Tom Hodgkinson's account of life on a smallholding in Devon is spiced with old-fashioned lore and made Jeremy Williams laugh out loud
… from Virgil and Pliny the Elder, through to John Seymour’s writings on self-sufficiency. … and arcane lore. I particularly enjoyed the contributions from Thomas Tusser, …
There's much to love in Celia Lewis’ beautifully illustrated tome, says Mark Newton, but the essential message shouldn’t be forgotten: that this is how all pigs should be treated
… REVIEW Seedbombs: Going Wild with Flowers Josie Jeffery’s opus is a call to arms for …
Colin Speakman’s Walk! is a delightful read that will make you want to pick up your hiking boots and head into the country for a stroll, says Mark Newton
… British book. That’s not to say it can’t be enjoyed by those more interested in foreign … Romantic paintings to the works of John Ruskin, Thomas Hardy and Robert Louis … history. For such an innocent pastime, it enjoys an incredibly revolutionary heritage. …
The dystopian take on the environmental movement provided by Dark Mountain’s second anthology, is a wonderful, if disturbing, read says Mark Newton
Dark Mountain Issue 2 Mark Newton | 25th August 2011 Reviews Dark Mountain Environment George Monbiot Paul Kingsnorth Reviews Books dark-mountain-cover.jpg The dystopian take on the environmental …
Based on the IUCN’s Red List, Species on the Edge of Survival is a glossy tome with an important raison d’etre – to raise awareness of the plants, birds and animals we stand to lose forever, says Ruth Styles
Species on the Edge of Survival Ruth Styles | 1st August 2011 Reviews Conservation IUCN Wildlife Books Reviews Endangered species-on-the-edge-of-survival.jpg Based on the IUCN’s Red List, Species on …
Phillip Conford's treatise on the rise of the organic movement is anything but dull, says Mark Newton
… fields for towns and cities in search of new jobs, factory farms were created and chemicals … the Soil Association, that published its journal Mother Earth in which numerous … just what its key figures were up against. In Jonathan Porritt’s introduction to the book, …
Showing fashion at its worst while providing upbeat solutions is a tough call but Safia Minney has achieved it with Naked Fashion, says Ruth Styles
… leather and curry colours make up the major trends, with micro trends such as faux fur … by Daily Mail Fashion Editor at Large, Liz Jones. Whether you like her or not, her … to keep her family going. The loss of her job could have catastrophic consequences for …
Packing 4.5 billion years of history into 416 pages is a truly Herculean task, but it's one, says Hannah Corr, that Douglas Palmer has managed to do in style
… nuclear power stations on well known major fault lines, for example, we could avert another Fukushima. Palmer's day job is as a lecturer in Earth Sciences at … help you envisage the Earth’s gargantuan journey. It’s as if time slows down as you …
David Shukman’s book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect introduction to the environmental challenges facing the world today, says Gervase Poulden
… book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect … it seriously, which is why it takes a special journalist to bring green issues vividly to … turn it into something accessible and even enjoyable; a journalistic sleight of hand that …
Entomologist and journalist Richard Jones never fails to entertain, amuse and educate where bugs are concerned and Extreme Insects is no exception; even when, quivers Ruth Styles, you’re scared of them
… Extreme Insects Bugs Creepy Crawlies Richard Jones Books Reviews insect-book.jpg Entomologist and journalist Richard Jones never fails to entertain, amuse and …
The idea of DIY beauty products is a nice one, says Ruth Styles. But as some of Star Khechara’s recipes proved, they don’t always work
… I used but the soap nuts did a wretched job of cleaning my hair. Even dry shampoos get … around making products that do a wonderful job. Interesting though The Holistic Beauty …
Their grasp of science can’t be faulted but William Antholis and Strobe Talbott need to offer solutions too, says Mark Newton
… to the politics, the authors do a splendid job of outlining the immediate challenge that … the Chinese delegates – yet again, another major nation prevented a consensus being … book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect …
Packed with wonderful photos, Jonathan Balcombe’s book is a captivating look at animal pleasure, says Robert Phillips
… Packed with wonderful photos, Jonathan Balcombe’s book is a captivating look … we do; and more specifically can they feel enjoyment and pleasure? Balcombe’s oeuvre offers … there be for them doing it if not pure enjoyment? What is clear throughout is that much …
Can political movements past provide lessons for future protest? According to Tim Gee’s Counterpower they most definitely can - and the result, says Mark Newton, is truly inspiring
… cause. ‘What struck me was how almost every major campaigning movement of the past seemed to … world in which we live. Every liberty we enjoy, every right we possess is down to the … book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect …
Packed with useful advice, Nicky Scott’s ultimate guide to compost is essential reading for professional and amateur gardeners alike, says Mark Newton
… their hands on bigger bits of kit to do the job. There’s even a section on community … REVIEW Seedbombs: Going Wild with Flowers Josie Jeffery’s opus is a call to arms for …
Elizabeth DeSombre and J. Samuel Barkin’s readable prose makes unpicking the complex politics and economics behind the fishing industry look as easy as shooting fish in a barrel
… book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect …
Did you know that Green & Black's aren't quite as ethical as they'd like you to think? Nor did Mark Newton until the Good Shopping Guide came his way
The Good Shopping Guide (10th Anniversary Edition) Mark Newton | 22nd December 2011 Reviews Shopping Consumption Green Books Reviews Fashion Beauty Society shopping-guide.jpg Did you know that Green …
What could have been a rip-roaring yarn with an important message is spoiled by unlikely dialogue and overly simple characters, says Daniel Copley
… environmental academia, I wasn’t leaping for joy at the thought of reading yet another … to do. To his (and the book’s) credit, author John Madeley is a man who knows what he is talking about. With stints as a journalist specialising in the environment and …
Don’t let the touchy-feely title put you off: Dr Fabrizio Mancini’s latest opus is packed with sensible advice, argues Ruth Styles
… a healthier lifestyle, if adopted by the majority, would cost the taxpayer less, hasn’t … he’s going with it – there’s no doubt that a jolly good hugging genuinely does brighten … my initial concern, I think he’s done a good job of making something that sounded like a …
If you only pick up one green book this year, make it Jeremy Rifkin’s The Third Industrial Revolution. It will change the way you think, says Mark Newton
… wider level. The five pillars concern a major push for renewable energy; … to embrace renewable energy to help create jobs. But where Rifkin’s book succeeds is in … stance, because it is as much about creating jobs and wealth as it is about preventing …
Authors Bernd Römmelt and Thomas Henningsen have captured the Arctic’s stunning beauty and documented the struggle to survive in the face of climate change, says Priyanka Mogul
… adventure the star of 'Tribe' and 'Amazon' journeyed to the Arctic to discover how … book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect …