Imagine It!: A Handbook for a Happier Planet

by Laurie David, Heather Reisman

An inspirational, accessible, and actionable guide for empowering and inspiring you to take concrete steps towards living more sustainably.

Imagine It! is a handbook for those who want to begin or advance a journey toward living in better balance with our planet. It inspires, supports, and offers easy ways to replace old, planet-hurting habits with new healthy ones.

In Imagine It!, the documentary filmmakers behind Writing on the Wall, Fed Up, The Biggest Little Farm, The Social Dilemma, and the Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth highlight the need to change some of our food, clothing, and transportation habits and meaningfully lower our use of plastic, paper, water, and harmful chemicals. They call the changes in these areas lifestyle shifts, and there is a chapter devoted to each one of them in the book. Each begins with a short story on the shift being explored, and then provides clear steps for replacing old habits with new ones to create lasting change.

Laurie David and Heather Reisman are no strangers to exposing hard truths and helping audiences understand their part in bringing about change. They know a cleaner, healthier world is ours for the taking--and to start, we just have to Imagine It!

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Sustainability, Environment

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

For over a decade Laurie David has brought her passion and advocacy to a variety of important issues from global warming to America’s overconsumption of sugar to regenerative agriculture and the dangers of social media.

Laurie executive produced the Academy award-winning An Inconvenient Truth and other socially relevant docs including Fed Up, The Biggest Little Farm and most recently, The Social Dilemma.

Laurie has also written several cookbooks including The Family Cooks and The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids One Meal at a Time. Both books focus on healthy family dinners and importance of enjoying home-cooked meals together. She also coauthored the children’s book The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming, which has been published in over ten languages.

Laurie has received numerous awards and honors, including the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award, a Humanitas Prize Special Award and a Gracie Allen Award. Laurie’s environmental work has been honored with the prestigious Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, the Feminist Majority’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award, Bette Midler’s Green Goddess Award and the NRDC Forces for Nature award.

She lives in Massachusetts on a regenerative farm with her husband, a few cows, a flock of sheep and a dozen chickens. She grows lots of food including a lot of sweet potatoes. She expresses her daily frustrations on twitter. You can follow her @Laurie_David



On Twitter @Laurie_David

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until its faced."
- James Baldwin

IMAGINE IT is a useful handbook for individuals and families interested in helping our environment. While confirming much that I already knew, there are some recent facts and new ideas and suggestions.

🐝"Bees will love it if you put out water for them. A shallow bowl filled with a few stones makes it easy for the bees to land and take a sip."

🐝 Did you know that bees pollinate one in every three bites of food we eat? We let the dandelions grow and
plant flowers to attract bees. Last month our province promoted "No mow May."

🌎 "North Americans now discard about 14 million tons of clothing and shoes every year. Yikes!!!"
🌎 "Buy less, enjoy longer, recycle more, and push your favourite brands to adopt sustainable manufacturing processes."
🌎 "Join the fashion reuse, recycle, donate, repurpose bandwagon."
🌎 "Clothes swapping is the new "new.""
At college my friends and I expanded our wardrobes by wearing each other's clothes. Then when we married and had families, some of us would get together two or three times a year for "clothes swapping parties".
After cleaning our closets and bureaus, we would bring bag(s) of clean clothing and shoes we no longer wanted and items the children had outgrown. We would take turns emptying our bag(s) and holding up the clothes. If you saw something you wanted, you could have it. You sometimes took home more than you brought. All the leftover clothing was bagged up and donated it to a local charity.
It was a social event with laughter and conversation. The hostess provided tea, coffee, and cookies.

🌎 Did you know that more than 40,000 chemicals are used in products today, yet only a few hundred have ever been tested for safety?

