We asked the specialists at Waterstone’s to peruse their shelves and track down the very best reads for young and old alike, to teach us what it really means to go green.
Rough Guide to Climate Change by Robert Henson. £10.99
The Rough Guide to Climate Change is a complete, unbiased guide to one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. From the current situation and background science, to the government sceptics and possible solutions, this book covers the whole subject. The guide looks at the visible symptoms of change from a warming planet; how global warming works, the evolution of our atmosphere over the last 4.5 billion years, and what computer simulations of climate reveal about our past, present, and future. It covers the sceptics: Who are they? What are their grounds for disagreeing with the crowd? What are governments and scientists doing to try and solve the problem, plus much more. The guide also includes lifestyle advice and tips for consumers who want to make a difference in tomorrow's climate, and comes complete with a glossary of websites for further information. This is an incredible tome, broad in its coverage, and with a depth that means it’s a perfect introduction for anyone wishing to bone up on the issues at stake. This is what Rough Guides do best.
Green Living for Dummies by Michael Grosvenor and Liz Barclay. £15.99
This simple and engrossing book includes a guide to ethical shopping and investing. It provides your introduction to taking simple steps towards sustainable living and is packed with practical and realistic advice. You'll discover effective and simple strategies for making a difference in every part of your life from reducing energy waste in your home and cutting reliance on your car, to going green in the garden and at work. You can minimise household rubbish, buy green energy, eat seasonally and organically, switch holidays for eco tourism, and teach your kids to be green. If you are looking for practical, every-day advice on greening-up your life, then this book covers it.
Growing Green: A Young Person's Guide to Taking Care of the Planet by Christina Goodings, Masumi Furukawa. £6.99
This attractive book will be appreciated for its warm exploration of a perennially important theme. The book consists of colourful pictures of a child doing the small things that underpin an environmentally gentle lifestyle - with an emphasis on taking care of small creatures and their habitats and nurturing seeds and seedlings - along with brief captions (with a hint of humour), to provide a useful 'talk-about' book. This is a beautifully illustrated book which will appeal to the 6-9 years bracket.
Michael Recycle by Alexandra Colombo, Ellie Bethel. £5.99
Michael Recycle is green and he’s keen to save planet Earth! A small town somewhere near you is in desperate need of salvation...from drowning in rubbish at the hands of its lazy and wasteful inhabitants. Join Michael Recycle, the green-caped crusader, as he rescues the town and proves to the lazy layabouts that recycling can actually be quite good fun. He is a new kind of superhero in a new kind of world.
At Waterstone’s from 29th May any customer who is a Waterstone's cardholder can get 5 points (eco points) added to their card if they don't use a plastic bag. Why not pick up cotton Waterstone’s bag for life for only £2.99 instead?
Fiona Gooch