“This is the book where self-help turns into helping the world—and then turns back into helping yourself find a better life. Fascinating and timely!”—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet What does it take to achieve a successful and satisfying life? Not long ago, the answer seemed as simple as following a straightforward path: college, career, house, marriage, kids, and a secure retirement. Not anymore. Staggering student loan debt, sweeping job shortages, a chronically ailing economy—plus the larger issues of global unrest, poverty, and our imperiled environment—make the search for fulfillment more challenging. And, as Colin Beavan, activist and author of No Impact Man, proclaims, more exciting. In this breakthrough book, Beavan extends a hand to those seeking more meaning and joy in life even as they engage in addressing our various world crises. How to Be Alive nudges the unfulfilled toward creating their own version of the Good Life—a life where feeling good and doing good intersect. He urges readers to reexamine the “standard life approaches” to pretty much everything and to experiment with life choices that are truer to their values, passions, and concerns. How do you stop placing limits on your potential impact? How do you make your choices really matter in everything from your clothing purchases to your career? How do you find the people who will most support you in your quest for a good life? To answer these questions and more, Beavan draws on classic literature and philosophy; surprising new scientific findings; and the uplifting personal stories of real-life “lifequesters”—people who are breaking away from those old broken paths, blazing fresh trails, and reveling in every step along the way. “There is a movement afoot for a better life and Colin Beavan is its prophet, with a new book as powerful as his already classic No Impact Man.”—John de Graaf, coauthor of Affluenza

ABOUT THE BOOK “Was I as helpless to help change the imperiled world as I originally thought?” The way environmentalism and global warming are talked about today, it’s no surprise that some people think we are doomed. The arrival of 2012 means we’re destined to a painful demise on an earth that’s too boiling hot, or is being wiped out by fanatical weather that floods our towns and blows us away. And with the drastic nature of the changes apparently required of us all, it’s no wonder that we seem doomed to fail in making the necessary fixes: produce no trash, reduce carbon emissions, don’t drive, reuse everything, don’t buy new, don’t use disposable items, the list goes on. Most of these requirements would demand seemingly radical lifestyle adjustments. Enter Colin Beavan. No Impact Man. No Impact Man used to talk the talk, but as for walking the walk, he felt comfortable in his family’s easy habits that made each day run smoothly and allowed convenience in every step. He finally decided that he needed to change his habits, and explore what the Earth could give us instead of what we could take from it. He became No Impact Man. MEET THE AUTHOR Megan Yarnall is a publicist and writer. She studied English, creative writing, and Italian at Dickinson College, and wrote her thesis on the connections between humans, their bodies, and language. She graduated in 2010 after spending four years organizing all of her college’s concerts. Megan has lived abroad in Italy and loves studying foreign language, linguistics, and writing. In her spare time she horseback rides, rock climbs, and travels. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK However, Colin and his family did adjust. Slowly. He started bringing glass jars to buy loose flour, nuts, and beans. He used a handkerchief or an old napkin to blow his nose. He started buying fresh food and stopped using plastic packaging or plastic bags. Michelle found herself enjoying the forty block walk to work every day. The family was looking healthier thanks to the new eating habits and exercise. After cutting out public transportation and instead getting around the city on foot, on bike, and on scooter, and after they cut out trash production with reusable items (even a straight razor for shaving), they began the sustainable eating phase. This meant implementing sustainable and local eating on top of the efforts they’d already been making. Colin did some of his own research, and talked to some experts – including some people near Vancouver who embarked on their own year of sustainable eating – to get a feel for what it would mean to be eating local. After talking with some farmers and sellers in the New York area, Colin decided he and his family would only buy and eat food that came from within 250 miles of New York City. This meant they could only eat what is in season, and wouldn’t be able to enjoy extras like coffee... Buy a copy to keep reading!

A practical guide for reducing waste in the home offers tools and tips for going "zero waste," discussing how to make cosmetics and cleaning supplies, pack lunches without plastic, and weed out unnecessary appliances. Shows how the author transformed her family's life for the better by reducing their waste to an astonishing 1 liter per year; part practical guide that gives readers tools & tips to diminish their footprint & simplify their lives. -- Publishers Description.

“Guides readers toward the road less consumptive, offering practical advice and moral support while making a convincing case that individual actions . . . do matter.” —Elizabeth Royte, author, Garbage Land and Bottlemania Like many people, Beth Terry didn’t think an individual could have much impact on the environment. But while laid up after surgery, she read an article about the staggering amount of plastic polluting the oceans, and decided then and there to kick her plastic habit. In Plastic-Free, she shows you how you can too, providing personal anecdotes, stats about the environmental and health problems related to plastic, and individual solutions and tips on how to limit your plastic footprint. Presenting both beginner and advanced steps, Terry includes handy checklists and tables for easy reference, ways to get involved in larger community actions, and profiles of individuals—Plastic-Free Heroes—who have gone beyond personal solutions to create change on a larger scale. Fully updated for the paperback edition, Plastic-Free also includes sections on letting go of eco-guilt, strategies for coping with overwhelming problems, and ways to relate to other people who aren’t as far along on the plastic-free path. Both a practical guide and the story of a personal journey from helplessness to empowerment, Plastic-Free is a must-read for those concerned about the ongoing health and happiness of themselves, their children, and the planet.

Unbored is the book every modern child needs. Brilliantly walking the line between cool and constructive, it's crammed with activities that are not only fun and doable but that also get kids standing on their own two feet. If you're a kid, you can: -- Build a tipi or an igloo -- Learn to knit -- Take stuff apart and fix it -- Find out how to be constructively critical -- Film a stop-action movie or edit your own music -- Do parkour like James Bond -- Make a little house for a mouse from lollipop sticks -- Be independent! Catch a bus solo or cook yourself lunch -- Make a fake exhaust for your bike so it sounds like you're revving up a motorcycle -- Design a board game -- Go camping (or glamping) -- Plan a road trip -- Get proactive and support the causes you care about -- Develop your taste and decorate your own room -- Make a rocket from a coke bottle -- Play farting games There are gross facts and fascinating stories, reports on what stuff is like (home schooling, working in an office...), Q&As with inspiring grown-ups, extracts from classic novels, lists of useful resources and best ever lists like the top clean rap songs, stop-motion movies or books about rebellion. Just as kids begin to disappear into their screens, here is a book that encourages them to use those tech skills to be creative, try new things and change the world. And it gets parents to join in. Unbored is fully illustrated, easy to use and appealing to young and old, girl and boy. Parents will be comforted by its anti-perfectionist spirit and humour. Kids will just think it's brilliant.

Whether you want to control a weight problem or addiction, form healthier relationships, or make your dreams come true, Tirabassi's simple four-step plan offers positive actions that are not only practical but deeply rewarding.