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Thrive: An environmentally conscious lifestyle guide to better health and true wealth
A one-stop-read for those seeking a comprehensive primer to sustainable living...
Will getting your dream job, buying your dream car, living in your dream home, and going on your dream vacation enable you to live happily ever after? Will eating balanced diets, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep be sufficient for long-term health?
Contrary to what you might think, the answers are no and no.
Why? Because happiness is not something you can conquer in the outside world, but an ongoing, positive state of mind that must first be cultivated within you. And total wellness requires us to take care of not only ourselves, but also the planet that we all call home.
Through the use of research-based evidence, easy-to-do exercises, and suggestions for how the reader can participate in creating sustainability in all areas of life, Thrive shows you how to build psychological riches, boost your holistic physical well-being, make informed and sustainable food choices, shop for non-toxic, eco-conscious daily consumer products, and travel in ways that will not only transform you, but even the communities that you touch upon.
Are you ready to begin living toward true personal wellness and world sustainability?
Will getting your dream job, buying your dream car, living in your dream home, and going on your dream vacation enable you to live happily ever after? Will eating balanced diets, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep be sufficient for long-term health?
Contrary to what you might think, the answers are no and no.
Why? Because happiness is not something you can conquer in the outside world, but an ongoing, positive state of mind that must first be cultivated within you. And total wellness requires us to take care of not only ourselves, but also the planet that we all call home.
Through the use of research-based evidence, easy-to-do exercises, and suggestions for how the reader can participate in creating sustainability in all areas of life, Thrive shows you how to build psychological riches, boost your holistic physical well-being, make informed and sustainable food choices, shop for non-toxic, eco-conscious daily consumer products, and travel in ways that will not only transform you, but even the communities that you touch upon.
Are you ready to begin living toward true personal wellness and world sustainability?
272 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2016
11 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
K. Chayne
1 book28 followersK. Chayne is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied Psychology, Environmental Studies, and Marketing. She has a certification in Culinary Nutrition by Natural Gourmet Institute, and she is currently the Chief Marketing Manager of Ethical Writers Coalition.
Through her multidisciplinary studies and her multicultural background, Chayne developed a particular interest in the relationship between human health and world sustainability—an interest that eventually led her to write her debut nonfiction book, Thrive. By proposing a broadened perspective on health—one that encompasses the health of the mind, body, and our collective environment—Chayne hopes to empower her readers to cultivate meaning and create sustainability in all areas of life.
Through her multidisciplinary studies and her multicultural background, Chayne developed a particular interest in the relationship between human health and world sustainability—an interest that eventually led her to write her debut nonfiction book, Thrive. By proposing a broadened perspective on health—one that encompasses the health of the mind, body, and our collective environment—Chayne hopes to empower her readers to cultivate meaning and create sustainability in all areas of life.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 19, 2016
The core concept of Thrive - that 'we need to broaden our definition of "healthy" to encompass both direct and indirect health effects' - is one that I very much agree with. None of the tips in here were particularly groundbreaking, to me at least, but it was interesting to see them all grouped together, holistically benefiting both individuals and the planet. Fewer gimmicky subheadings wouldn't have hurt - I'm looking at you, "They persist a while and may make you infertile" and "Healthier use, less planet abuse". But this kind of magazine-y writing may appeal more to the ecovirgins that the book seems primarily targeted at?
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read and review this.
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read and review this.
August 12, 2020
I received this book as a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
I was relieved to read a book on healthy living (physically, mentally, and emotionally) that grounds itself in science and research for once. While there are certainly a few nits I can pick, particularly with the use of the precautionary principle as applied to diet choices, I relegate those concerns due to the concisely written nature of the book. It's just not possible to cover every nuanced topic in detail and keep the book under 300 pages without busting out a few razors; the copious references after each section helps to guide those who want to do a deeper dive anyway.
Maybe it's cheesy, but I enjoyed seeing the author, K. Chayne, dedicate the book to the reader. In this case, it really is appropriate as potential readers are looking for something in this book to help them make a positive change in their lives and this dedication is a small way of reminding them of their power to do so.
Though the author doesn't mention it, I recommend this book to anyone curious about the effective altruism movement. See Jacy Reese Anthis's book The End of Animal Farming: How Scientists, Entrepreneurs, and Activists Are Building an Animal-Free Food System for a look at the evolving food industry.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to following K. throughout her career.
