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Rating: 
Summary: Mostly Useless
Review: Don't kill any trees by bothering to buy this book. In fact, don't waste any brain cells by trying to read it either. When I bought this book I was looking for some sensible ways to reduce my impact on the environment as I was finishing my basement. I had already read about easy energy saving measures like better insulation and fluorescent lighting and was looking for a little more in depth knowledge. I certainly didn't get it here. The author advocates wood burning stoves and construction, without taking into consideration the durability and recyclability of other materials and the destruction to forests caused by clearcutting. He does not seem to understand that environmental problems have different solutions in England than they do in California. Worse yet, on several occasions he is just plain wrong. On page 104, while describing photovoltaic cells, he says that "the negative electrons are activated." I was forced to assume that the author was a total flake and that the Union of Concerned Scientists had failed to read this book when they recommended it in their otherwise excellent book, "The consumer's guide to effective environmental choices." Though there is some good information in this book, if you can filter it out from the useless junk, you don't need to read it, and if you can't, get a better book and skip the misinformation in this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Not very good
Review: I found this book to be a bit scattered. I constantly found myself flipping to other parts of the book for reference, which was a bit annoying. I found that I didn't finish the book for those reasons.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic introduction
Review: Jane Smiths review seemed a bit biased. I will agree that this book has different illustrated different approaches in england than in CA. But then again CA at times seems to think they are a different country than the entire US. It seems she didn't review the book for what it was rather than her own personal agenda.This book can be used to get a basic overview of what it means to take a sustainable approach. THe Author limited its scope to dealing with remedies for existing houses and didn't not focus on new development. Its target audience seemed to be the average Joe. The author does not get to specific on remedies but at least touches on all of the major issues providing an outline for further research or a guide to know what to look out for. I would recomend this book to anyone with no backround or understanding of sustainable building looking for an good introduction.
Rating:
Summary: Basic introduction
Review: Jane Smiths review seemed a bit biased. I will agree that this book has different illustrated different approaches in england than in CA. But then again CA at times seems to think they are a different country than the entire US. It seems she didn't review the book for what it was rather than her own personal agenda. This book can be used to get a basic overview of what it means to take a sustainable approach. THe Author limited its scope to dealing with remedies for existing houses and didn't not focus on new development. Its target audience seemed to be the average Joe. The author does not get to specific on remedies but at least touches on all of the major issues providing an outline for further research or a guide to know what to look out for. I would recomend this book to anyone with no backround or understanding of sustainable building looking for an good introduction.
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