Getting Things Done
Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.
Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text with important perspectives on the new workplace, and adding material that will make the book fresh and relevant for years to come. This new edition of Getting Things Done will be welcomed not only by its hundreds of thousands of existing fans but also by a whole new generation eager to adopt its proven principles.
Building Green
The best-selling and highly regarded reference to sustainable construction gets an update! It’s refreshed with a completely revised introduction, a bright new cover, and extensive online resource tie-ins.
This groundbreaking book doesn’t just tell you about “green” house-building techniques: it actually shows you, with more than 1,200 step-by-step photographs that follow the actual erection of an alternative building from site selection to final-touch interior details. Readers will get a clear sense of the real world challenges as Snell and Callahan create a lovely country cottage using four methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick-frame.
Along with sidebars throughout, there’s a thorough discussion of the fundamentals of building construction, alternative approaches, and designing a beautiful yet environmentally responsible home. Building Green was the first book of its kind—and it remains heads and shoulders above other titles in this field.
Green Remodeling
Green Remodeling is a comprehensive guide. It first points out the advantages of remodeling. Buildings are responsible for 40% of worldwide energy flow and material use; so how you remodel can make a difference. Upgrading furnaces, cabinets and toilets means less fossil fuel pollution, reduced resource depletion, and fewer health risks. Green remodeling is more energy-efficient, more resource-conserving, healthier for occupants and more affordable to create, operate and maintain.
The book then discusses simple green renovation solutions for homeowners, focusing on key aspects of the building including foundations, framing, plumbing, windows, heating and finishes. Room by room, it outlines the intricate connections that make the house work as a system. For example, how new windows may affect the structure and mechanical systems of the rooms below, the health of the family, and the future of old-growth forests. Then, in an easy-to-read format complete with checklists, personal stories, expert insights and an extensive resource list, it covers easy ways to save energy, conserve natural resources, and protect the health of loved ones. Addressing all climates, this is a perfect resource for conventional homeowners, as well as architects and remodeling contractors.
Wake Up And Smell The Planet
We all have our morning routines, whether it’s making coffee, walking the dog, feeding the kids, a shower and a shave, the office commute, or some combination thereof. And at each of these morning moments - in fact, at any given time throughout the day – we’re making choices. What to eat, what to wear, how to dispose of dog poop or diapers, how to travel from point A to point B, where to have a post-work cocktail, and on, and on - this compact and resourceful handbook takes a look at how to simplify and “green” our daily choices, from the moment we get up in the morning, until we finally lay our heads down at night.
The World Without Us
Fascinating take on what would happen to the world if all the humans disappeared tomorrow.
SMART Cars Finally Shipping
The Smart company has been promising a new car for a while, and it is finally being delivered. The 40 mpg smart fortwo car is shipping, after a year of waiting.
The iPhone is my gadget of the year, easily.
I know, more iPhone talk. I’m thinking of making a whole section about it. But this is the end of the year, and this is the best thing I spent money on all year. The iPhone is my gadget of the year, easily.
Freeze! Or I’ll Scoot!
According to a recent article, NYPD is going greener. The 36,000 member police department is switching from motorcycles to scooters.
Because scooters project power and authority.
The Internet will be my DVR.
Can internet video streaming services replace your digital video recorder?
The short answer is, oh yeah! But not yet. After trying a couple of free – that’s right, FREE- services, I can see what all the hoopla is about.
The Internet will be my DVR.
Almost Love
I love Apple Computers. I love my iPods. I love my Apple TV. I really, really like my iPhone. Why can’t this be love?
Apple Gets More of My Money
Apple gets more of my money.
Apple OSX (that’s O.S. 10, not O.S. Ex) Version 5, or “Leopard” was released Friday, Oct 26, and I bought it. I like to have the newest, coolest electronic thingy first. I know, it’s a disease, and I’m not seeking help.
The Second Coming of Steve Jobs
You may love or hate the man, but his influence in the industry can’t be argued.
From the acclaimed Vanity Fair and GQ journalist–an unprecedented, in-depth portrait of the man whose return to Apple precipitated one of the biggest turnarounds in business history. With a new epilogue on Apple’s future survival in today’s roller-coaster economy, here is the revealing biography that blew away the critics and stirred controversy within industry and media circles around the country.
iWoz
Before slim laptops that fit into briefcases, computers looked like strange, alien vending machines. But in the most staggering burst of technical invention by a single person in high-tech history, Steve Wozniak invented the first true personal computer. Wozniak teamed up with Steve Jobs, and Apple Computer was born, igniting the computer revolution and transforming the world. Here, thirty years later, the mischievous genius with the low profile treats readers to a rollicking, no-holds-barred account of his life—for once, in the voice of the wizard himself.
[Buy on Amazon 🛒](www.amazon.com/iWoz-Comp…" target="_blank")
It's Easy Being Green
Surveys find that over 80 percent of Americans agree with the goals of the environmental movement. Sadly, most Americans admit to doing little more than basic recycling when it comes to acting on that disposition. What is the reason for this great divide between environmental sentiment in this country and individual actions? Author and environmental consultant Crissy Trask seeks to answer this question-and solve the disparity-with a new book that makes it easy to be an environmentalist, no matter how busy or hectic your lifestyle. This is a day to day guide with simple, practical suggestions that anyone can put into action.
365 Ways to Live Green
This is a quick read, and lots of good info.
365 Ways to Live Green offers an extended list of opportunities to live with more care for the environment by educating, inspiring and motivating people to look at the choices that are made everyday, and challenging them to change their habits. Broken down into 365 tips, with two concise points per page, readers can use this book to learn to make better everyday choices, from picking safer cleaning products to alternative holidays—this is everyone’s all-purpose guide to green living.
Brush Your Teeth, Flush Your Toilet
Yes you can. You can use a device like the Aqus grey-water recycler to conserve and reuse! The Aqus, from Water Saver Technologies, and other systems like it can reuse the water you swish down the drain and use it to flush your toilet.
It sounds gross, I know. But it really works. First, a brief history of gray (or grey? who knows anymore…) water: Gray water is simply water that is dirty and used, but non-toxic. Most sinks and shower drains produce gray water. If the water contains toxic or decidedly un-nice things, like a toilet, it is NOT gray water. Gray water can be cleaned and filtered using relatively low-tech means, so it can be done in your house. In this case, right under your sink.
The Aqus starts by collecting your bathroom sink water into a 5.5 gallon tank under the sink. It’s then filtered first by the water flowing down the drain and over three disinfecting tablets in a chamber. The tablets need to be replaced once a year. Next, and last, the water flows through a screen that catches all the gunk that goes down the drain (like hair, toothpaste, your wife’s engagement ring…) This filter needs to be cleaned once a year, also.
A small 12 volt pump pumps the water from the under-sink tank to the toilet tank. Once in there, the toilet works normally. If the Aqus doesn’t have enough water to fill the tank, it will open a valve to fill the tank from the house supply (the way the toilet tank normally fills)
There are all sorts of safety things going on there, as well. The Aqus has a backflow preventer to keep the gray water in the tank, and not getting back into the house water supply. It also runs on 12 volts, so it’s safe under water.
Using a gray water filter system to fill your toilet tank can save you 600-700 gallons of fresh water a year!
No iPhone for Me
Let’s face it: iPhones are cool. They are 90% of what I’m looking for in a phone. But I won’t buy one - yet. And that’s saying a lot from a guy like me, who is a huge Apple fan.
UPDATE 10/31/2007 I bought one.