No Impact Man

May 25, 2009
Beavan (Fingerprint
) chronicles his yearlong effort to leave as little impact on the environment as possible. Realizing that he had erred in “thinking that condemning other people's misdeeds somehow made virtuous,” he makes a stab at genuine (and radical) virtue: forgoing toilet paper and electricity, relinquishing motorized transportation, becoming a locavore and volunteering with environmental organizations. Beavan captures his own shortcomings with candor and wit and offers surprising revelations: “lower resource use won't fill the empty spaces in my life, but it is just possible that a world in which we already suffer so much loss could be made a little bit better if husbands were kinder to their wives.” While few readers will be tempted to go to Beavan's extremes, most will mull over his thought-provoking reflections and hopefully reconsider their own lifestyles.

July 15, 2009
Beavan (Operation Jedburgh: D-Day and America's First Shadow War, 2006, etc.) turns his life upside-down with sustainable living.

In 2006, at the age of 42, the author was convinced he was no better than any finger-pointing liberal shucking his own guilt, overwhelmed and feeling helpless in his ability to stem consumerism and slow global warming. Consumption of"stuff," he writes, is inspired by ads that say,"You suck, but if you buy this, you won't, and then everyone will love you." Unfortunately, in the minds of American consumers,"We're too busy for love because we're working to get the stuff that the ads say will bring us love." In order to empower himself through action, Beavan decided to make a drastic change. Pitching his next book to his agent, he explained that he wanted to write about an experiment in which he came as close as possible to living a no-impact lifestyle—all with a wife, toddler and dog in New York City. The author stopped buying new products and started using the Yahoo! Freecycle Network and Craigslist to procure only secondhand goods. Also, television and air-conditioning were banned; disposable diapers were swapped out for cloth; water was conserved by the entire family sharing the same bathwater"on bath day"; baking soda was employed for deodorant and toothpaste. All the while, the author continued to ask himself tough questions about whether or not his new living habits were actually effecting positive change. With thorough research, Beavan updates his blog (noimpactman.com) with convincing statistical evidence, while discovering new ways to reduce consumption and his family's environmental footprint."It is time for people to take up the reins of government and business and force the change we want and need," he concludes after his one-year experiment."We cannot wait for leaders. We are the leaders."

An inspiring, persuasive argument that individuals are not helpless in the battle against environmental degradation and global warming.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 13, 2009
Beavan details the roller coaster that was his family's experiment of low/no-impact living. The plot touches on all the main themes of the genre: consumerism and waste, struggles between idealism and self-righteousness, the value of time and the issue of necessity. Beavan has clearly done his homework with regard to the major writers on personal environmental issues and includes an appendix. But the book's best attribute is its honest emotion, as well as the chapter on local food. Verdict It's not a fresh story, but it's certainly aided by the fluid and admirably reflective narration, which might inspire readers to unplug their TVs. As Beavan says, just try. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09; No Impact Man: The Documentary is currently playing in theaters.-Ed.]-Jaime Hammond, Naugatuck Valley Community Coll., Waterbury, CT

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
When it comes to saving the planet, can one person really make a difference? Define difference. For Beavan, his wife, and their infant daughter, it meant trying to live for a year in New York City without producing any trash, consuming any nonlocal foodstuffs, or traveling by any method other than footpower. It meant not buying anything new, giving up coffee, going off the grid. From their first baby steps (no takeout) to their giant leap (no toilet paper), the Beavans experiment in ecological responsibility was a daunting escapade in going green to the extreme. Along with the frustrating practicalities of schlepping a two-year-old, a dog, and a bike up and down nine flights of stairs came the exhilarating rush of success as each new challenge was met and conquered. Yet throughout, Beavan experienced overwhelming crises of faith in both himself and his mission. So fervent as to make Al Gore look like a profligate wastrel, Beavans commitment to the cause is, nonetheless, infectiously inspiring and uproariously entertaining.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)