Be the Change You Want to See in the World
by Julie Fisher-McGarry
Published by Conari Press
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Reviewed by Diane Keyes
Subtitled: 365 Things You Can Do for Yourself and Your Planet
Did you know "one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in just seven years," or that "three gallons of water provide the daily drinking, washing and cooking water for one person in the developing world...yet in the U.S. it flushes one toilet"?
Loaded with timely, interesting information you're unlikely to easily find in other venues, Be the Change You Want to See in the World covers a wide variety of topics from rainforest awareness to genetically modified crops, from Hormone Replacement Therapy substitutes to climate change. The author even manages to lace the book with many tempting recipes.
That being said, I assumed from the subtitle, 365 Things You Can Do for Yourself and Your Planet, that each day's content would contain one of the 365 ways to make a difference. This is not the case. Some entries are simply quotes such as this one by Andy Rooney, 'the average dog is nicer than the average person," while others are over zealous diatribes against hunters and murdering meat eaters.
Although, not an "eco-warrior," I am probably the market the author would like to reach. I recycle everything recyclable that comes into my house. I even take the sticky part off post-it notes to make them recyclable, I'm more vegetarian than not, and I still grieve a turtle I accidentally drove over fifteen years ago.
But I could never imagine myself reaching the author's high vegan standards. Unfortunately, I believe the audience that would benefit most from this valuable information might be offended by the author's seemingly low opinion of them and those who wouldn't be offended are already firmly planted in her camp.
Still, I'll be watching for Fisher-McGarry's next book to see if she finds a gentler way to deliver her important message--because if she doesn't we're all the poorer for it.
Armchair Interviews says: Loaded with timely information.