Occasionally, I get a nice email from someone who asks if I will sign their book. “Of course,” I say, “be happy to.” But the process isn’t so easy. They have to mail the book to me and include a self-addressed envelope. The carbon footprint of shipping these books back and forth was keeping me up nights. Instead, I have a better idea: a bookplate. Continue Reading

I was interviewed in the New York Times to discuss my top things everyone should do to green their home. Rather than talk about adding solar panels, I thought it best to choose things everyone (including renters) can do to save money and our environment at the same time.

Five Beginners’ Steps to a Greener Home:
FULL STORY HERE

www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/garden/12greenhome.html

I am thrilled to announce Green Your Home for Dummies.

It is not an entirely new book, but a compilation of 7 green books in the For Dummies series. It contains several chapters of my bestselling book, “Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies”, and select chapters from:
* Green Living For Dummies
* Energy Efficiency For Dummies
* Green Cleaning For Dummies
* Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies
* Organic Gardening For Dummies
* Buying and Selling Green Homes For Dummies

It will be available in January 2009, but you can pre-order it now.

The LA Times has a wonderful review of my book, alongside the new book from my friend, Jerry Yudelson entitled, Green Building A to Z.

The best part:

This isn’t a goofy book for goofy people, despite the “Dummies” title. Author and architect Eric Corey Freed, like Yudelson, has a high profile in the green-building industry and obviously broad knowledge of the subject.

This is an easy and engaging book to read with lots of lists, tips and checks and subheads in an informal handwriting script that explains things such as what engineered lumber is, the pros and cons of insulated concrete forms and planning your site to incorporate outdoor rooms.

Los Angeles Times Book Review

Alternate Link

Visionary architect and prefab queen (and friend) Michelle Kaufmann wrote a lovely mini-review of the book.

Michelle Kaufmann’s Blog

Here’s a review of the book in the New York Times, featured today:

Those willing to expend even the tiniest bit of energy to help save the planet may appreciate “Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies”. This well-organized book aims to help ordinary people make decisions that have a gentler impact on the earth. Tips include everything from what constitutes a green kitchen to macro-level considerations for constructing a house, like whether to build up or out (up is usually cheaper and less damaging to the environment). There’s also a chapter on building methods, like creating walls from discarded tires. With every topic, Mr. Freed said, he cut out the technical complexities and described “just the parts people need to know.”

New York Times