A new book from Flux, "Leadership and Self-Deception" is going green with Eco-Libris

Every new title that is being released by the Norwegian publishing house Flux is a reason for celebration as you can see from their catalog. The new title that is being released today is no different.

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by the Arbinger Institute (or as the book is called in Norwegian: Lederskap og selvbedrag - Kom deg ut av boksen) presents a revolutionary new understanding of the nature of successful leadership. Christian Valentiner, Publisher at Flux describes it as “one of the books on his list of titles that hold the potential change the world for the better”.

And of course we're proud to announce that this book, as well as all the other books published by Flux is going green with Eco-Libris, and 1,000 trees are being planted to balance out the Norwegian edition.

Here's more about this book (from the Book's English version website):

The authors show that the key to successful leadership lies deeper than a particular technique, behavior or skill. This is why so many leadership development initiatives end up failing, and why so many leaders, no matter how hard they try, are ultimately unsuccessful. The key to successful leadership lies not in what we do, but in who we are.

Leadership and Self-Deception shows how self-betrayal going against one's innate sense of what he or she should be doing for others leads to self-deception, the central player in all leadership breakdowns, relationship issues, and performance problems in organizations.

The book follows the progress of a new executive at the fictional Zagrum Corporation as he sheds his old ways of acting and learns a new, better way to lead. Leadership and Self-Deception uses vivid examples to show what self-deception is, how it operates, and, most importantly, how it can be overcome. While other books cover useful people skills, techniques, and systems of leadership, this one goes deeper, fully illuminating the source of what makes truly effective leadership.

More books from Flux:

The 100-years' Targets

The 5th Step

The Integral Vision

Dyp glede (Deep Joy): Arne Næss on deep ecology

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Green Book Review: An Environmental Guide From A to Z

Today we have a great book for kids, one that goes green all the way from A to Z, and which was described by Hunter Lovins as "perfect for opening eyes and minds to a better way of living."

Our book today is:

An Environmental Guide From A to Z

Author: Tim Magner

Illustrator: Aubri Vincent-Barwood

Reading grade: 3-6

Publisher: Green Sugar Press

Published on: June 2009

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)

By examining the elements, habitats and cycles in nature, An Environmental Guide introduces basic environmental science. Like the letters of the alphabet connect to build words and stories, the countless pieces and parts of nature weave, connect and link everything together.

With a compelling narrative and unforgettable images An Environmental Guide explores nature’s connections and brings awareness and a deeper understanding of how the world works. Even if you mastered the alphabet long ago, be prepared for a new adventure and see how, from A to Z, the beauty of nature provides air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat. Child or adult, get ready to see nature in a whole new light! Using clear prose and eye-catching illustrations, An Environmental Guide makes discovering the basics of the environment an adventure. Who could imagine nature could be so much fun for kids!

What we think about it?

The author, Tim Magner, said about the book that “our objective was to create a reading experience to inspire young explorers to open their minds to the wonders of the world and to the amazing nature right out their backdoor. If we can only get kids to unplug from their electronics long enough to give nature a chance. Nature provides all the answers we need.”

He's definitely right and this book is doing a very good job in proving this point. The presentation of the issues in the book creates a very clear picture of the world we're living in and makes children aware of the incredible world around them, which actually even us, the so called grown ups, tend to forget about or just ignore.

What I liked about this book is that although its a guide for children, it is not afraid to address serious issues like nature cycles, Darwin, energy, habitats and so on. Still, it's also a fun book that is full of staff that children are excited about, from adventures to unique animals. This combination, together with the beautiful illustrations make it such a unique and valuable book.

I also liked the fact that the book presents the kids with interesting figures and places, fro, Paolo Lugari or Jacques Cousteau to the Amazon Rainforest and Mount Kilimanjaro. It definitely helps to get children more involved and curious about nature, which is what this book is all about.

Will kids unplug from their electronics and give nature a chance like the author is hoping? I'm doubt that one book can make such a difference, but I think it has the potential of becoing a valuable tool in getting children more aware of the world around them and getting them more interested to further explore what's out there. And here's an idea - how about making this book a video game for kids (education one of course), wouldn't that be a great way to approach those who have difficulties to unplug?

Bottom line: it's recommended both for children and their parents. I would like also to mention that this is a green book literally - it's printed on a mix of post consumer waste recycled paper and FSC-certified paper.