💦"785 million people worldwide lack access to safe water today. 2 billion people lack access to proper sanitation."
Page 143

💦"It is amazing how much water is wasted when household faucets drip, drip, drip. A leak that produces one drop of water a second wastes more than 3000 gallons a year. That's the equivalent of 180 showers!"
Page 151

🚘 Check your tires. Low tire pressure hurts your fuel economy.
🚘 Use air-conditioning more sparingly. Air-conditioning can increase a vehicle's fuel consumption by 20 percent.

⚠️ www.ewg.org for list of chemicals to avoid. Avoid products containing triclosan.

⚠️ "Buy clean, chemical-free shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, and make up. Look for products that don't contain parabens, phthalates, or sodium lauryl sulfate."

⚠️ "Some of the potentially dangerous petroleum-based chemicals found in your favourite {lipstick} brands could include: aluminum, cadmium, chromium, lead, and manganese."

There are pages near the back with websites listed, and pictures and names of companies the authors recommend.
4 stars

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

imagine it! attempts to address our most pressing problem: climate change.

Each section of imagine it! addresses a different component that contributes to climate change - for example, plastic consumption, water consumption, chemical usage, among others. It's coming from a place of positive intention. There's some genuinely useful information included in the book - but sadly, I think imagine it! is missing out on the bigger picture.

Yes, making changes as individuals will make an impact. However, the combined contributions of individuals still only account for a portion of the contribution to climate change.

Several studies suggest that 100 companies are responsible for 70% of global emissions. [We can debate the precise numbers - but the fact is that a small number of companies account for a large percentage of emissions.] Let's pretend that there are only 100 companies in the world and so the remaining 30% of emissions come directly from individuals. If everyone were to 'magically' become carbon neutral the new emissions would still be 70% of current levels. [Hint: This is not good enough.]

I don't want to suggest that you require magic to make the changes needed to reduce your carbon footprint. You can make many changes with very little effort: turn off the lights, don't buy bottled water, turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth, don't use plastic cutlery or paper plates or plastic or styrofoam cups, use energy-efficient lightbulbs and shower-heads. All of this is easy to do.

Maybe I'm naive, but...aren't we doing this already? Everyone I know does these things. We've been doing them for years. Of course, we can all be better at this. We've all left a light on before. Still...it feels as if something is missing.

Many of the suggestions in this book are those I've mentioned above. These are things we should already be doing. These are things I was taught as a child in the 90s. It's 2021 now. What are we doing? Are you still using paper plates? Why?

In addition to these suggestions, there are several suggestions that don't really apply to the 'average' person. (I will remind you that the 'average' person is the 'poor' person because there are so many of us poor folks out there.) 'When ordering fish at a restaurant ask the chef if the fish is local or imported.' When was the last time you ate at a restaurant where the person cooking your meal could be described as a chef? [Honestly, just asking 'When was the last time you ate at a restaurant? ' is a fair question in 2021.] Sure, the principle is good: Be aware of what you're eating and where it comes from. Why isn't this the advice, then?

Spend your money with businesses committed to the environment. This is a great principle...but it doesn't apply to the average person. I need new shoes. I spend $50 and buy new shoes twice a year because I cannot afford to spend $120 on a pair that will last 2 years - yes, I've spent $200 instead of $120 - but I couldn't afford $120 all at once. [Re: Pratchett and the economy.] Now, I can afford this but for many years I could not afford it, and I'm not alone there.

-----

To conclude: While I do not feel inspired, I do feel...something - frustrated, I think. I'm not frustrated by this book so much as I'm frustrated that the most basic elements of sustainability even need to be mentioned. Why are we still buying bottled water if the water from our taps or wells is perfectly safe to drink? [If your water is unsafe to drink, you have every right to purchase bottled water without criticism.]

This is not the book for me and it might not be the book for you - but it will be the book for someone. There is someone at the beginning of their journey to support the environment and this will be a great book for that person.

What we desperately need are policy changes that address these issues ASAP. This book touches on this - 'Write to your local representatives.' - but I think we need ways to make these changes take effect more immediately. We've already waited far too long.

[Read Vollmann, Klein, Wallace among others.]

