Current reading list

Here's a few of the books that we've been devouring of late:

The New Nature by Tim Low.  This is a fascinating book that explores nature, our preconceptions of what 'nature' is and how we humans interact with it. Our tendency is to think of nature as wilderness and separate to us, but in fact as Tim shows, nature is everywhere around us, often exploiting man-made environments in unexpected ways.  While human activity has been responsible for loss of diversity, other native animals thrive in urban areas and some endangered species are only found in habitats altered by human activity.  It really opened my eyes to what we see around us, how it can be interpreted, how native plants and animals interact with us and the implications for ongoing conservation efforts. 

The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb.  This book is a hoot as well as being a great source of tips and ideas.  If you want to tread lightly on the earth, enjoy life and save lots of money in the process then living a more simple and frugal lifestyle is the way to go.  The authors share how this can be achieved whilst still having a rockin' good time.  How can you go past chapters entitled "Don't be a snooty bum-bum" and "Bow down before the nanna and get ahead of the curve"? Here at PragSust HQ we are already doing many of the things covered in the book but Annie and Adam take the ideas to a whole new level.  Definitely worth reading and very enjoyable.

Down To Earth by Rhonda Hertzel.  After reading Rhonda's most recent book, The Simple Home, I knew I had to read this. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, have read it several times and given copies as gifts to friends.  Rhonda eloquently describes the ways in which we can all live a simple and more self-reliant life while spending less and enjoying life more.  The book outlines practical ways in which we can take control of our lives, become more of a maker than a consumer and reduce our environmental footprint in the process. Covering topics like finances, green cleaning, home skills such as cooking, preserving and much, much more this is a great book no matter what age or stage in life you're at. We now make our own laundry detergent and green cleaners using recipes in the book, foods such as yoghurt, as well as sustainable household goods such as the knitted dishcloth! Thank you Rhonda for sharing the things you've learnt on your simple living journey and for inspiring the rest of us.





We'd love to hear what books you're currently enjoying.