Sate of the World 2004 - Special Focus: the Consumer Society. The WorldWatch Institute. Norton. 2004.
The WorldWatch Institute is one of my favorite organizations. The accessibility, timeliness, and wide-ranging nature of their research and statistical information was invaluable to me as an academic. Now, the easy to understand basic application of that data to lifestyle choices makes WorldWatch writing an invaluable tool that I can offer my customers, whether they are new to trying to live sustainable lives, or they’ve been working toward sustainability for a while.
So, I love reading and recommending WorldWatch products, and this year’s State of the World is no exception. With topics that range from water and energy to computers, antibacterial soap and shrimp, writing that starts generally for the neophyte, and quickly but logically gets quite detailed, and a proactive, here’s-what-we-can-do-about-it sort of emphasis, this book is at the top of my list for the newly environmentally interested. With all of the above and more than 50 pages of notes, new and synthesized statistical analysis, and an accessible style, it’s also going to be a favorite for those teaching sustainable living (either to friends and relatives, or in open community workshops).
Read it! Then pass it on! This is one of those books that you don’t want sitting on your bookshelf – spread it around…
jill