[Pascale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Books on the topic are important, even basic ones like this one. I also enjoyed the larger font, so I could read without glasses.

However.

It would have been preferable to use a smaller font, print a smaller book and save on paper.

At times, it felt like the authors were out of touch with the reality of living on a budget. For instance, Bento boxes are neat, but NOT affordable for someone getting minimum wage or close to minimum wage.

Better late than never, I know, but this book should have been out a good 15-20 years ago, at a minimum. People were ready for books like these back in the 90s.

My guess is that the target audience are baby-boomers. Those who heard and mocked Severn Suzuki and didn’t act when it would have had a much greater impact.

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intro to being environmentally conscious

Not a lot of new information here. Anyone who is environmentally conscious will have seen most of these recommendations once or twice e, but this is a great intro to someone who is just starting and doesn't know where to begin. I was disappointed that the book was over a little more than the halfway mark and the last 25% or so were just product recommendations.

[Asia Vighi · Rating 2 out of 5]

*full disclosure, I am a current employee of Indigo and I did receive this book for free*

Although the book shares some good introductory facts about the impact we have on our environment, it ultimately leaves me feeling uninspired. This book is nothing new. It’s simply the same facts and solutions most of us have heard before. And actually, I would even argue that a lot of the facts are taken out of context. Being clearer on the sources would have been appreciated, especially since it is not always apparent whether the facts being discussed are specific to the USA or Canada.

Additionally, this book felt a little bit detached from the reality of what an average person is actually capable of doing in their everyday life. Sure, everyone could benefit from using a reusable bottle and turning off a light that’s not in use. However, the book really fails to honestly discuss the impact that large corporations have on the environment. By presenting only individual-level solutions, including those such as sending a letter to the CEO of a company we are dissatisfied with, the authors seem to be suggesting that the responsibility of holding these large corporations accountable should be placed primarily on the individual. Should it really be up to me to make sure that the CEOs of billion dollar companies do the right thing? How can I convince a company to make the environment a priority, over their immediate profit? I can certainly threaten to spend my money elsewhere, but I think it is unlikely that I could convince many others to do the same. Perhaps I just have a pessimistic view of the situation, but do we not already see so many companies get scrutinized for horrible practices (with regards to more than just the environment)? People will be outraged and complain, but then go right back because “they have good stuff and cheap prices.”

If they really wanted to focus on the individual, I wish that the authors offered more guidance on how exactly one goes around to contacting the CEO of a company, or a government representative. Should I really just be posting my concerns on social media and hoping enough people notice? Why weren’t there more suggestions on how an individual could reduce their consumption in the first place? The recommended product guide at the end of the book may be useful to some people, but it really is just encouraging more consumption. Instead of advertising $30 beeswax wraps, there could have been a guide on how to make your own beeswax wraps for only a few dollars using thrifted fabrics and some other very accessible materials!

I wished for more from this book, but at least I can remain hopeful that some of the profits of this book really do go towards organizations that are taking concrete actions towards reducing our environmental impact.

[Mikayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is... bad. Essentially, it's 200-and-something pages of Instagram infographics stacked together with information that you can find online for free (which was a little ironic considering one of the topics was paper waste). Most of the information was fairly common sense
Not all of it is, of course. Certain harmful chemicals in products is probably helpful to know for some, and I think the sections on how pollution disproportionately harms POC was also good (although that section was not written by either of the authors of the book). However, the majority of the advice in this book is shallow, including advice like turning off your taps when you don't need them and, I kid you not, "Google composting." If I can google this information, I dont know why this book needs to exist. Just use the internet and save your money.

[Kelly Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical guide

If you are wondering what one person can do about climate change this book is full of actionable steps. Organized by areas of concern, there are tons of things that can be done. And also a lot of resources in the back of the book for further thought.

This isn’t a book to just read and put down. It is meant to drive people into action. I highly recommend it.