I was relieved to read a book on healthy living (physically, mentally, and emotionally) that grounds itself in science and research for once. While there are certainly a few nits I can pick, particularly with the use of the precautionary principle as applied to diet choices, I relegate those concerns due to the concisely written nature of the book. It's just not possible to cover every nuanced topic in detail and keep the book under 300 pages without busting out a few razors; the copious references after each section helps to guide those who want to do a deeper dive anyway.
Maybe it's cheesy, but I enjoyed seeing the author, K. Chayne, dedicate the book to the reader. In this case, it really is appropriate as potential readers are looking for something in this book to help them make a positive change in their lives and this dedication is a small way of reminding them of their power to do so.
Though the author doesn't mention it, I recommend this book to anyone curious about the effective altruism movement. See Jacy Reese Anthis's book The End of Animal Farming: How Scientists, Entrepreneurs, and Activists Are Building an Animal-Free Food System for a look at the evolving food industry.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to following K. throughout her career.
September 26, 2022
Does in 200+ pages what a typical YouTube lifestyle vlogger does in about 15 minutes. Around 10% of the book is filler pages (chapter summaries and references), and doesn't even touch on environmental impacts until nearly halfway in. Once the environment is brought up, the author never dives particularly deep into the science of environmental impact nor discusses the research behind stuff like microplastics in fish (and now confirmed in human bloodstreams). Plenty of filler paragraphs, though, like for instance this one which felt like it was pulled directly from a 5th grade science report:
"What is water? It is the most abundant liquid on earth[sic]. In solid form (ice) and liquid form, it covers about 70% of the earth's[sic] surface. Chemically, water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen whose formula is H2O. Water serves both as a heat-transfer medium (e.g., ice for cooling and steam for heating) and as a temperature regulator(the water in lakes and oceans helps regulate the climate). Finally, and most important, other than air, food, and sunlight, water is the most essential element of life. Humans need it to survive."
"What is water? It is the most abundant liquid on earth[sic]. In solid form (ice) and liquid form, it covers about 70% of the earth's[sic] surface. Chemically, water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen whose formula is H2O. Water serves both as a heat-transfer medium (e.g., ice for cooling and steam for heating) and as a temperature regulator(the water in lakes and oceans helps regulate the climate). Finally, and most important, other than air, food, and sunlight, water is the most essential element of life. Humans need it to survive."
April 2, 2025
Good for someone just starting to learn about all the interactions and connections covered and a fair reminder to be more cognizant of our choices. That being said it reads more like a research paper trying to be a book.
June 11, 2016
I received this from the publishers/author, via Netgalley, but that does not alter my opinion at all.
This was honestly a cover read, one of which turned out to be extremely valuable to my knowledge, of great interest to read and very inspiring overall. The added atmosphere with this fairy inspired music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a34vT... by Derek and Brandon Fiechter) really helped to give me a complete sense of calm and wholeness whilst reading this book. It was lovely and insightful and I just want to say straight away that I would recommend this to anybody feeling stressed in life or wanting to make changes to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
I found this had a really easy to read layout because I felt like I was being spoken to rather than reading a book. This was really appreciated because it was my first time reading an non-fiction, self help novel and the fact that it was ''user friendly'' was super helpful! That definitely helped with this genre and my introduction to it.
The layout was also helpful due to the amounts of separate headings within the chapters, which made it feel more broken up into manageable and digestible quantities. I think the fact that there was so many different aspects and categories in this book means that it could have easily have gotten overwhelming and confusing, but the smaller sub-headings really helped to avoid that.
Chapter summaries was very helpful in this style of book too because it kind of gathered everything neatly together at the end of each chapter and highlighted some of the most important sections. If I had a physical book and had the time to leisurely read this, I'd totally be taking notes and making pretty wall art on some of the quotes! This book was just so inspiring in that way!
The author's take on an eco-friendly lifestyle was well researched and was made just that bit more personal, with inputs and examples from her own personal travellings, which definitely did not sound show-offy, but more humble! You can really tell that she appreciates everything she's learnt in life and loved sharing her knowledge in this book, in order to help others.
The majority of the book wasn't preachy at all, however, as I got deeper into the novel it did get more in depth into the eco-friendly lifestyle (when at first it felt like it was more about general happy, de-cluttered, stress-free living) and began to feel a little bit more pushy here. It was not enough to annoy me though, as it really just sounded like pure passion and I respect that.
I can say that I enjoyed reading this all the way throughout, but I found myself to lack concentration and felt the pace slow down at one particular point. I think it's because some of the middle chapters were about farming, animals, etc, and since I study a big part of that at Uni, I feel like I already knew some of those points and that it felt like a slightly boring lecture! It was still important information though, so I soldered on!
