Eco - Sex - book by Ten Speed Press - review by bzzingbee

The author of Eco-Sex is Stefanie Iris Weiss, MA, who has extensive knowledge on the green lifestyle. She not only writes about eco friendly topics but also lives life as a vegetarian and applies principles to her life to help keep her own carbon footprint small. Stefanie's writing style is casual, easy-to-read, and at times humorous. She has written other books on topics like yoga and veganism and regularly writes for Elle UK.

The introduction starts you off by educating you on some eco-basics. Weiss covers topics such as 'greenwashing' (the practice of labeling something 'natural' or other similar eco-friendly words even though only one ingredient or a small portion of the product is actually eco-friendly), sustainability, and fair trade. The introduction briefly outlines all the topics that are to come in the future chapters.

The first chapter of the book is focused on identifying toxic chemicals, different types of greenwashing, and organizations and websites that are good resources on the latest green news. The purpose of this chapter is to help you be more aware of what you need to avoid when you are out shopping for personal care products as well as how to see through the greenwashing used by many companies.

Chapter two is dedicated to all the things you do before a date to look and smell nice. There are a ton of bad chemicals in the products that we use everyday without thinking twice. Weiss includes a do-it-yourself section with instructions on how to make your own natural face masks, body scrubs, bath oils, perfume oils, and massage oils. If you aren't much of a do-it-yourself-er she also provides information on companies that she knows produce safe products. This chapter doesn't just have information on body masks and oils, Weiss also covers every type of make up you might use. Some of the companies she recommends are RMS Beauty, Dr. Hauschka, and Lavera. Weiss even covers topics like hair removal and nail polish.

Chapter three is all about fashion. Some of her tips include buying vintage, pulling your own old clothes out and making them new again, and buying only organic or eco-friendly fabrics. Weiss briefly touches on the different fabrics available, their advantages/disadvantages, and how they are processed. After education on what fabrics to look for if you want to buy new, Weiss gives a list of eco-friendly designers. She includes designers for lingerie, shoes, bags, and clothes, so basically anything you could need.

Chapter four is all about food. This chapter covers everything from how to eat, what to eat, and where to get it. Becoming a 'locavore' in as many ways as possible is highly recommended. This means getting as much as you can from local stores, suppliers, and growers. Weiss talks about vegetarianism and veganism as well as the raw movement and the upsides to each. The part of this chapter that relates to the eco-sexual world is the last part in which Weiss gives you tips on how to seduce a man or woman with food. She even includes recipes for each sex that contain foods that are aphrodisiacs for each sex.

Chapter five is about the gifts of flowers, chocolate and jewelry. Weiss advises how to find organic and sustainable flower resources so you can buy responsibly. Chocolate and jewelry often face the same dilemma of being obtained via an unfair work source such as child labor or poor working conditions. Weiss gives you tips on how to make sure you are getting products from companies that don't use these practices.

In chapter six you learn about improving your health to improve your sex life. Weiss advocates avoiding medications when possible and exploring safe alternatives. She talks about eating right and different kinds of exercise to benefit your body in many ways. Yoga, kegels, and stretching techniques are all discussed with some how-to's thrown in. This section also covers hormones and the effects they can have on both men and women and natural ways to counteract those effects.

Chapter seven is all about birth control and STD's. Nearly every type of birth control is discussed ranging from condoms to the pill to even the rhythm method. Weiss covers all the major STD's telling you facts about all the majors and providing tips on how to avoid them. This section also discusses lubricants and lists some that are better for your body.

Chapter eight is a unique look at the dating world. This is dating for the eco-conscious. Weiss includes websites for online dating, a list of the greenest cities, and suggestions on how to meet people. Once you've met that someone, she's got tips on what to do for the first three dates and the tips for your eco-sex when you reach that point.

So what if you want to introduce some outside fun into your bedroom adventures? Chapter nine has the information you need. Here, you will learn about off-gassing. If your sex toy smells, it's off-gassing those unpleasant chemicals used during production. Weiss gives tips on how to pick out a safe toy, like silicone, glass, or wood toys and even lists some websites of stores that sell safe toys. There are a couple more recipes for massage oils in this section and some recommendations on store bought massage oils as well.

Chapter ten is focused on making your mattress, sheets, pillows, bedding, and furniture eco-friendly. This chapter also includes information about using eco-friendly items in the bathroom like soap, shampoo, how to use water more efficiently, eco-friendly towels and shower curtains. After all, what's the point of going green everywhere else if you're just going to sleep and bathe in unsafe chemicals?

Chapter eleven is for parents or eco-conscious couples who want to become parents. There are groups of eco-moms out in the world today that get together and try to make sure their kids are growing up in a safer environment. This section covers everything from eco-friendly diapers to safe bottles. There is a list of foods to avoid if you are still pregnant, sex tips for the pregnant lady and tips on how to keep your intimacy with your husband after baby arrives.

The conclusion of the book addresses the possible resistance you may have had to going green in the past. The line that sums up the theme of the whole book is written here 'eco-sexuality is a seductive bridge to all things green'. The rest of the conclusion discusses couples who decide to be childless, which is fast becoming more acceptable and adoption as an alternative to adding more children to the world.

Following the conclusion is an appendix which lists resources for the eco-conscious. There is a section for the endnotes and an index to look up topics in the book.

This paperback book is 216 pages long and printed on recycled paper. There are eleven chapters broken up into three parts as well as an introduction, conclusion, appendix and index. Anytime there are new eco-terms introduced in the book the author includes a section defining and explaining what they mean so that anyone new to going green can follow the book just as easily as someone who is already living a green lifestyle.

The absolute first thing I did when I got this book? I checked to see if it was printed on recycled paper. If it wasn't, I didn't know how much I'd take from the book, but luckily it is! I honestly learned so much from reading this book. I don't currently live a very green lifestyle, but Eco-Sex has given me a lot to think about. The websites and recipes included in the book are amazingly helpful. The recipes sound pretty tasty and I definitely plan to try them out.

This book gives information that can be useful to both experienced eco-conscious people and to beginners. On top of that, it is written in such an easy to read way that I never got bored even though I might be reading some pretty dry facts. I have to admit, I'm totally lusting after some bamboo undies after reading this. I had no idea that bamboo had so many amazing properties and could feel so delightful. I mean, an antimicrobial underwear??? Sign me up! I've already visited many of the sites listed and have a growing wishlist of items I'd like to get my hands on. I have a feeling this book is going to become very worn from all the re-reading and page flipping I'm going to do.