Good reads: Handmade, Home decor, and Hyper-intense earth-friendliness

Why yes, I am feeling into alliteration today. Why do you ask?

In college I majored in English Literature, so for years I was constantly reading great works of fiction by brilliant authors. Non-fiction books never crossed my path much until recently, and I've discovered that I love reading about real things in the real world. Fiction is fine, because it's a marvelous form of escapism, and it often holds a light up to humanity, but I'm really digging non-fiction right now for its relevance.

Here are a few non-fiction pieces I've read recently that I highly recommend....

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For the budding entrepreneur or the corporate worker who loves to craft on the side, The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin is packed full of truly wonderful advice from a variety of people who have successfully managed to work for themselves by selling the products they create. I loved this book - I read it in one day. It provides simple steps that you can take to make your handmade business thrive, including marketing advice, which I found particularly helpful, as that is an area where my skills don't exist. If you are interested in selling some of your handmade items casually, through an occasional Etsy sale, or turning your items into a thriving business, this book is a valuable resource.

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While I don't recommend No Impact Man without reservations, it was an interesting read that caused me to examine the way I live. My main problem with the book is that the author rambles. And ponders. A lot. I've done my fair share of rambling in my day, but there were times that I just had to scan through several pages, because author Colin Beavan had completely lost my attention. That said, this book, which is about a man who sets out to make no impact upon the environment for an entire year, is a book like no other book. Beavan subjects his family to what many of us would consider torture. Have you ever thought about what it would take to make no impact upon the environment? You would have to give up plastic bags and packaging at the store, public transportation (driving, the bus, the subway, planes, trains), electricity, heat, air-conditioning, Starbucks (unless you brought your own cup), diapers for your baby, and toilet paper. I couldn't have done it. But Beavan, his wife, and his baby did for a whole year. They took it in steps: gave up plastic bags at the grocery store first, and ended the year by giving up electricity for a few months. And where did they live? New York City. That's the really fascinating part of this book, how they managed to have no impact in one of the most polluted, populated cities in the world.

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Do I really need to say anything about this book? It's by the editors of domino magazine; that should say it all. For those of you who loved the now-gone domino, or those of you who just love to look at pictures of beautiful and creative home decor, this book is for you. The pictures are delicious, the advice is brilliant, and just holding the book in your hands and looking at its charming cover will fill your heart with a warm glow. You think I'm exaggerating? Go to your local bookstore and check it out for yourself. It's well worth your time and money.