No Impact Man Book Review

Genre: Environment, Self-Help

Author: Colin Beavan

Plot:
     Colin Beavan is a young-forty-something liberal New York city denizen living in an apartment with his wife Michelle and 18 month old daughter, Isabella (who prefers 'Bella). It is the mid-2000's and climate change is starting to dominate the headlines. Colin, as a self-proclaimed liberal/earth-friendly person, is askance with nagging fear for the future of the world - what could he do? It all seemed helpless. Then Colin has an epiphany.

   You see, Colin realizes that he actually isn't actually eco-friendly. He talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. I'll summarie his reaction for you: AHHHHHHHHH!!! What do I DO??? Then Colin has a second epiphany. He could spend a year trying to live as environmentally-friendly as possible, and better yet, try to make a positive impact. Maybe he would even inspire others to try to save the Earth. In short, he would be No Impact Man. Now, how would he convince his wife? Perhaps more interesting, what will Colin learn about how we live our lives on the way?

Brian's Opinion:
     No Impact Man literally has influenced how I live my life more than any other book I've read. Seriously, this book stunned me. I thought I was doing a good job being environmentally friendly but reading No Impact Man galvanized me to reevaluate. Colin's very personal writing, full of human flaw, emotion, and bravery, reads like a journal he is shyly sharing with all of us. I found myself alternating between shocked realization, near-tears, and hysterical laughter. When I finished reading I set it down, thought for a bit, and then picked it up again to reread immediately. Why have I marked this book Self-Help? Well, No Impact Man is nominally about how to help the environment, but it is also about how to live, how to escape the rat-race of life without needing vacation time and to rediscover the important parts of life.

Who Would Like It:
     If you are thinking about how to reduce your ecological footprint, curious about what it would be like to live that way, after an opinion on what the minimum amount of modern 'convenience' everyone in the world should have, or are just plain stressed out in your current life, I'd recommend No Impact Man.

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