4.22.2011

The Book that Started it All

There are moments in life that, for one reason or another, really seem to stick with you.  I suppose you could call them "life- changing".

For me, the Fourth grade was one of them.  I so clearly remember Mrs. Horton's reading corner in our classroom.  The selections on her bookshelf shaped my life.  Especially this one:


I'd always been taught not to litter, and to enjoy the beauty of nature, but this was my first real introduction to the perils facing the planet.  I'm sure that I rivaled the kid in Jerry Maguire on the annoyance scale with all of my new-found facts, but it spurred a passion for the rest of my life.

Originally published in 1989, "50 Simple Things" was one of the first books to "spread the gospel" to the common folk about the green movement, and its urgency.  Now a 5 million copy bestseller, with a new, updated, 21st century version, it continues to inspire, and be relevant.

And now, through the wonders of the internets, the original (out of print) 1989 edition is available, in its entirety, for Free!

So, Happy Earth Day.  Here's a gift.


4 comments:

  1. Before I actually read your post, I thought about my memory of when this book first came out. It was when I worked at the bookstore when I was in high school. Then I read your post and felt really old! :-)

    Happy Earth Day! Thanks for all you do for our world!

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  2. Lots of good tips in there...hopefully more and more people will start picking up green habits.

    Happy (late) Earth Day!

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  3. Love this book! I remember ordering it from the Scholastic book order back in the day. Thanks for sharing the PDF file, my copy is long gone.

    Great chatting with you last night at the #MKEFoodies tweetup.

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  4. Shoulda kept my copy ;-) I remember it well.

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