[Carolina Ibanez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very practical and useful guide for a more sustainable life. A must read for nowadays. It is simple to understand, perfect for reading in family.
I would recommend going one chapter per month as suggested in the book as it can be a bit overwhelming all the things we take for granted and the changes we need to make.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent environmental read.

Great points to reduce plastic.
Things like cloth diapers, dishwashers, clothing... it was all covered!

I was also interested on the concepts on not consuming all, also going vegetarian.

Imagine THAT

3.8/5

[Jennifer Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read in simple language that all can participate in

[Dru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It has many hidden gems and great movie recommendations. What I also love about it is that it puts the world into perspective. We are draining the very thing that is supposed to support us. We need to ensure that the earth continues to exist for future generations, but people prioritize profit over the planet when it should be the other way around.

I loved this book. I couldn't say this enough.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an up-to-date guide on environmental issues and changes we can make to turn the tide of climate change. It's divided into seven main sections, or "Shifts," that discuss particular footprints (plastic, food, clothing, etc.) and suggest ways that individuals can try to improve their impact on these footprints. I found this all really interesting as an overview, as it really just scratched the surface of these environmental issues. But, I think that was the point. The authors don't just want you to take their word for it, they invite the reader to do some research as well. And they make the task much more approachable by peppering each "Shift" with various tools (i.e. websites, organizations, etc.) to make your investigation easier. As well, at the end of the book are lists of websites, books, shows, movies, and documentaries that readers can explore to aid in their ongoing education. Reading about the impact that humans have had on this planet was disheartening. But, it's empowering to know that each of us can make changes in our lives that, hopefully, will help to heal the earth.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for beginners getting into environmentalism!

As an environmentalist, this was all info that I already knew so there wasn't much to learn but I would recommend it to anyone looking to learn since it's full of facts, tips, definitions and examples. There is also a section at the end of writings and lists (activists, more books, movies, groups etc).

It has great tips for home life, especially for families. It also addresses equality as it is connected to climate justice, but it doesn't address the fact that our individual actions alone won't solve this issue in terms of large corporations, but their advise on activism is a start I guess.

[Sherry Monger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-written by Heather Reisman, Imagine It! is a handy, useful guide, chock full of suggestions as to how we can act in a more planet friendly way. We absolutely have to reduce our use of plastics and added chemicals and this book shows us the way. Explanations help us understand the effects of these products on the earth, and then alternatives are clearly provided. Practical and helpful.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Without conscious intention but having grown up with all that the 20th century brought to us, we have become people who buy, use, and do things that are wasteful and damaging to our environment and often to our own health.”
Highly recommend!!! Changed the way I think about my habits and how I can become more sustainable in my ways

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book doesn't feel like it gives very good actionable steps, BUT the saving grace is the extensive list of products at the back of the book that you can start using as an easy way to support companies who are taking care of the planet.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for resources.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

always good to re-inspire caring for the environment. some great Canadian resources!

[Bryan Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to save our planet and the all living creatures who depend on it to survive.

[Alex]

An inspirational, accessible, and actionable guide for empowering and inspiring you to take concrete steps towards living more sustainably.

"An excellent how-to guide [and] a great read for everyone from the socially conscious family to the most ardent climate activist."--Former Vice President Al Gore

Imagine It! is a handbook for those who want to begin or advance a journey toward living in better balance with our planet. It inspires, supports, and offers easy ways to replace old, planet-hurting habits with new healthy ones.

In Imagine It!, the documentary filmmakers behind Writing on the Wall, Fed Up, The Biggest Little Farm, The Social Dilemma, and the Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth highlight the need to change some of our food, clothing, and transportation habits and meaningfully lower our use of plastic, paper, water, and harmful chemicals. They call the changes in these areas lifestyle shifts, and there is a chapter devoted to each one of them in the book. Each begins with a short story on the shift being explored, and then provides clear steps for replacing old habits with new ones to create lasting change.