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on Eco-Libris website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

A new collaboration with Moss Green Children's Books

I'm very happy to announce on our new collaboration with Moss Green Children's Books ,a unique online bookstore that donates 66% of its total profits to children’s charities every year.

Moss Green, which is based in the UK, was created by Mark Waterfield who wanted to help the environment and raise more funds for children’s charities.

Moss Green aims to help parents educating their children about the environment and creating a green sustainable future. In their online bookshop you can see which stories can help your child become more aware of the natural world. And every time you make a purchase, even more money will go to children’s charities, since they're donating as we mentioned 66% of their total profits, every year.

Moss Green has joined our bookstores program and will offer to its customers to plant a tree with us to balance each book they purchase in the store. Customers will receive an Eco-Libris sticker (made of recycled paper) for each book they balance out, saying 'One tree planted for this book'.

You're welcome to learn more about Moss Green at their website - http://www.mossgreenchildrensbooks.co.uk

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

"Nice to be Nice", a new children's picture book is going green with Eco-Libris

We're happy to announce on our new collaboration with Bella Flowers Books, a new brand of books for children.

They have just released "Nice to be Nice", the first title from its "to be" series locally, with a national release to follow in late fall 2009, and one tree will be planted for every printed copy with Eco-Libris!

Bella Flowers Books is a green publisher - their books are printed using vegetable-based ink on 30% recycled paper, and as we mentioned a tree will be planted for every book printed through a partnership with Eco-Libris.

But it's not only that, it's also their commitment to the environment as Tamika Longino, Executive Editor explains: "Every year, more than 30 million trees are cut down to produce books in the US. So, at Bella Flowers Books, we feel an ethical responsibility to balance out what we are taking from our planet. We are in business to leave the world a little better than we found it. If we remain true to that, profits are just part of our reward.”

Here's more about the book:

Nice to be Nice is a picture book that shows countless ways for children to be nice in their everyday lives. There are 32 pages of vibrant illustrations that show a diverse array of children in relatable situations. It features colorful illustrations of children engaging in “nice” behavior, including caring for the environment by recycling. Bella Flowers Books encourages parents to introduce their children to the concept of going green by remembering the following Dos and Don’ts:

1. Don’t Be Intimidated. You don’t have to know everything about saving the environment in order to get involved. Get your children started by doing something simple yet helpful, like discarding trash in public places appropriately, similar to the children in Nice to be Nice.
   
   
2. Do Make It A Family Affair. Take on a fun family project, like refurbishing an old piece of furniture or collecting old magazines from around the house and donating them to a home for seniors.
   
   
3. Don’t Take The All Or Nothing Approach. So, you drive an SUV. Don’t abandon green efforts, because of the size of your gas tank. Find other ways to give back to the earth, like buying sustainable books and products.
   
   

"Nice to be Nice" is a great book and we're very proud to begin our collaboration with Bella Flowers Books with this book. You can purchase it at http://alturl.com/crw3

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Shana Tova from Eco-Libris

Tomorrow is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish holiday celebrating the Jewish New Year. Eco-Libris will be celebrating it with a lot of pomegranates (yummy) and a couple of honey cakes (very yummy!).

I would also like to take this opportunity and wish you all Sahana Tova on behalf of Eco-Libris. May this Rosh Hashanah be the beginning of a sweet, green and wonderful year!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

Will the new collaboration between Google and On Demand Books green up the book industry?

We've got interesting news today - Google signed an agreement with On Demand Books, making its over two million public domain titles available directly to consumers.

The joint press release of On Demand Books and Google explains that Google has agreed to provide On Demand Books (ODB), the maker of the Espresso Book Machine, with immediate access to over two million public-domain titles in the Google digital files.

If you haven't heard yet about these machines, the Espresso Book Machine is a small, patented high-speed automated book-making machine. In about four minutes it can print, bind and trim a 300-page paperback book complete with a full-color paperback cover. Its price as Tom Krazit reports on CNET News ranges from $75,000 to $97,000, depending on the configuration.

Currently you can find the Espresso Book Machines in bookstores, libraries and trade and campus bookstores such as the University of Michigan Shapiro Library Building in Ann Arbor, MI, the Blackwell Bookshop in London, UK, the Bibliotheca Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt and the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, VT (you can find a full list of the EBM locations here). Wired adds that On Demand Books hopes to sell 60 more printers in the next year, bringing the number of machines globally to about 90.

