14 Books Leading The Charge On Eco-friendly Living

These are the books that are going to transform modern lifestyles

With the recent explosion in coverage about human’s impact on our planet, more and more people are turning to eco-friendly living. But how can we make the biggest difference so that our planet can survive for future generations?

These experts in eco-friendly living are sharing their best tips and advice on how to change the habits that damage our Earth the most. Pick the book that speaks to you. For example, if you care about cooking, why not move to sustainable allotment farming. Your own fresh produce also tastes great – bonus!

Table of Contents show

#1 Backyard Roots by Lori Eanes

I love the book Backyard Roots because it inspires people to see what is possible, even if they don’t live on a farm.

It also highlights how people have made a difference on their properties over time instead of all at once. I think that encourages others to take baby steps towards sustainability.”

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#2 101 Ways to go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg

If you’re looking to move towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle, this book is a great place to get easy-to-implement tips and DIY recipes for toiletries and cleaning products. There are also pieces discussed in the book that you may not associate with eco-friendly living like decluttering and how to be a conscious consumer.

Kellogg has organized the book into sections of our home and lives (ex: kitchen, work, travel), with each tip being its own page – all which makes it easy to flag and reference over and over. There is so much information packed into this book!

One of the things I really appreciated about the book was that while it is a great resource for those beginning their sustainable living journey, it also is applicable for those who may be at a more ‘intermediate’ stage.

Finally, at the end of the book, there is a section on taking your eco-friendly journey into your local community. This is such an important aspect to eco-friendly living, and I love that there are tips to get started on this as well.

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#3 This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein

Nyomi Klein is one of the rockstars of the environmental movement, and this is the book . that put her on the map. In this book, Nyomi exposes myths that are clouding the climate debate. It’s essential for understanding, confronting, and meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

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#4 The Zero-Waste Lifestyle by Amy Korst

The author lived one year completely zero waste and shared the results from this sustainable challenge in her book. It’s written in a cheerful tone and you won’t feel guilty for generating some trash. The book is a great start for anyone who wants to adapt to a zero waste lifestyle. Amy gives step-by-step tips for minimizing waste and alternatives to single-use plastic products. There’s even a helpful guide for recycling all kinds of items.

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#5 Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard

This captivating memoir of Yvon Chouinard – renowned climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia shows us how a reluctant businessman built a wildly successful lifestyle brand based on steadfast environmental principles.

I recommend this book to anyone who interested in starting their own eco-friendly enterprise. Chouinard is a fine example of how we may empower ourselves to redefine business as usual and make significant changes toward sustainability for generations to come.

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#6 Drawdown by Paul Hawken

Entrepreneur and sustainable business guru Paul Hawken and his team have given us a vision of what hope looks like when it rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.

There is no excuse for a reasonable person to deny the existence of the climate crisis. However, reasonable people are still unsure about what policies and processes hold the most promise eliminating our global carbon footprint. Drawdown offers the most empirically sound strategies governments, enterprises of all types, and citizens of Earth can implement and advocate for. Be warned, some strategies might surprise you!

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#7 How to Shop for Shi(f)t by Taryn Hipwell

Fashion, one of the most polluting industries in the world, isn’t transparent and this book sheds a light on what our clothes are made of and who’s making them. The book also highlights healthier fashion choices for any budget.

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#8 How Not to Die by Michael Greger

Once I found out about the damage to the environment by intensive cattle farming, I decided to become vegan a few years ago and this was my first book. I discovered that eating a plant-based diet not only reduced my carbon footprint but was also good for my health. The book emphasizes the concept of using plant-based nutrition as preventative medicine to address chronic medical conditions that affect many of us in this day and age.

By using illustrated diagrams, scientifically-backed facts and a narrative that is easy to follow, Dr. Michael Greger – an internationally-renowned physician and nutrition specialist – explains in detail how this can be accomplished by the average person.

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#9 Walk Your Way to Better by Joyce Shulman

This is a book about walking your way to better. Everywhere you turn, people, podcasts and gurus promise a simple path to the life you want. But few of them work. Why? Because simply reading the words is rarely enough to call your heart and mind to action. This book is different. Each section provides a thought-starter, insight or story.

But I don’t want you to just read it. I want you to read a section and then lace up your sneakers and head out the door. Because while walking, your brain processes in a unique way, enabling you to recognize the things that are truly holding your back and the changes you actually need to make. You will literally Walk Your Way to Better. Along the way, you will forge a powerful connection between your mind and your body. And bonus — you’ll feel better and become fitter.

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#10 The Godfather of Green: An Eco-Spiritual Memoir

THE GODFATHER OF GREEN: AN ECO-SPIRITUAL MEMOIR shows one person finding his place over many years as an active participant in three major environmental movements, beginning with the first Earth Day in 1970, up to the present Climate Crisis.

During that time, Jerry Yudelson actively studied meditation and mindfulness practices under the guidance of two powerful Indian spiritual masters. He struggles over many years to integrate these disparate worlds for the betterment of himself and the environment.

Kirkus Reviews wrote that Yudelson’s blend of environmentalism and spiritualism captures an overlapping sensibility that was perhaps more common among an earlier generation than it is today. His story is an illustrative one for those interested in the roots of the green movement in 1960s protest culture and the ways that it has evolved to become a powerful force in our own critical period of climate change.

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#11 The Snow Leopard Project

The Snow Leopard Project is the story of evolutionary biologist Alex Dehgan’s efforts to save and preserve Afghanistan’s wildlife in the midst of a warzone. Dehgan’s team traveled the remote countryside by yak and on foot, helped create the country’s first national park, and worked to stem the tide against poaching some of the area’s rarest species—including, of course, the snow leopard.

Dehgan himself went on to create Conservation X Labs, a remarkable organization doing extremely important work in the conservation sector. The Snow Leopard is a look at the kind of on-the-ground hard work that substantive ecological change often requires, and it’s a reminder of the fact that small, dedicated groups and individuals can make that change a reality.

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#12 The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard

The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health — and How We Can Make It Better by Annie Leonard always struck me the most when I first read it. This book illustrates and encaptures the concepts of extraction, manufacture, and the consumption of goods. It definitely convinced me to change my consumer lifestyle.

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#13 Finding Ultra by Rich Roll

Finding Ultra is based on the inspirational story of an athlete that challenged middle-age and was able to participate in some of the world’s most physically demanding competitions: Ultraman and EPIC5. Rich was able to achieve elite physical shape by following a rigorous vegan diet and daily exercise when he was 40 years old. Finding Ultra proves without a shadow of a doubt that it’s never too late to reverse aging and achieve optimal physical health by eating a plant-based diet.

I found this book incredibly motivating when deciding to go vegan last year, mostly for environmental reasons. It is a well-known fact that the meat industry, especially the ones that employ CAFO operations, make up 50% of all man-made greenhouse gases on the planet! So by going vegan, you can improve your health and contribute to a greener planet.

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#14 The Green Burial Guidebook by Elizabeth Fournier

This is the first book to help families navigate through natural and less expensive burial choices, explaining the facts behind this type of burial and exploring the topic which is attracting significant media interest and an upsurge internationally.

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Contributors to this article

Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks

Laura Durenberger from Reduce, Reuse, Renew

Elliot Blackler from Evopure

Antonia Korcheva from Escape Waste

Veronica Cruz from Good Natured Jobs

Casey Meehan from CaseyRMeehan

Danielle Ferrari from Valhalla Resale, Inc.

Boriana Slabakova from PetPedia

Christina Towle from BuzzBright PR

Jerry Yudelson from Reinventing Green Building