Book Review: A Slice of Organic Life
A Slice of Organic Life by Sheherezade Goldsmith (Ed.)
Novices taking their first toddling steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle should look elsewhere for a reassuring hand and the soft coo of encouragement. A Slice of Organic Life, edited by Sheherezade Goldsmith, dives headlong into the often baffling business of eco-friendly living by rattling off a series of instructions, without framing them in any kind of context that might make sense to a greenie-to-be.
A foreword by acclaimed chef, author, and food activist Alice Waters is followed by an introduction by Goldsmith. But just when you think you’re on solid, navigable terrain, the ground suddenly opens up below your feet and you find yourself inexplicably rushing past an edict to “Grow Salad Leaves in a Window Box.” Immediately after, you’re asked to “Save Energy the Easy Way,” and then to “Shop Ethically,” as if you were flipping through a stack of flash cards, each bearing little relation to its neighbors.
It would be unfair, however, to say that no effort at organization has been made—the book is ostensibly split into three sections based on your living situation: 1. No Need for a Yard, 2. Roof Terrace, Patio, or Tiny Yard, and 3. Yard, Community Garden, or Field. It might be easier to think of Slice as a collection of homesteading projects, from making and freezing baby foods to—I kid you not—raising a couple of young pigs.
The large type, vibrant and generously laid-out photographs are certainly appealing, and so this is the kind of glossy picture book you could strategically place on your coffee table to pique the curiosity of non-environmentally inclined guests. Slice makes for an easy, non-threatening read—and you really do emerge from its pages believing that yes! you could grow sweet peas on a teepee or become a bee keeper—but the book also tries to toss too many balls in the air at the same time, and keeping track of all them can leave you feeling dizzy. ($25, cloth)
Want to snag my free copy of the book? Comment below about something you never thought you’d DIY, but you did. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 1.
This review refers to a first American hardcover edition, courtesy of DK Publishing. A Slice of Organic Life can be found in stores now.
ellen said,
July 27, 2007 at 6:49 am
Having been raised by a mother who believes in doing everything from needlepoint to auto repair for herself, it’s hard to think of any DIY project as a stretch, but the one I came closest to backing out of once I realized all it entailed was prepping and painting the concrete floor in my large sun room. It was a huge multi-step job, but came out well.
Jenn said,
July 27, 2007 at 8:53 am
I never really thought I’d really take up sewing, let alone sewing exclusively from reused/thrifted fabric and patterns, in order to take it a step further environmentally. And, in the same vein, I never thought that I’d be doing my own repairs on the 1950s Singer sewing machine that I picked up from the thrift store. But, all in all, it’s been quite enjoyable, and a learning experience too.
Rachel said,
July 27, 2007 at 10:27 am
I love doing things myself, and I always have more projects I want to try than ten women would have time to follow through on. I sew, I’ve made diapers from recycled thrift store clothing, felted wool sweaters and made blankets and diaper covers from them, I knit, crochet, make jewelry, cook, can, garden, make cheese, etc. I’ve even processed my beeswax, made soap, milked my own goat, and taken a stab at making my own makeup. But a couple of months ago I found myself with sixty adorable baby chicks who were fast outgrowing their little box, and since they were my idea I didn’t want to make my husband build thier coop. So I entered the world of woodworking. I found, to my delight, that following a woodworking pattern isn’t any different than following a sewing pattern. You measure the pieces, cut them to size, and put them together in the right order. Two chicken coops and a goat house later, I am the queen of quick and dirty carpentry. I am the master of the cordless drill and the miter saw. I still hate the skillsaw, but a jig saw and a router are on my Christmas list. And when things calm down around here, I am going to figure out how to run the vintage Shopsmith my husband inherited from his father….
Chelee said,
July 27, 2007 at 10:40 am
I never thought I could hang my *clean* underwear to dry outside. I know it seems silly but it took a while to be ok with that. Of course I’m a sandwich hanger and try not to have them on the outside lines. LOL(:
Alexia said,
July 27, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I grew up on a farm but now live in the city, maybe some day I’ll move back to the country life. So I have had to do some pretty tough jobs growing up, I am ususally not afraid to do things myself. But I never imagined making my own laundry soap, which I tried out and will continue with.
kelley said,
July 27, 2007 at 3:13 pm
never thought i’d make my own yogurt until i saw noimpactman’s easy recipe. now it seems silly not to.
Robin Lloyd said,
July 27, 2007 at 4:22 pm
I never thought I’d keep compost scraps in my freezer and drag them dripping to my CSA pick-up but now I think it’s fun. Yeah, I also have on my list — make my own yogurt with noimpactman’s recipe. It’s on my to-do pile. I’m sure it’ll be totally fun.
Robin Lloyd said,
July 27, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Oh but I don’t want a copy of the book. Thanks for the offer though, and the helpful review.
Erin said,
July 27, 2007 at 5:11 pm
My old roommate had a bread machine and I never thought I’d make bread regularly because it’s such a pain in the butt to clean the machine, blade and all, and it’s difficult to get the perfect slices. It was so much easier to buy bread from the store. Then I realized how much better homemade bread tastes, I found a recipe for some delicious banana bread, and I made some great dinner rolls using the machine to make the dough. Everything just tastes better and healthier. I still hate to clean the damn thing, but it’s worth it :)
Stephannie said,
July 27, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I made cheese recently….didn’t even know you could do that at home til I read Kingsolver’s newest.
Kate Colbow said,
July 27, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I never thought I’d sew my own cloth menstrual pads.
denise in c'ville, va said,
July 27, 2007 at 8:18 pm
my biggest DIY project is one that will last my entire lifetime: raising my daughter to be a strong, thoughtful, conscientious, indignant young woman. PHEW! (grin)
peppylady said,
July 28, 2007 at 7:00 pm
We do quite a bit by our self but there always room to learn more.
Alina said,
July 29, 2007 at 5:57 pm
I never thought I would be able to maintain anything that even remotely resembles a garden, but since I took a liking for it this year, I managed not only to keep my potted plants from suffering a horrible death, but I was also able do the seemingly impossible - reproduce them! Now I am contemplating learning to knit and sew, as soon as I find more free time.
Connie said,
July 30, 2007 at 12:56 pm
I make my own yarn, from locally grown sheep’s wool that I wash, card and dye by hand.I sell the yarn at our local farmer’s market . I also knit clothing for myself and my husband from the yarn I make.
Jenn B said,
July 30, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I definitely not a DIY kind of girl. I have been more and more environmentally conscience lately because with 3 kids, I need to be aware of what kind of world I’m leaving for them. I have made many changes to our life, like coasting down the road instead of using a lot of gas, change my energy source from electic to wind power through my electric company and shopping in an all organic store. The thing I’m most proud of is getting my kids involved on how to save the environment, recycling all papers and started a compost for our leftover foods.
It was an easy project and one that I hope will get other people interested in it.
Quince said,
July 31, 2007 at 12:35 pm
For me, I’m just surprised that between the boy and myself, we have our own bread, vegetables, and in the basement, the pickling crock next to the hanging pancetta and sausages and the occasional cured duck. I would never have anticipated that.
The Worsted Witch » said,
August 1, 2007 at 9:34 am
[...] The person with the luck of the draw for A Slice of Organic Life is … Erin! I loved reading everyone’s comments, so much gracias for sharing; look out for more giveaways soon. [...]