Sustainable Home

Discover how to cultivate a thriving garden - even if you have no space or experience. Convinced you've got two brown thumbs? Absolutely certain that gardening is a skill you're either born with or you’re not? Think again. Gardening usually conjures up images of sprawling backyards and hours of weeding, tending and harvesting - a hobby that's only available to those who have the time and space to spare. In today's world, that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, it’s easier and more accessible to get started with gardening than it’s ever been before.

Essential Green Roof Construction is a comprehensive, in-depth guide to building simple green roofs for houses and small buildings. Packed with detailed photos, illustrations, case studies, and code compliance advice, it offers clear step-by-step instructions necessary to create your own living roof on a new build or as a retrofit. Where common sense meets beauty—a green roof is a system of layers that work together to support plant life, insulate homes, and make the world a greener place.

A poet at heart, Amy Minato rejects her life of consumption in Chicago to go back to nature - specifically, to a commune in Oregon, where she rediscovers herself. She also cops occasionally to the pretentiousness of her mission, and laughs along with the listener at her attempts to be both environmentally friendly and sane, considering the fact that she’s moved in with a bunch of strangers in a remote locale.

Give a Sh*t is the first eco-friendly handbook of its kind for these dire times when the Earth needs us most. Distilling the most crucial knowledge and advice from your favorite sustainable lifestyle brand, vegan cookbook, and eco-friendly beauty guide, Give a Sh*t guides you through small-but-impactful shifts you can make. With eco-lifestyle expert Ashlee Piper's succinct, no-nonsense advice, it's never been easier to live more thoughtfully and true to your values, get healthier, and give a shit about the planet.

Just diving into the world of bees? Have you wanted to start your own hive, but have been confused by the conflicting information on the Internet? Looking for an authoritative source on how to go about the business of bees and make money while you’re at it? Then this audiobook is what you need. With this guide, you can start your beekeeping hobby or business, knowing that you’ve got all the info you need so you won’t miss a beat!

No source is left untapped in this all-encompassing guide to supplying lifesaving water after a disaster. You can survive up to three weeks without food but only three days without water! When catastrophe strikes, having enough water can spell the difference between life and death. The Prepper's Water Survival Guide offers a step-by-step plan with straightforward information you can easily follow.

From the bedroom mattress and pillows to daily cleaning products for the kitchen and bath, toothbrushes, and even furniture and clothing, toxins are embedded in many products and items used regularly in the home—and they are making us sick. Home Detox is a practical, accessible guide to understanding the problem and how we can address it in our own homes in a manageable and affordable way. Daniella Chace, a professional toxicologist and health writer, teaches listeners how to identify potential toxins, with an easy-to-follow, room-by-room evaluation.

Leave the chaos of city life for a true feeling of independence and self-sufficiency. Are you getting increasingly dissatisfied and disillusioned with the nonstop daily grind? If these are your realities, even while being surrounded by the comforts of modern living, you just might be cut out for a wonderful life off the grid! Home Power Magazine says there are close to 200,000 families living off the grid in the United States. Worldwide, the figure is estimated to be around two billion.

The industrial age made possible by fossil fuels will surely decline as these fuels run out. In The Ecotechnic Future John Michael Greer alerts the listener to possible changes future generations may face as these dwindling fuel supplies lead first to a deindustrial age, then to a society which salvages the remnants of our current plenty, and eventually to a time in which people may learn to live in balance with the environment: an ecotechnic society.

For Kathi Lipp and her husband, Roger, buying a house in one of the most remote parts of Northern California was never part of the plan; many of life’s biggest, most rewarding adventures rarely are. Kathi shares the hard-won wisdom she’s gained on her homestead journey to help you accomplish more at home, gain fresh perspective, and give yourself grace in the process.

From his unique vantage point as editor in chief of Make magazine, the hub of the newly invigorated do-it-yourself (DIY) movement, Mark Frauenfelder takes listeners on an inspiring and surprising tour of the vibrant world of DIY. The Internet has brought together large communities of people who share ideas, tips, and blueprints for making everything from unmanned aerial vehicles to pedal-powered iPhone chargers to an automatic cat feeder jury-rigged from a VCR.

When he first envisioned becoming a farmer, author Emmet Van Driesche never imagined his main crop would be Christmas trees, nor that such a tree farm could be more of a managed forest than the conventional grid of perfectly sheared trees. Carving Out a Living on the Land tells the story of how Van Driesche navigated changing life circumstances, took advantage of unexpected opportunities, and leveraged new and old skills to piece together an economically viable living, while at the same time respecting the land’s complex ecological relationships.

Since founding Fixup, a pop-up repair shop, Sandra Goldmark has become a leader in the movement to demand better "stuff". She doesn't just want to help us clear clutter - she aims to move us away from throwaway culture, to teach us to reuse and repurpose more thoughtfully, and to urge companies to produce better stuff. Although her goal is ambitious, the solution to getting there is surprisingly simple and involves all of us: have good stuff, not too much, mostly reclaimed, care for it, and pass it on.

Interested in full time boondocking, but don’t know where to start? A lot of people are interested in downsizing their lifestyle by jumping into full time boondocking. Exploring, adventuring, and freedom - who doesn’t want to try it? But, of course, getting started is always the hardest part. That’s why we’ve made it easier by covering all the important topics on what it takes to go boondocking full time in your RV or van. By covering all the basics, we’ve made boondocking full-time one short and easy step away.

Are you tired of paying utility bills? Are you looking for a simpler lifestyle? Is someone stalking you and making your life miserable? If so, then this book is for you! Maybe you’re ready to disappear from society and start over! That’s why I’m writing this book. To help those who want to learn how to prepare and make the switch to off-grid living. Once you get a taste of that life, the thought of fading into the background of nature might present itself.

Residential designer Jamie Gold has spent years exploring how simple changes to things like lighting, fixtures, storage, and outdoor space can impact our health and wellness. In Wellness by Design, Gold offers a room-by-room guide to refreshing your space so that it supports your wellness journey. Good news, it doesn’t require a yoga room and can be done in small apartments as well as large houses. This book explains how simple changes can make a huge difference in how you feel every day.

The Homestead Basic Series is a collection of works that answer the often-asked questions of individuals trying to start living more self-sufficiently. Each book in this set holds solid information geared toward beginning hobbyist.

In this book, you will explore: the homesteading mindset, the best environment for planting based on your geological area, hardiness zones, perfect beginner DIY projects, best starter animals, best ways to make money, how I love to keep things fresh, companion planting, real-life examples and stories, how to arrange your homestead A-Z, key areas to focus on, what to think about when purchasing a property, and so much more.

Jeff Garlin has dedicated the filming of an entire season of Curb Your Enthusiasm to completely make over his lifestyle in two major ways—by lightening his physical and his ecological footprints. After many false starts, he believes that writing a book about the experiment is the only possible way to help him lose weight and go green.

Discover how your dream of affordable, stylish, open-concept, sustainable living can become a reality, no matter your budget! The dream of creating a personalized space often feels out of reach for many, with traditional home-building routes presenting a maze of expensive choices, overwhelming legal requirements, and endless design decisions. Did you know? An estimated 1,000 new barndos are built every year in North America. See how many people are jumping into this movement?