I loved all the posture/exercise images and instructions Chayne included, especially as I wasn't expecting to see any images or get that much depth and a lot of the references she gave were very interesting. The majority of those references I actually looked up and did a little brief reading around. In particular, I'd love to learn more about Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener's AIM.
Overall, I really am glad I read this because it opened my eyes to so many things that, admittedly, I never thought of before.
I strongly recommend this.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
This was honestly a cover read, one of which turned out to be extremely valuable to my knowledge, of great interest to read and very inspiring overall. The added atmosphere with this fairy inspired music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a34vT... by Derek and Brandon Fiechter) really helped to give me a complete sense of calm and wholeness whilst reading this book. It was lovely and insightful and I just want to say straight away that I would recommend this to anybody feeling stressed in life or wanting to make changes to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
I found this had a really easy to read layout because I felt like I was being spoken to rather than reading a book. This was really appreciated because it was my first time reading an non-fiction, self help novel and the fact that it was ''user friendly'' was super helpful! That definitely helped with this genre and my introduction to it.
The layout was also helpful due to the amounts of separate headings within the chapters, which made it feel more broken up into manageable and digestible quantities. I think the fact that there was so many different aspects and categories in this book means that it could have easily have gotten overwhelming and confusing, but the smaller sub-headings really helped to avoid that.
Chapter summaries was very helpful in this style of book too because it kind of gathered everything neatly together at the end of each chapter and highlighted some of the most important sections. If I had a physical book and had the time to leisurely read this, I'd totally be taking notes and making pretty wall art on some of the quotes! This book was just so inspiring in that way!
The author's take on an eco-friendly lifestyle was well researched and was made just that bit more personal, with inputs and examples from her own personal travellings, which definitely did not sound show-offy, but more humble! You can really tell that she appreciates everything she's learnt in life and loved sharing her knowledge in this book, in order to help others.
The majority of the book wasn't preachy at all, however, as I got deeper into the novel it did get more in depth into the eco-friendly lifestyle (when at first it felt like it was more about general happy, de-cluttered, stress-free living) and began to feel a little bit more pushy here. It was not enough to annoy me though, as it really just sounded like pure passion and I respect that.
I can say that I enjoyed reading this all the way throughout, but I found myself to lack concentration and felt the pace slow down at one particular point. I think it's because some of the middle chapters were about farming, animals, etc, and since I study a big part of that at Uni, I feel like I already knew some of those points and that it felt like a slightly boring lecture! It was still important information though, so I soldered on!
I loved all the posture/exercise images and instructions Chayne included, especially as I wasn't expecting to see any images or get that much depth and a lot of the references she gave were very interesting. The majority of those references I actually looked up and did a little brief reading around. In particular, I'd love to learn more about Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener's AIM.
Overall, I really am glad I read this because it opened my eyes to so many things that, admittedly, I never thought of before.
I strongly recommend this.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
July 4, 2016
Disclosure: I received this book free of charge with the understanding that I would write an independent, objective review of it.
The scope of the mission of this book, to educate the reader on a truly holistic, healthy, sustainable path to living, is impressive to say the least. The author does an exceedingly good job of shedding light on the intricate network of factors that lead to a healthy or unhealthy life experience for the individual. Psychological, physical, environmental, and social health have all been presented as units within a book that reads as a true guide with diagrams, charts, evidence-based claims, and helpful myth busting fact-checking of commonly believed norms. Yet the syntax is friendly and legible, trading the high-handedness of most lifestyle guides for words of encouragement and sincere appeals to the heart.
While the author did a stellar job presenting the landscape of challenges to human and environmental health, many of her pathways to change lack that same nuanced logic. My summary of her overall suggestion for healthy global change is "conscious consumerism." While unconscious consumerism has undoubtedly led to much of the global health crisis, I cannot believe that voting with my dollar is really the best path forward.
Although the author briefly mentions social movements in her concluding section, to not place mass political and social movement at least on par with individual lifestyle choices as a necessary path forward is unfair to the amazing strides those movements have made to improve lives globally. What would take 6 billion people choosing to do individually in their own homes, a fraction can accomplish through community based action. If a second version were to be published, I would hope it contains at least a few sections on those movements and how the reader can become involved in them.
Overall, the book is incredibly well-researched and insightful. I learned many things about personal and global health that I plan to implement in my daily life from simple stretches to cutting out certain toxic beauty products. I recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding their personal health and the impact of their consumer products on global health, but I encourage future readers to take extra steps to become involved in broad-based social movements as well as making individual lifestyle changes.
