Random musings and activities of a 30 something mom, potential sprint triathlete, vegetarian, dog and cat owner, and a evolving urban homesteader just trying to do the right thing in life for my daughter and the world around us. If the blog seems random, it's because life is and hits us all at 100mph.
Friday, June 25, 2010

PostHeaderIcon Friday Book Recommendation 25 June 2010

Environmental hazards that are part of our everyday existence.  It's not everyday that I can tell you about a book the profoundly changed the way I look at what I buy and the environment (self-made) around me AND how you can buy that book for $5 and change.  I'm happy to be able to do that today (and frankly, bought 5 copies when I realized how cheap it was, hoarding for next Christmas season).

The Friday Recommend of the day is:

The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being

I realize that doesn't sound like a very exciting topic to most, but once you get into it, you'll be enthralled by what you learn.

Did you  know that the FDA does not test or check the submittals by chemical companies?  If the company submits XYZ is safe for your baby to lick, and can provide the reports to back it up, it is taken as truth.  That is, until someone gets sick or proves otherwise.

What do you know about what your family is being exposed to?

If you are worried about the rising rates of cancer, ADD, leukemia, autism, asthma, and other diseases, read this book.  Learn what the plastics we use in our baby bottle, the chemicals in our carpets, and other every day items do to us.

Do you think eating organic is worthless?  Then you should read the chapter on pesticides regulation in the US (or lack of).

Environmental hazards that are part of our everyday existence.  The question is, which ones can you control?

The book is full of documentation for you to follow up on and do your own research.  Baker's book traces the path of atrazine (a common pesticide), phthalates, flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), bisphenol-A, Teflon (perfluorinated chemicals) through their impact on humans and the environment, and through any relevant (though mostly absent) government regulation.

This book is also where I found the link to the website where I check the safety of my moisturizers, sunscreens, shampoos, and other personal care items: http://www.ewg.org/.  I certainly look at nail polish differently now.

In short, this book makes me angry and increases my resolve at the same time.  It reinforces the point of view, that as consumers, we really are at the mercy of corporations and it's up to us to make informed decisions the best we can. 

Each time I make a purchase, not only do I ask myself if it will end up in the goodwill donation box in the next 3 years, but also have started asking myself the impact on my house and my family if I buy this.

This bok is one of the reasons I bought a previous Friday review: Organic Housekeeping.  I felt I had to start with small steps with making the environment for my family better.  After all, what is the use of making my house organic dairy/organic produce, if I'm just going to introduce toxic chemicals when I clean up after dinner?  It all matters, and as the book points out, it's cumulative.

It's an eye opener.

It's definitely a "must read"

My Rules of Friday Recommendations.
1. I've read it (probably more than once)
2. I would loan it to you.
3.  I would then buy a copy in case you didn't return it because I loved it so much I want to keep a copy in my house.
4.  Even if you didn't return it, I would be happy to have blessed your home with its pages.
5.  I'm pretty sure you'll get something out of reading it too.
(rules subject to change weekly)

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Quotes as I come across them......

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, an hour, a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it last forever.” ~~~Lance Armstrong

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~~~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain----and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is 'Don't overdo it' and 'Don't push yourself.' Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond." ~~~Bob Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers general manager, NHL Hall of Famer. (Will-Weber's "Voices From the Midpack" chapter.)

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.~~~Denis Watley

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly. ~~~Thomas H. Huxley (1825 - 1895)

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