Eight Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life – 3 stars ***

By Gabrielle Pantera

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 7/24/08 – “It came to me one day as I was driving back from an eco-house in Santa Monica,” says  ‘Gorgeously Green’ author Sophie Uliano. “I’d spent the day with a bunch of environmentalists and realized that none of my friends would make any of the changes that they were talking about. I had to find a way to make the whole eco-thing more fun, sexy and glamorous.”

In ‘Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life’, Sophie Uliano quickly covers many things you can do to make your lifestyle more Earth-friendly.

“I realized that we could fight and debate about every political issue ad infinitum, yet if we didn’t have a clean, habitable planet, it would all be pointless anyway,” says Uliano. “I just got my priorities in place.”

“There were lots of funny moments while writing this book, says Uliano. “It’s usually to do with things going wrong! I had to try out a bunch of techniques, products, and recipes. And, my husband was often part of the experiment which led to hours of hilarity.”

“Being Green is huge and has been for much longer in the UK then here in the U.S,” says Uliano. “The UK feels a great sense of responsibility and accountability towards helping to make the planet a better place. They’re pulling out all stops.”

“I read hundreds of books and peer-reviewed essays and articles online,” says Uliano. “I love to research. However, with the Internet being such a huge well of information, it can be challenging sorting out what is truth and what is hype. There was a lot of cross-referencing involved.”

“My husband Joseph has been my partner from day one and has been helping create the ‘Gorgeously Green’ brand,” says Uliano. “Also a wonderful author and business guru called Marcus Buckingham and his wife, also an author, have been important mentors in my life. Since the age of seven, I’ve always had a passion for writing…poetry and plays to begin with. It’s truly a dream come true to be paid to write!”

Sophie Uliano’s endearing enthusiasm for her subject comes through. She shows how to go green and still be chic. In the beauty section the details on what’s in products is very helpful. The book lists many websites.

It would have been interesting to compare being green both for people who have lots of money and for those who don’t. The cost of things needs to be spelled out a bit more.

Uliano is a mom and her book is geared towards being green with a family. Maybe a future book can show more ways for a single person to go green.

Uliano is from Surrey, England, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

‘Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life’
By Sophie Uliano
Trade Paperback, 336 pages, $16.95
Publisher: Collins Living
Release Date: April 8, 2008
ISBN 978-0061575563