PaperbackBookSwap

What a cool idea...it's like Netflix, but with books (you remember books, dont you?). And the best part...it's free (for now, at least)! At PaperBackSwap you list books that you are willing to swap with other members. Once you do that, you get two free book credits with which you can order two books online from the more than 3 million available. That book is now your book to keep. For each book you swap, you get another credit with which you can choose another book. Read on....

Cucumbers are Liberal and Zucchinis are Conservative...Food Politics!

I just finished reading Food Politics by Marion Nestle, and highly recommend it. She provides an extremely thorough explanation of how our nation's food and political systems are intertwined and interact. Do you know...

• How nutrition guidelines get developed?
• Where the food pyramid came from?
• Why we all learned about the 4 food groups growing up?
• Why some sugar cereals are labeled as "heart smart" and others are not?
• Why dietary guidelines never say to "eat less" of anything?
• That there is a Western Pistachio Association? (who knew??)
• How olestra got produced?
• That enough soda is produced in this country for every person (man, woman, child, baby) to drink 556 12-oz servings a year?

If any of these topics and issues are of interest to you, Food Politics is definitely worth the read!

Looking for Something to Read?

Check out Green Cotton's list of the Top 10 Green Books for 2009! It includes some green favs that have been around for a little while like Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. It also has some very recently published books such as My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolt Taylor. Dr. Taylor and her book were featured on NPR's Fresh Air last summer. So, if you're looking to curl up with some good green books this winter, this is a list you'll want to see. Grab your cup of fair trade coffee and start reading!

The Makeup of Your Makeup

Sorry that it's been so long since the last Eco-Smart post. I've been busy struggling with the moral dilemma of whether to replace my BPA-containing water bottles with BPA-free bottles that (a) are made in the USA, but from a company that resisted the phasing out of BPA or (b) are made by a company that was quick to provide a no-BPA alternative, but produced overseas. Nevermind my moral dilemma...check out this book! Not Just a Pretty Face is by Stacey Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. That will sound familiar to you if you've checked out the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database (a GREAT resource!). Malkan takes a close look at the chemicals found in our daily beauty routine and tells the stories of folks she has met who are trying to make our products safer. Grist recently interviewed Malkan about the book. You can also learn more at the book's own Web site!