The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time might be just what the new green heart needs to get started on making one eco-change after another — or what the old green heart needs to get inspired with new ideas.

Written by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen, The Green Book works to make going green an action-oriented, creative, sexy endeavor — as opposed to a “don’t” and “can’t” idea of environmentalism.

Chapters — each prefaced by a short celeb testimonial (Cameron Diaz is one of the writers of the foreword) are divided by life area — work, school, or shopping, for ex. Each area begins with 3 “simple steps” that’re easy yet have a measurable impact — before going into “The Little Things” — a misnomer of sorts, since the actions you take there — even if not so simple — might indeed have bigger impacts than the “simple steps.”

Luckily, being a kid-free, apt.-dwelling gal, I got to skip all the stuff ’bout kids, lawns, or green building. And since my exercise routine consists of running and walking outside and yoga-ing, I skipped the gym section too.

Still, I did find a few tips on eco-things I should be doing. I also found that The Green Book containes some inadverdently impossible directives — i.e. calling to avoid phone book delivery. I’d love for a simple phone call to halt these endless yellow book deliveries, but in real life, it ain’t that easy.

In fact, I wish The Green Book contained more practical resources. While the book has an extensive reference section, this section’s more ’bout proving eco-facts, rather than helping readers follow through on advice. In fact, the 2 long links I tried typing in were both no longer active. Thus, one’s left inspired to find, yet lost in the search for, refillable eyeshadow containers or tennies with recycled soles.

Which is why I think blogs’re helpful, filling that gap between eco-idea and real eco-action. Which is why I have my green LA girl’s Guide to LA. Sure, books tell us we should recycle our ewaste. But where the fuck do we take this broken, electronic detritus, is the question most people’re left asking….

Still, I think The Green Book’s a nice starting resource, illuminating newbies with all the eco-possibilities out there. Read that, then read me to to translate your idea into action –

The Green Book hits stores today, June 19, 2007.

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