The scope of the mission of this book, to educate the reader on a truly holistic, healthy, sustainable path to living, is impressive to say the least. The author does an exceedingly good job of shedding light on the intricate network of factors that lead to a healthy or unhealthy life experience for the individual. Psychological, physical, environmental, and social health have all been presented as units within a book that reads as a true guide with diagrams, charts, evidence-based claims, and helpful myth busting fact-checking of commonly believed norms. Yet the syntax is friendly and legible, trading the high-handedness of most lifestyle guides for words of encouragement and sincere appeals to the heart.
While the author did a stellar job presenting the landscape of challenges to human and environmental health, many of her pathways to change lack that same nuanced logic. My summary of her overall suggestion for healthy global change is "conscious consumerism." While unconscious consumerism has undoubtedly led to much of the global health crisis, I cannot believe that voting with my dollar is really the best path forward.
Although the author briefly mentions social movements in her concluding section, to not place mass political and social movement at least on par with individual lifestyle choices as a necessary path forward is unfair to the amazing strides those movements have made to improve lives globally. What would take 6 billion people choosing to do individually in their own homes, a fraction can accomplish through community based action. If a second version were to be published, I would hope it contains at least a few sections on those movements and how the reader can become involved in them.
Overall, the book is incredibly well-researched and insightful. I learned many things about personal and global health that I plan to implement in my daily life from simple stretches to cutting out certain toxic beauty products. I recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding their personal health and the impact of their consumer products on global health, but I encourage future readers to take extra steps to become involved in broad-based social movements as well as making individual lifestyle changes.
June 2, 2016
*Full Review on Mama Bear Reads
Are you ready to begin living toward true personal wellness and world sustainability?
Health and wellness are my passions along with reading and writing. Mash all those things together and you have what makes me tick. That's why I am SO FLIPPIN' EXCITED to bring you K.Chayne's book,
"Thrive: An Environmentally Conscious Lifestyle Guide to Better Healthy and True Wealth".
This book is the book I wish I would have written! It touches on all of the topics that I get pumped about.
-Body Pollution
-Shop Mindfully
-Holistic Approach to Fitness
-Detoxing Your Home
-Sustainable Fashion
-Honoring Farmers
This is literally a guide to being a crunchy hippie and I LOVE IT!
Chayne has done some serious research and has cited every single bit of it. She has bullet-points, tables, and pictures! This is an extremely well-done resource for anyone trying to be more conscious of their everyday decisions, especially when it comes to their health. "Thrive", is one of my favorite books I've read this year!
Oh, and let's talk about the cover! *insert googly-eyed emoji here*
It's hands down my favorite for 2016, as it's just as gorgeous as K.Chayne herself! It will be facing out on my new bookshelf, no doubt about that.
I'll be giving this book as gifts to everyone I know! So many believe that living a green life is time consuming, difficult, or expensive. Well, K.Chayne shows how we can't afford not to live this way. She writes with conviction while showing you the proof.
It's time for all of us to make a change.
5 out of 5 stars for me!
(Although I'd give it 10 if I could!)
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*
Are you ready to begin living toward true personal wellness and world sustainability?
Health and wellness are my passions along with reading and writing. Mash all those things together and you have what makes me tick. That's why I am SO FLIPPIN' EXCITED to bring you K.Chayne's book,
"Thrive: An Environmentally Conscious Lifestyle Guide to Better Healthy and True Wealth".
This book is the book I wish I would have written! It touches on all of the topics that I get pumped about.
-Body Pollution
-Shop Mindfully
-Holistic Approach to Fitness
-Detoxing Your Home
-Sustainable Fashion
-Honoring Farmers
This is literally a guide to being a crunchy hippie and I LOVE IT!
Chayne has done some serious research and has cited every single bit of it. She has bullet-points, tables, and pictures! This is an extremely well-done resource for anyone trying to be more conscious of their everyday decisions, especially when it comes to their health. "Thrive", is one of my favorite books I've read this year!
Oh, and let's talk about the cover! *insert googly-eyed emoji here*
It's hands down my favorite for 2016, as it's just as gorgeous as K.Chayne herself! It will be facing out on my new bookshelf, no doubt about that.
I'll be giving this book as gifts to everyone I know! So many believe that living a green life is time consuming, difficult, or expensive. Well, K.Chayne shows how we can't afford not to live this way. She writes with conviction while showing you the proof.
