The Sustainable Living Booklist
From The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up to Dancing with Cats, there are hundreds of thousands of books that can change your life.
And yeah, Dancing with Cats is exactly what it sounds like. You're welcome.
That being said, when it comes to creating sustainable change in your life regarding the environment, it can be difficult to know where to start. Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with being overwhelmed because we’ve narrowed down the list for you. Here are our top eight books that will help you create a more eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle.
#1: Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living by Kris Bordessa
Price: $27.19 on Amazon (or $15.99 on Amazon Kindle)
Synopsis: “Whether you live in a city, suburb, or the country, this essential guide for the backyard homesteader will help you achieve a homespun life—from starting your own garden and pickling the food you grow to pressing wildflowers, baking sourdough loaves, quilting, raising chickens, and creating your own natural cleaning supplies. In these richly illustrated pages, sustainability-guru Kris Bordessa offers DIY lovers an indispensable home reference for sustainability in the 21st century, with tried-and-true advice, 50 enticing recipes, and step-by-step directions for creating easy, cost-efficient projects that will bring out your inner pioneer. Filled with 340 color photographs, this relatable, comprehensive book contains time honored-wisdom and modern know-how for getting back to basics in a beautiful, accessible package.”
#2: 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg
Price: $12.19 on Amazon (or free with Kindle Unlimited)
Synopsis: “We all know how important it is to reduce our environmental footprint, but it can be daunting to know where to begin. Enter Kathryn Kellogg, who can fit all her trash from the past two years into a 16-ounce mason jar. How? She starts by saying ‘no’ to straws and grocery bags, and ‘yes’ to a reusable water bottle and compostable dish scrubbers.
In 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste, Kellogg shares these tips and more, along with DIY recipes for beauty and home; advice for responsible consumption and making better choices for home goods, fashion, and the office; and even secrets for how to go waste free at the airport. . . . This is a practical, friendly blueprint of realistic lifestyle changes for anyone who wants to reduce their waste.”
#3: Minimal: How to Simplify Your Life and Live Sustainably by Madeleine Olivia
Price: $15.63 on Amazon ($9.99 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “We are facing an urgent climate crisis and we must all take action now. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when bombarded with overwhelming facts and statistics every day. We all want to make a difference, but what can we do? Minimal makes simple and sustainable living attainable for everyone, using practical tips for all areas of everyday life to reduce your impact on the earth. Leading environmentalist Madeleine Olivia shares her insights on how to care for yourself in a more eco-friendly way, as well as how to introduce a mindful approach to your habits. This includes how to declutter your life, reduce your waste and consumption, recipes for eating seasonally and making your own natural beauty and cleaning products. Learn how to minimize the areas that aren’t giving you anything back and discover a happier and more fulfilled life, while looking after the Earth we share.”
#4: The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide by Jen Gale
Price: $13.99 on Amazon ($10.49 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “If you want to save the planet, but your to-do list is already pretty long and remembering your re-usable coffee cup feels like a Herculean task, then this is the book for you. Covering every aspect of our lives from the stuff we buy and the food we eat, to how we travel, work, and celebrate. This book provides stacks of practical, down to earth ideas to slot into your daily life, alongside a gentle kick up the butt to put your newfound knowledge into action.
Find out how to fit 'sustainable living' into your life, in a way that works for you. Change your impact without radically changing your life and figure out the small steps you can make that will add up to make a big difference (halo not included).”
#5: The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good by Elizabeth L. Cline
Price: $15.99 on Amazon ($4.99 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “Whether your goal is to build an effortless capsule wardrobe, keep up with trends without harming the environment, buy better quality, seek out ethical brands, or all of the above, The Conscious Closet is packed with the vital tools you need. Elizabeth delves into fresh research on fashion’s impacts and shows how we can leverage our everyday fashion choices to change the world through style. Inspired by her own revelatory journey getting off the fast-fashion treadmill, Elizabeth shares exactly how to build a more ethical wardrobe, starting with a mindful closet clean-out and donating, swapping, or selling the clothes you don't love to make way for the closet of your dreams.”
#6: Sustainable Home: Practical projects, tips and advice for maintain a more eco-friendly household by Christine Liu
Price: $13.84 on Amazon ($10.99 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “Sustainable lifestyle blogger and professional Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home—the living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom—offering tips, tricks and 18 step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle. Whether its by making your own toothpaste, converting to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of plastic, growing your own herb garden or upcycling old pieces of furniture, there are numerous ways—both big and small—to make a difference.”
#7: The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard
Price: $11.49 on Amazon ($13.99 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “A classic exposé in company with An Inconvenient Truth and Silent Spring, The Story of Stuff expands on the celebrated documentary exploring the threat of overconsumption on the environment, economy, and our health. Leonard examines the 'stuff' we use everyday, offering a galvanizing critique and steps for a changed planet.”
#8: 40 Projects for Building Your Backyard Homestead by David Toht
Price: $14.29 on Amazon ($10.69 on Kindle)
Synopsis: “Learn all about how to build sheds, feeders, fences, and other backyard structures to enhance your sustainable living!
The projects in this book are designed with simplicity, convenience, and budget in mind. . . . With step-by-step instructions, tools and materials lists, exploded views, and easy-to-understand techniques, even if you are only moderately handy, you'll discover how to build your own feeders, fences, and structures. In the process, you'll save money and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself!”
Have a book you think we should add to our list? Tell us in the comments!
