In front of you are exceptional books that deal with the topic of sustainability and a better tomorrow for everyone! These are books that will encourage you to start thinking and acting (more) sustainably!
Below are some of the most influential and inspiring sustainability books of all time. Of course, there will always be debate about what is meant by the term "sustainability" or "sustainable living", but for argument's sake let's just say right away that in this case it refers to books that will make you thought long and hard about how best to survive in this fragile biosphere with limited resources!
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at BreakfastWe Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
Jonathan Safran Foer
In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer explores the central global dilemma of our time in a surprising and deeply personal way. Some still reject the scientific fact that our planet is warming due to human activity. But do even those who accept the reality of human-caused climate change really believe in it? If they did, then surely they would be upset enough to immediately act on what they know. Will future generations distinguish between those who did not believe the science of global warming and those who said they accepted it but failed to change their lives in response?
The task of saving the planet will be a great reckoning with ourselves, with all human unwillingness to sacrifice the present way of life for a better future. Humans, the author reveals, have turned our planet into a farm for growing animal products, and the consequences are catastrophic. Only collective actions will save our home and way of life. And it all starts with what we eat and what we don't eat for breakfast!
Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First CenturyRenewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century
Bruce Usher
From wood, to coal, oil and gas - the energy sources on which human civilization depends have always changed with technological progress. Now, renewable energy sources are overtaking fossil fuels, and wind and solar energy are getting cheaper and more competitive every year. The growth of renewable energy sources will only accelerate as electric vehicles become cheaper than traditional cars. Understanding the consequences of the energy transition will prepare us for many changes in the future.
Written in a straightforward style with easy-to-understand visual aids, the book sheds light on the pros and cons of renewable energy sources based on business fundamentals and an analysis of the economic forces that have put wind renewables on the back burner. In addition to the business and financial case for renewable energy, it also illustrates the dangers of catastrophic climate change and the dangers of delay.
Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the PlanetClimate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet
Carl Pope, Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the former head of the non-profit environmental organization Sierra Club are coming up with a manifesto that says concrete and immediate action on climate change is not only beneficial, but necessary. They are exploring solutions to climate change that will make the world healthier and more prosperous, all with the goal of stimulating a range of new conversations and questions that will lead to bolder action by cities, businesses and citizens!
“Climate of Hope is an inspiring read!” – Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States
You can buy the book on Amazon!
Sustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the FutureSustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the Future
Douglas Farr
The follow-up to Farr's bestseller Sustainable Urbanism embraces the idea that humanitarian, population and climate crises are three aspects of one interconnected human existential challenge, one with an incredibly short deadline. The book's vision is to accelerate the progress of human civilization in order to create a just and sustainable world. The main strategy is the perfection of the design and management of all neighborhoods so that they become models of community and sustainability.
The tools to achieve this vision are more than 70 patterns for "rebellious" change written by industry leaders in thought and practice. Each pattern represents an ambitious, forward-looking ideal for the neighborhood. Both an urgent call to action and a guide to change, Sustainable Nation is an essential resource for urban designers, planners and architects.
To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful DesignTo Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design
Henry Petroski
How did a simple design error lead to one of the biggest disasters of the 1980s - the collapse of the corridors at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas? Why did the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington collapse in 1940 in a light wind? How did a gigantic water lily inspire the magnificent Crystal Palace in London, the crowning achievement of Victorian architecture and engineering?
Some of the failures and successes in architecture and engineering are attractively collected in this book, but this work is much more than a series of fascinating case studies. It examines our deepest ideas about progress and perfection and traces the fine connection between the measurable sphere of science and the chaotic reality of everyday life.
The Tyranny of MetricsThe Tyranny of Metrics
Jerry Muller
Today, the belief is that the way to success is to quantify human performance, publish results and hand out awards based on numbers. But in all our eagerness to conduct the evaluation process with scientific rigor, we have shifted from performance measurement to an obsession with measurement itself. The result is the "tyranny of metrics", which threatens the quality of our lives, when even the most important institutions (schools, healthcare, finance, army, police) rule.
In this book, Jerry Muller exposes the damage caused by our obsession with metrics and shows how we can begin to reverse the problem. But metrics can also be good when used as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, judgment based on personal experience. Thus, he cites examples where the metric has proven useful. The Tyranny of Metrics is an essential corrective to a seldom-questioned trend that increasingly affects us.
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