemade facial recipe is included), there is a useful resource directory that expands consumer knowledge of companies and organizations whose products and services are relevant to an organic lifestyle. No matter how well intentioned, any book that tells us how to live risks veering dangerously into preachy waters. This one does not: It is an earnest, friendly manual that’ll entice you into the kitchen to make jam even if you’ve never before successfully boiled water.
