Review by Alex Censor:

If you need to have almost all the ideas for ways YOU can reduce your ecological damage of your lifestyle all in one easy to read place — or know someone who you think is open to being greener but unaware of all the big and little changes one can fairly easily make, this might be a book for you.

If you’ve been paying attention to ecological, green, and sustainability issues for years there’s not much point in this book. All the info in it is widely available on the ‘net and other sources free.

Review by Diane Moore:

What a great little book! It’s chock full of information and even created out of recycled paper! As someone who wants to “go green,” but doesn’t want a lot of long explanations and hard to understand terms, this book was perfect for me!

The author starts out by crushing the “green living myths,” which is helpful, because I’m constantly explaining to others that it’s not as hard as you think!

There are hundreds of tips with 3 boxes by each one so you can check of what you want to work on, or number your success with it. The tips range from the ones I was already familiar with (such as buying organic, or letting fruit sit in a bowl of cold water rather than letting the water run) to those I wasn’t familiar with (take used motor oil to your local service station for recycling. Motor oil never wears out; it can be recycled, re-refined, and used again and again).

The author really did her homework because there are not only many ways to “get involved” in the back of the book, but lots of “green shopping” pages as well!

I hope to find more books like this!

Review by Mark Hawthorne:

Avoiding animal products, buying Fair Trade and shade-grown coffee, donating an unwanted fur, investing in socially responsible companies, and volunteering at an animal sanctuary are just a few of the subjects you’ll find in Ingrid Newkirk’s latest book. The president and cofounder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Newkirk eloquently bridges the gap between John Q. Public and the animal protectionist or staunch environmentalist, creating a user-friendly guidebook for integrating compassion into our daily lives.

The book is organized into ten parts: Home and Garden, Fashion and Beauty, Food and Entertaining, Recreation and Vacations, Animals in the Home, Children and Family, Business and Education, Health, Volunteering and Getting Active, and Celebrations. Each section is filled with short chapters that explore the topics in more detail. “Home and Garden,” for example, addresses decorating and furnishing your home using cruelty-free products; finding cleaning solutions that are eco- and animal-friendly; and using humane methods to deal with insects, mice, and other uninvited creatures. The chapters are supported by a list of resources that should help answer just about any “But how do I…?” question. Of course, there are also plenty of simple vegan recipes — even for making your own vegan dog and cat food.

Although PETA (now in its 25th year) is well known for their often-shocking and controversial campaigns, “Making Kind Choices” prudently relies instead on stories from a wide variety of voices, from engaged activists and international celebrities to everyday people just trying to make the world a better place. Whether you want to learn more about the vegan lifestyle, how to rescue an injured animal on the road, where to invest ethically, which charities do not test on animals, what goes into planning a compassionate wedding, or anything in between, I think you’ll agree the modest price of this book is money very well spent indeed.

Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

Review by Shirley Priscilla Johnson:

I loved this book; it is an outstanding read. What’s it about? It is about making choices in your daily living that are unselfish. What could be better than that?

This book is packed full of information that you can use in daily living, information that gives you the inside scoop of just what is in certain products? How are animals really treated? Why does it help to drink organic coffee? Just to name a very few.

The information in this book is about our everyday living and understanding the responsibility that we have to live in unity with all of life on our planet. It is not written in a condemning way, but instead brings great understanding as to why we should respect life in all forms. It is also filled with alternatives, meals that are made with healthy foods, that not only improve our bodies but are animal friendly. Cleaning supplies that do the job but do not hurt the environment or those who live in it. I found that to be very refreshing and informative.

The author also gives a very in-depth listing of animal ingredients that we can look for in products we eat and use and alternatives for them. She gives names and addresses of companies that sell products or foods that are friendly to our world.

Great! I want you to understand that this is just not another book tearing you apart for eating animal flesh or using animal products. No, it’s a book of information, one that is a real eye opener; and it is written in a very easy to understand way.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I intend to keep it handy so I may refer to it time and time again. I’m also going to make some life changes, I believe for the better. Pick this one up and read what you may not know. I really believe it will make a difference in your life. Great book! Great read

Review by Daniel W. Christianson:

There are many fantastic publications available on this same subject however most of them seem to drown the reader in a wave of eco-facts & ideas and leave you with just that. Picture Yourself Going Green contains these as well but puts them in an actual step by step procedure to follow over time. The great photo’s and diagrams accompanying the science behind many of these steps is just enough to keep you interested while not leaving those of us without a biology degree in a baffled state of mind.

In today’s volatile economy where budgeting our household expenses is priority one for a lot of us, the cost meter associated with most individual ideas here is an invaluable tool for planning what is feasible for you. The author clearly recognizes the social diversity of her audience and address the fact that `hey, we’re not all the same`. Different lifestyles and many other variables surrounding us prohibit every idea from working for every household and she offers plenty of alternatives. So whether you are renting an apartment or own a sprawling estate this is a plan you can put to good use.

Its a reference guide meant to be used, greening up your home? Take it with you to the Home Depot, or the nursery. Going shopping? Do you know what’s in that laundry detergent? How about your toothpaste?- yea, take the book with you.

Even if you don’t have time to devote to the step by step program, the other half of this book is for you, just simple steps we all can take in our daily routines that will make an immense difference to our eco-system. We’re all in this together.