In 1916, the USDA published Bulletin No. 404, a report on using hemp hurds as a paper-making material. The bulletin proclaims that: “Without a doubt, hemp will continue to be one of the staple agricultural crops of the United States.” The report also warns that: “Our forests are being cut three times faster than they grow.” It finds that (over a 20-year period) 10,000 acres of hemp can produce the same amount of paper as 40,500 acres of trees. The test results are so favorable that USDA Bu...

This concise guide to cannabis delves into pot culture and history, from Herodotus to the hippies and beyond. It also covers the essentials of using, cultivating, and cooking with weed; identifying pot varieties; and understanding legal and health issues. Handy and to the point, The Little Black Book of Marijuana gives you "the dope" on pot, from possible side effects and risks to medical uses and their efficacy. Learn about cannabis history and the issues around its legalization. Includes ...

An in-depth exposé of how the modern food system is putting our food supply in serious danger-with startling new evidence and guidance on what we can do to reclaim control of what we eat.

Food, Inc. is guaranteed to shake up our perceptions of what we eat. This powerful documentary deconstructing the corporate food industry in America was hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "more than a terrific movie -- it's an important movie." Aided by expert commentators such as Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, the film poses questions such as: Where has my food come from, and who has processed it? What are the giant agribusinesses and what stake do they have in mainta...

Fact: Chocolate contains the alkaloid theobromine, which in high doses can be toxic to humans, and in even small amounts can kill dogs, parrots, horses, and cats.This means that despite its name, the Kit-Kat candy bar is not a recommended snack for your kitty-cat. I wonder how many cats have died because of this confusion.Fact: The most germ-laden place on your toilet isn't the seat or even the bowl--it's the handle.The s...

Record-setting Jeopardy! champion and author of Planet Funny Ken Jennings “reveals the truth behind all those things you tell your children” (Parade) in this entertaining and useful New York Times bestseller about parenting myths, old wives’ tales, and everyday warnings “armed with case histories, scientific find...

An "entertaining and enlightening" history of the scares, scams, and pseudoscience that have made food a source of anxiety in America ( The Boston Globe).Are eggs the perfect protein, or cholesterol bombs? Is red wine good for my heart, or bad for my liver? Will pesticides and processed foods kill me? In this book, food historian Harvey Levenstein encourages us to take a deep breath, and reveals the people and vested interests who have created and exploite...

"I urge you to read Comfortably Unaware, to think about its message, discuss it with your friends—and start to change the world, one bite, one meal, one diet at a time." — Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, UN Messenger of PeaceTackle the crucial issue of global depletion alongside Dr. Richard Oppenlander, as it relates to food choice. His straightforward research and stark mental images demonstrate the daily footprint we're leaving on the environment, and thus encour...

An independent farmer reveals how our food system is threatened by corporate agriculture, and the steps we can take to protect it.Author and homesteader Nicole Faires decided to retrofit an old bus and tour America’s small farms with her husband and two small children. She expected to learn a lot, be inspired, and have some fun. But what she found disturbed her: mismanaged small farms; clueless urbanites trying to “get back to the land”; a mindless devotion to orga...

Stop Being Manipulated by the Animal Foods IndustryStop the meat industry from eating into your wallet. Few Americans are aware of the realities of the economic system that supports our country's supply of animal foods. Yet these forces affect us in ways we can hardly imagine. Though we only fork over a few dollars per pound of meat products at the grocery store, we end up paying much more than that in tax dollar-fueled government subsidies—$38 b...

For more than thirty years, humankind has known how to grow enough food to end chronic hunger worldwide. Yet in Africa, more than 9 million people every year die of hunger, malnutrition, and related diseases every year -- most of them children. In this powerful investigative narrative, Wall Street Journal reporters Kilman & Thurow show exactly how, in the past few decades, Western policies conspired to keep Africa hungry and unable to feed itself. Enough is essential read...

Get Informed! Get Inspired! Get Going! The New York Times bestselling book of empowerment for kids. Make a difference in your world!In a book that tackles the biggest challenges facing us today, Chelsea Clinton combines facts, charts, photographs and stories to give readers a deep understanding of the world around them—and how anyone can make a difference. With stories about children and teens who have made real changes big and small—in their families, the...