It's time for all of us to make a change.
5 out of 5 stars for me!
(Although I'd give it 10 if I could!)
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*
May 10, 2016
This book offers easy, doable ways to simplify your life, make health and happiness a part of your lifestyle, and minimize your ecological impacts. Chayne doesn't offer quick fixes, but instead points to scientifically-backed practices and routines that allow us to live more sustainably in the long term. And, as a result, living this way is actually the most sustainable way for us to maintain our own health and happiness as well. I've always been overwhelmed by large-scale global issues like climate change and social injustices, and Thrive breaks down small changes I can make in my daily life that will eventually add to a much larger change throughout my lifetime. Extremely well-researched, with footnotes at the end of each section, and wonderful recommendations for how you can make a change right now, not tomorrow!! Thank you!!
May 1, 2016
I received Thrive via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I would like to wholeheartedly thank Purpose Prints!
What immediately caught my attention when I read the description for this book is how it debunks society's concept of happiness straight away; getting a dream job, a dream car and living in our dream house. I wanted to read on to find out what evidence Chayne had that I am not aware of, and what changes I could make to my own life if need be. I'm usually not a self-help book reader, so I'm not able to compare to other self-help books, but I can honestly say that the discoveries Chayne draws attention to in this relatively short book are astonishing.
To read my full review, click here
What immediately caught my attention when I read the description for this book is how it debunks society's concept of happiness straight away; getting a dream job, a dream car and living in our dream house. I wanted to read on to find out what evidence Chayne had that I am not aware of, and what changes I could make to my own life if need be. I'm usually not a self-help book reader, so I'm not able to compare to other self-help books, but I can honestly say that the discoveries Chayne draws attention to in this relatively short book are astonishing.
To read my full review, click here
May 8, 2016
Nothing particularly new in this book, but as a self-help manual it covers almost every aspect of our life: from how we sleep and eat to what we wear and why we should be careful also about that.
It was full of easy tips to follow and suggestion so interesting anyway.
Niente di particolarmente nuovo in questo libro, ma come manuale é anche vero che copre quasi ogni aspetto della nostra vita: da come dormiamo, a quello che mangiamo e come ci vestiamo, e perché dovremmo farci piú attenzione. Pieno di facili suggerimenti da seguire, quindi interessante comunque.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PURPOSE PRINTS FOR THE PREVIEW!
It was full of easy tips to follow and suggestion so interesting anyway.
Niente di particolarmente nuovo in questo libro, ma come manuale é anche vero che copre quasi ogni aspetto della nostra vita: da come dormiamo, a quello che mangiamo e come ci vestiamo, e perché dovremmo farci piú attenzione. Pieno di facili suggerimenti da seguire, quindi interessante comunque.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PURPOSE PRINTS FOR THE PREVIEW!
August 1, 2016
Life is so much more than eating, sleeping, and going to work. To live life to the fullest, one does not need a lot of money and luxurious things. One just has to take small and often simple steps in the right direction in order to live a good, full, and aware life. This is the message of Thrive, An Environmental Conscious Lifestyle Guide to Better Health and True Wealth. Throughout the book, the author provides readers with the tips and know-how to achieve that.
Full review available at San Francisco Book Review
Full review available at San Francisco Book Review
August 13, 2016
Thrive is a great jump off point for those who are trying to better themselves. Some of the advice may seem like common sense for those who have done any amount of research into living a healthier lifestyle. I would recommend this book for those who are looking to take the next step in improving their lifestyle.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley so that I could give it an honest review!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley so that I could give it an honest review!
January 31, 2017
Thrive is a book to help the reader a more environmentally conscious lifestyle and how that leads to better health. Most of the concepts in the book were not new to me, but it was a good reminder. Thrive is filled with doable ways to minimize your ecological impact and live a healthier life including adult coloring pages right in the book. I do wish the author would have provided more companies that met the criteria outlined in the book.
May 11, 2016
I received an advanced copy of this book from Goodreads. This book had a very good message. I loved that there was a note included that encouraged coloring the book. This book included many helpful tips for living in a more environmentally conscious way which is something that we should all work towards.
May 11, 2016
There wasn't anything new or that I hadn't heard or read before, so I was slightly disappointed. It also seemed to repeat each point at the end of each chapter in a summary which I thought was unnecessary and just filler. Just okay for me, not sure I would recommend.
July 5, 2017
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a business organization that offers business skills, hope, and dreams to be used in their ministry.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews