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The Ten Minute Activist: Easy Ways to Take Back the Planet
The planet is in trouble. Global warming, record-breaking natural disasters, 9/11, two hotly contested presidential elections, and a war abroad has left many Americans feeling uneasy with the state of our own lives and the security of the planet. We know that life cannot be sustained at the current rate of consumption, yet it is easy to succumb to helplessness and apathy. But if making a difference only required ten minutes of our time a day, how many more people would try to make a difference? Written in an edgy, engaging style, The Ten Minute Activist, shows how even the busiest person can make a difference. From buying organic milk and bison to switching from free-trade to fair trade; from choosing a Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) retirement plan to car-pooling with colleagues, The Mission Collective has compiled the most up-to-date information on energy conservation, global warming, wildlife preservation, community building, spiritual awareness and political action. The Ten Minute Activist informs and inspires with easy acts that can truly have an impact if engaged en masse.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2006
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2026
Books with short articles are always good to have lying around the house and this is certainly one of those. Each article is at the most 3 pages so quick reads.
Overall I judge this book by it's content. About 25-30% is stuff that should be obvious to everyone and most people will already be doing (Recycling etc.) Another 25% is stuff that is good to know and worth considering. About 5% is nonsense that will get you arrested or worse and I don't see how these ever made it into the book. The remaining 40% or so is just a lot of nonsense and BS. Many times the articles contradict each other. In many they talk about the evils of carbon dioxide, but in another claim that a process uses carbon dioxide, a 'safe gas'. Cattle farming is bad, but plant based monoculture farming is better? (Conveniently forgetting to mention that arable farming kills everything else in those fields.) The US prison system has more inmates per capita than China. If the US adopted the same rules as China then that wouldn't be the case, and the organ banks would be full.
Admittedly there is some useful stuff in here here, but some of it would have even the most ardent hard climatard rolling their eyes.
Overall I judge this book by it's content. About 25-30% is stuff that should be obvious to everyone and most people will already be doing (Recycling etc.) Another 25% is stuff that is good to know and worth considering. About 5% is nonsense that will get you arrested or worse and I don't see how these ever made it into the book. The remaining 40% or so is just a lot of nonsense and BS. Many times the articles contradict each other. In many they talk about the evils of carbon dioxide, but in another claim that a process uses carbon dioxide, a 'safe gas'. Cattle farming is bad, but plant based monoculture farming is better? (Conveniently forgetting to mention that arable farming kills everything else in those fields.) The US prison system has more inmates per capita than China. If the US adopted the same rules as China then that wouldn't be the case, and the organ banks would be full.
Admittedly there is some useful stuff in here here, but some of it would have even the most ardent hard climatard rolling their eyes.
Read
September 19, 2021Read Sept 2021
November 11, 2023
Some helpful ideas, but much of this book is out of date at this point.
August 2, 2014
I bought this book for $.50 at a book sale through the local library. It's been sitting on my floor with the rest of the mountain of books that I just had to have. I needed a book to read coming off of Running Like a Girl. I chose this one. It looked small. I don't really consider myself to be a tree-hugger or hippie-dippy, but I definitely recycle, use canvas bags when grocery shopping, and donate my old clothes and home goods to Goodwill. (I've even been considering composting.) I went in to this book trying to find other cool ways to make the world a better place. (My Miss America speech.)
The format of this book is pretty cool. The longest section is about two pages. The sections are succinct. They tell you a problem and exactly how you can fix it. While some of their solutions seem really low-scale, if everyone did their part, it makes a huge difference. (Every bit counts, right?) For example, one section tells you that you should be eliminating the use of harsh cleaners. And you're thinking, probably like me, Now, how am I supposed to keep the house clean without using deep-cleaning products?. The Mission Collective throws in simple concoctions to make that do the job just as well as bleach or harsh cleaners. Whenever a website or book is referenced, we are given the website address, the book title, the author, so that we can check it out and get more information. (After all, knowledge is power, amiright?) There are funny, apropos cartoons interrupting the monotony of mini chapters. The art work is really nice and subtly introduces you to liking environmental rights cartoons. (They're so sneaky that way. I CARE?!)
My problem with the book? I only have a couple. One: There are two typos. How this got by the five people part of The Mission Collective and whoever else is part of the publication process, is beyond me. It irks me because their message is so strong and powerful, but simple things like misspellings call into minor question their credibility. However, I overlooked these. The other problem: their solutions are narrowed to a certain group with certain socioeconomic status. I saw this book as geared toward the upper-middle class. While, I'm not complaining, everyone needs to help out, I just wish that they were more assessable by a wider range of social status.
My rating and why: I rated this four stars! I finished reading it and I really enjoyed it. On the same day I finished this book, I recommended it to a friend. I really like some of the ideas in the book. They're pretty simple adjustments that can be made to everyday activities. I made smiley faces in the margins to all the "yes!" statements I agreed with. Yes, the above talked about spiritual and political change, but it didn't dive super deep into either, which I was totally A-Okay with. And another cool thing: since the chapters are so small, you can knock out three or more in a ten-minute sitting!
The format of this book is pretty cool. The longest section is about two pages. The sections are succinct. They tell you a problem and exactly how you can fix it. While some of their solutions seem really low-scale, if everyone did their part, it makes a huge difference. (Every bit counts, right?) For example, one section tells you that you should be eliminating the use of harsh cleaners. And you're thinking, probably like me, Now, how am I supposed to keep the house clean without using deep-cleaning products?. The Mission Collective throws in simple concoctions to make that do the job just as well as bleach or harsh cleaners. Whenever a website or book is referenced, we are given the website address, the book title, the author, so that we can check it out and get more information. (After all, knowledge is power, amiright?) There are funny, apropos cartoons interrupting the monotony of mini chapters. The art work is really nice and subtly introduces you to liking environmental rights cartoons. (They're so sneaky that way. I CARE?!)
My problem with the book? I only have a couple. One: There are two typos. How this got by the five people part of The Mission Collective and whoever else is part of the publication process, is beyond me. It irks me because their message is so strong and powerful, but simple things like misspellings call into minor question their credibility. However, I overlooked these. The other problem: their solutions are narrowed to a certain group with certain socioeconomic status. I saw this book as geared toward the upper-middle class. While, I'm not complaining, everyone needs to help out, I just wish that they were more assessable by a wider range of social status.
My rating and why: I rated this four stars! I finished reading it and I really enjoyed it. On the same day I finished this book, I recommended it to a friend. I really like some of the ideas in the book. They're pretty simple adjustments that can be made to everyday activities. I made smiley faces in the margins to all the "yes!" statements I agreed with. Yes, the above talked about spiritual and political change, but it didn't dive super deep into either, which I was totally A-Okay with. And another cool thing: since the chapters are so small, you can knock out three or more in a ten-minute sitting!
February 10, 2010
Although written for "activists" in the US, there are still some really useful and relevant tips for our own local activists. Have definitely inspired me to check out more about FairTrade and eating/buying locally, seasonally and sustainably here in Singapore.
Want to Read
March 13, 2007Looks pretty cool with some simple ideas to help our poor declining world! I'm excited :o)
Want to Read
August 7, 2007Picked this and a bunch of other orphaned preview copies up from CityBeat's offices.
Read
February 29, 2008Recommended, of course.
February 10, 2015
Heavily geared towards the US. Of limited usefulness to anyone not American.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews