i read this book,i was blown away...never before had i read a book that linked to my life as much as this book does.for her to to write this i would have thought she'd still be on tv.. her show was great.. the book is better.she tells of growing up southern, how her ex beat her and the abuse she felt..it will make u cry..and make u luagh out loud..she couldnt have done any better.

Do you remember the book "50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save the Earth"? I loved that book because it gave me simple actions I could take at home to help do my part to protect the environment. It was well researched--yet easy to read. The Better World Handbook is a lot like "50 Simple Things..." but it applies to a lot of other important issues I care about not just the environment--like empowering poor communities, embracing diversity, and simplifying my life. The book is full of actions like: socially responsible investing, interesting magazines/websites I had never heard of, and a shopping guide that ranks how responsible different corporations are. After reading it, I felt (and still feel) excited and hopeful about what I can do to improve the world (sounds idealistic I know ;-)

Mahatma Gandhi said that we must be the change we wish to see in the world (p. 1). This is also the premise of THE BETTER WORLD HANDBOOK, which demonstrates that you don't have to be a Ghandhi, Mother Teresa, Cesar Chavez, or Martin Luther King, Jr. to make a positive difference in the world. By turning our good intentions into everyday actions, even ordinary people can make a profound impact on our local and global communities.

The authors of this definitive, 291-page handbook are college instructors and Ph.D candidates at the University of Colorado, Boulder. (Okay, so some Boulder residents believe that the rest of the planet rotates around our city. But when it comes to serious issues of land development, diversity, endangered species, public smoking, chain stores and restaurants, shopping malls, alternatives to SUVs, and recycling, there is indeed much for the rest of our country to learn from this very special community.) THE BETTER WORLD HANDBOOK first identifies the problems facing our planet. For instance, while "we have become a nation of sleepwalkers" (p. 1), the wealthiest 20 percent of the world's population earns 30 times as much income as the poorest 20 percent (p. 13). The average American CEO makes 475 times as much as the average worker (p. 13). The richest 1 percent of Americans own almost as much wealth as the bottom 95 percent of the U. S. population (p. 14). The average American consumes as much energy as two Germans, six Mexicans, twelve Chinese, twenty-nine Indians, or 117 Bangladeshi (p. 25). Air pollution kills nearly 70,000 Americans every year (p. 25). Development results in the extinction of 137 species each day, while the world's population grows by 212,000 people a day (p. 26). Our children watch 20,000 to 40,000 commercials on television every year (p. 42).

After confronting these alarming statistics, in an easy-to-read format, the HANDBOOK then reveals how we can make the world a better place through our actions involving money, shopping, food, friends and family, community, work, transportation, and travel. For example, the authors encourage us to vote, invest in socially responsible companies, take a daily walk, get to know our neighbors, ride a bike to work or take the bus, work less, shop locally and buy less stuff, eat organic foods and less meat, watch less tv, volunteer, recycle, and appreciate others. They even go so far as to offer suggestions for our personal transformation, cultivating emotional and spiritual well-being, maintaining physical health, and taking time for reflection in our lives. Offering us words to live by, THE BETTER WORLD HANDBOOK is sure to become a trusted resource for anyone hoping to change the world through the power of one.

G. Merritt

This is the best book of its kind I have seen. In a straightforward fashion, the authors review the ways in which you can get involved with the many, many organizations available working on social issues. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a better world.

Having enjoyed Brian Wood's work on Channel Zero, I had no problem spending the money to pick up Couscous Express. I ended up being pretty disappointed with this comic's listless tale of an unlikeable girl who can't seem to ruin lives fast enough.

As a whole, the story feels very shallow and trivial. There was little emotion put into this book. The plot is very obvious, and the characters seem to have no interest in what they're doing.

The art is decent, but stylistically changes at random for seemingly no reason.

Be warned, just pass.