The best perk that comes with being a book and music reviewer is all the free stuff you get. It arrives in my mailbox in these padded manila envelopes, like little door prizes. If there’s a new book or disc I specifically want, or a concert I want to attend, I flip open the Rolodex, zip a note to a publicist, and I have the book, tickets, whatever, in my hands within days. I am, after all, the persuading link between the consumer and the sale. The deal clincher. I fill seats. I help move product. At least that’s the running concept, one I’m still not convinced actually works. Once I got into a heated argument with Ted Nugent about this notion.
“You know Ted, your publicist would only give me one ticket to the show,” I told him. “I couldn’t bring a girl. You musicians should be more appreciative of us writers. Without us you’d be screwed.”
“I don’t need YOU to help me with anything,” snarled the alpha guitar-god-turned-neocon. “I’m Ted Nugent.”
“Don’t kid yourself,” I responded. “I’m the only writer that previewed tonight’s show. I sold out half that auditorium you’re playing at. If it weren’t for me you’d be wailing to an empty room.”
The Nuge just stared at me.
The Nuge may or may not read. But anyway, I just spun out a review about one of those free books, an excellent new title coming out Sept. 1. You may have read Colin Beavan’s Operation Jedburgh (2006). Beavan’s new book, No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process is a huge departure from his former history writing. When he was 42, living in New York City with his wife, baby girl and dog, he was startled at the growing rate of global warming and the alarming complacency of Americans (himself included), who feel overwhelmed and helpless in combating environmental destruction. Beavan took action, committing a year of his life to living as low-impact a sustainable lifestyle as humanly possible. Using cloth diapers, employing non-electric everything, killing his TV, abstaining from all forms of consumption (baking soda deodorant, the works), Beavan examined each aspect of his family’s lifestyle’s impact on the planet, then gave evidence, stats and progress reports on his blog, NoImpactMan.com.
With lots of matter on business and politics’ environmental impact (or lack of it), Beavan illustrates that we are not helpless creatures up against a hopeless and impossibly huge problem. It all comes down to individual action and drastically reducing consumption of needless stuff. As he writes, ads tell us “You suck, but if you buy this, you won’t, and then everyone will love you.” But, he argued, “We’re too busy for love because we’re working to get the stuff that the ads say will bring us love.”
Brilliant stuff. With ample evidence of the roles big business and government play in the battle for (or rather, against) the environment, Beavan concluded after his year-long learning experience: “I hope I’ve made clear that we need to go way beyond recycling, hybrid cars, compact fluorescent bulbs, and using ‘green’ products … We cannot wait for leaders. We are the leaders.”
Every American should read this absolutely inspiring and convincing book. And if you got a second, check out Beavan’s other website, NoImpactCommunity.org.