Laurie David and Heather Reisman are no strangers to exposing hard truths and helping audiences understand their part in bringing about change. They know a cleaner, healthier world is ours for the taking--and to start, we just have to Imagine It!

[Shu Wai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plastic: I didn't know dental floss and sponges are plastic... may be hard to find alternatives for those (or my favourite System toothbrush!), but definitely can try to use fewer plastic bags, wraps and Ziploc
Food: Gotta reduce food waste by doing better meal planning
The Dirty Dozen (with most pesticide residue) are kale, strawberries, spinach, nectarines, peaches, tomatoes, apples, grapes, pears cherries, celery, and potatoes.
Clothing: Buy less
Chemical: Avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate (zinc is best), anything with fragrance, retinyl palmitate or retinol, or triclosan (Irish Spring!!)
Paper: Consider toilet paper made from recycled content instead of virgin forest fibre
Water: Turn off the tap when washing dishes, maybe even use the dishwasher instead

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I’m a member of that “ok boomer” generation, so the friendly tone and up-front presentation of information was just what I needed. Every chapter focused on an aspect of environmental concern and ways that that the individual could make an impact, with plenty of suggestions of organizations to become a part of, should you want to delve deeper. I will definitely keep this around and use it as a resource. That being said, the authors only briefly touched on one of the reasons our lifestyle has gotten us into such a helluva predicament - in the clothing chapter, Laurie David and Heather Reisman talk about how we’ve been seduced by fashion makers into adding to our wardrobes with cheap throwaway items - well what about the rest of the manufacturers of just about everything else? We’ve been seduced into buying gadgets and and food and junk to make our lives easier and these corporations are often powerful enough to influence public policy. It’s one thing to write a letter to a company or retailer complaining about environmental hazards in a product. (It’s quite another to fight against the oil and gas lobby, for example.) Another suggestion could be to write to editors and journalists of our digital news that contains an abundance of style/fashion/celebrity/ aspirational “articles” - that it’s offensive and encourages the very consumer driven lifestyle that got us here in the first place.

[Morgan Nolte · Rating 2 out of 5]

As others have reviewed, for middle or upper class millennials none of this content seemed new. For those the authors indicated are disproportionately impacted by climate issues, these suggestions seemed out of reach. I’m not sure who the intended audience is. To be honest I lost trust in the content when the authors touted buying 100% organic as a key step in environmentalism. Organic is a marketing term. That said there were a few tips I’ll consider when shopping in the future.

[Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

A small, concise handbook for those who want to be more environmentally conscious. However, the suggestions seem much more geared to an older and wealthier population with a lot more options at their disposal. And everything in here is so oversimplified that it seems either far too obvious or somewhat insignificant. However, I understand that the simplicity is the intention here, so I wouldn't say that is the fault of the authors. Just, for me, it wasn't what I was looking for.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, has a fair amount of fear mongering which in an environmental book needs to strike a balance between being encouraging but realistic. This book left me yelling at the pages “but I’m trying my best!!” several times. My suggestion is to read with caution, unless you don’t do anything kind for the environment then please read and get scared and do better :)

[Jennifer Chou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, practical tips.

Idk what the other reviews are talking about bc there’s clear ways and templates to pressure big companies to do better instead of relying on individuals to change. Theres a quote that said if we all had that mindset and completely ignored our personal responsibility, the world is not gonna get better.

Felt very inspired and motivated after reading.

[Lilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good points and tips in the beginning of the book, but I found it ironically included a HUGE portion of “some of our favorite products” in the end, I thought we are talking about not consuming too much.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and easy to read. Authors tried their best to include underrepresented communities such as Native people which is necessary for discussions about climate change. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some direction for how to live a more eco-friendly life.

[Morgan Snook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. It is my new Ecofeminist handbook of choice. It has real, measurable suggestions for how to live a green, clean, more responsible life. It made me even more eco conscious. :) Totally a must read for anyone with a green mindset.

[Mary Ann]

I have changed. Everyone should read this book and FAST .. before it's too late.