Three green books you should read

I love books. And I love reading to people. And I've found that stories are the ultimate way to convey anything. So it's no surprise that I love books about environmental issues that take dry topics and complicated concepts and turn them into stories.

These are three of my favorites:

1. The Lorax

"I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees..." This Dr. Seuss classic is a parable about the danger of capitalism to forests. If you haven't read it, buy it. If you have young people in your life, buy it and read it to them. And if you want a taste of what it's like, check out this classic version on YouTube.

2. The Omnivore's Dilemma

This book is from Michael Pollan, a celebrated investigative author who has spent much of the last decade writing amazing books about the American food system. In this book he looks at four food systems, creating a meal from each one as a way to examine the supply chain and what it means for the environment. He creates a meal from hunting and gathering, another from a small organic farm, another from a large organic farm and another from a typical chemically fertilized farm.

3. Desert Solitaire

This book is a memoir of sorts by a man named Edward Abbey. He was young and took a job as a park ranger in Utah, being stationed during the off-season by himself. He spent months keeping watch over a national park in the desert by himself, developing a close bond with the wilderness. Later in life, he became a strong proponent of using guerrilla tactics to disrupt construction and other activities that damaged the environment. This book is how he fell in love with the wilderness. It's good to remember the story of how we get our passion.

Image courtesy of Dan Vitoriano via flickr