So our question is of course, is it environmentally friendly?

Let's look first at the FAQ part of On Demand Book's website that is referring to the question Is the EBM an environmentally friendly technology?

Yes. Producing books at point of sale saves tons of CO2 emissions and eliminates returns and the pulping of unwanted books. According to the OECD’s 2008 publication Sustainable Development, “Print-on-demand [the technology used by the EBM and EspressNet] uses an electronic file to produce the book in the country where it is sold, in the exact quantities needed. There is no need to transport the book from one central location, print too many copies ‘just in case,’ or store copies waiting to be sold (or destroyed).” According to a 2007 survey by the Book Industry Study Group and Green Press Initiative, the book sector emits an average of 8.8 pounds (almost 4 kg) of carbon per book produced.

They're definitely right in terms in terms of waste and transportation. As the report they quote is explaining the current model is wasteful - about 1 billion books that were printed in 2006 (or about 25% of the total printed books) weren't sold and then either returned for pulping or reach landfills. At the same time, this report is also emphasizing the fact that paper is responsible for most of the carbon footprint of books (over 60%).

So it means that even though the Espresso Book Machines can save carbon emissions as it provides Print On Demand services on spot at bookstores and libraries, it can generate a significant breakthrough if it will be using recycled paper. Wired reported that On Demand Books suggests that book stores price the books at about $8, leaving retailers with a $3 profit after both Google and On Demand Books collect a buck-a-book fee. I'm quite positive that using recycled paper instead of virgin paper won't increase the price significantly.

Actually it can be done even without raising the price at all - here's an idea: Google, according to Wired, plans to donate its share to a yet-unspecified charity - how about using it to cover any extra cost required for using recycled paper? this way everyone is winning - Google is helping an important cause, readers get to print books on recycled paper at the same price and On Demand Books is making an important step towards making books more sustainable by significantly reducing their carbon footprint.

What do you think? I'll be happy to hear your thoughts about it.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

ForestEthics is fighting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification

Two weeks ago we reported here on a new report released by ForestEthics and Dogwood Alliance.

The report, entitled "Green Grades 2009" looked at and grades the paper sourcing policies of 12 office retail, general retail and wholesale/distribution companies. The report didn't try to hide the authors opinion on the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) saying:

"Still, there is much work to be done. Some of the companies do not have meaningful paper policies, are sourcing large amounts of paper from controversial sources, and are perpetuating the greenwashing of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and other industry-driven “certification” schemes. And since most companies still have at least some Endangered Forest fiber somewhere in their supply chain, consumers should buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and recycled content paper regardless of where they shop."

Now, according to the New York Times, ForestEthics is moving forward to challenge the credibility of the S.F.I. certification in court.

Mireya Navarro reports on the NYT ("Environmental Groups Spar Over Certifications of Wood and Paper Products") about the growing debate on the validity of the the SFI certification. According to the article, the accusations against the SFI certification program are of "lax standards and deceptive marketing intended to obscure the standards and the S.F.I.’s financial ties to the forest industry."

This move might be connected with the fact that the United States Green Building Council, which rates buildings as environmentally sustainable under its so-called LEED system, will begin accepting other types of certified wood next year, as it has proposed to do pending a vote by its membership. This move can harm the demand for FSC-certified products, as this certification is much tougher than the SFI certification.

The fact that the FSC certification has more rigorous standards is not accidental. The main claim against the SFI certification is that the forest industry created a green certification system to promote their sales, as Peter Goldman, director of the Washington Forest Law Center in Seattle, the legal firm that filed the complaints explains in the article. Therefore it makes sense it will be less demanding from the industry than the FSC certification, which is more independent (although we have to mention that it includes forest industry representatives on its board).

So who's right? the lawyers of ForestEthics who claim that the SFI certification S.F.I. has confused the marketplace or SFI whose spokesman said that the certification program was sound and that it had met all legal requirements as a nonprofit?

I have to say it's impossible to demand from consumers, as well as printers and publishers, to judge this dispute. What we can say for sure is that the fact that is indisputable is that FSC certification is considered as the best practice standard for forest management. Therefore, I believe printers, publishers and customers shouldn't compromise on less than that no matter if it's lumber, furniture, or virgin paper they're considering buying.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!