All You Need Is Less: The Eco-friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity

I struggled with adding a book entitled "All you need is less" to my collection, but I'm so happy I did! There are lots of great DIY tips and ideas for living "green" and "greener". Some of which I had heard of and used before (using comics to wrap gifts) and some were very new (a Mason jar as a travel mug "you can toss it in your purse" = GENIUS!!). The personal anecdotes and examples from the author's life add humour and whimsy and make you feel like you're chatting with a friend.I had no idea there were so many uses for apple cider vinegar, and I've already purchased the ingredients I need to make my own laundry soap. I can only imagine what my husband will think when he finds out I've switched to home-made laundry detergent, but I'll memorize the section on "What to do when your partner is a soul-sucking planet killer" so I react appropriately.

Mixed feelings. I really like Madeleine but I couldn't live with her . . . I think. No one is going to do the the time consuming things that she suggests, it's hard for me to take life style advice from a confirmed hippie, and much (maybe 30%) of the books content is Madeleines "cutesies." Some were fun . . . Kinda, but they got old and got in the way of the message. But the attitude, the values, and some of the activities would make us all feel better about saving our planet. In closing, I would like for you to buy her book.

This is such a gem of a book. It reads like a fun novel (I have a newborn and still got through it in 3 days and was so sad when it was over) but is full of solid tips, recipes, and food for thought. I've already started making some changes around our house -- little things that are super easy to put into practice and are reducing the amount of waste coming in and out of our home. This is a great resource for people looking for tangible ways to live a more sustainable, environmentally conscious life without feeling weighted down by guilt or feeling deprived, broke, and overwhelmed. I'd highly recommend this!!

As someone who wants to do better, this book was helpful. The recipes are easy and most of the things feel do-able (which is lovely - going full zero waste is daunting so I need to ease into it). I would recommend to others.Only reason for knocking off 3 stars is because there is a "stinky dog spray" recipe tells you to add "20-25 drops of your favorite essential oil", and then spray directly on your dog. The VCA notes, however, that some essential oils are dangerous for dogs and cats; even a little skin exposure or inhalation of droplets isn't good. There is no warning about that in this book.

I still can't get over that fact that the dryer sheets we all buy to make our clothing, towels and linens smell "fresher" are actually coated in lard and fake-smelling chemicals. Yuck! so, when we dry our freshly washed baby blankets and onesies and toss one of these in, we are basicaly ensuring that we are coating aforementinoed aby wiht lard and chemical irritants. Why did I never read that factoid in any of the other "eco" books I have bought. ALL YOU NEED IS LESS is packed with wonderful and truly helpful information.. This book is pretty much all you need. Get it!

I enjoyed this book and have already implemented several of her great ideas. It's a lighted hearted approach to a serious subject. I think the idea of stopping all the shopping, I'm guilty of it, and using what I have, is exactly what I needed to hear. Quality over quantity always good advice.

This may not be for someone who is already a full-bore minimalist or eco-warrior, but it is, nevertheless, filled with simple, practical, doable tips that anyone can implement. Best of all, it's a hoot. Somerville's approach is completely non-guilt producing (unique among such books), essentially "preaching" (if you could even call it that) "do the best you can, where you are, with what you have." She's honest, down to earth, and funny as all get out. A rollicking good read.

Being eco-friendly was never so easy. A nice girl sharing her recipes and "hippie" lifestyle will give you plenty of ideas and encouragement to be in the hippie side as well. We all can help a little and give our kids and grandsons an environment worth living in. All You Need is Less is All You Need to convince yourself, get the knowledge missing and take the step forward. This is THE Book!

A book to inspire a more environmentally friendly way of life, written in an entertaining and humorous style, with a serious- and important- concept at its heart: we need to buy less stuff. Lots of advice on how to start making that change, and lots of fun to read. And so many simple recipes- hadn’t occurred to me that I could easily make my own shampoo and toothpaste, for example!

Interesting but oo American. Products she mentions arent widely (if at all) available). Not sorry I bought it but hadnt realised it would be American products.

Although there are good ideas in this book, I found it very America specific in its cultural reference. Many of these references meant nothing to me. Also the general tone of the book is very 'up beat/jokey ' which I found irritating. Final criticism........why so much about your sex life? YUK!Anyone in the UK I would recommend buying a book written by someone living in the UK. There are so many books in the market places, I'm really annoyed I picked the wrong one for me!

Love this book - humorous and non-judgemental, there’s helpful tips and good recipes. I’d certainly recommend it 😊

This book could have been half the size (& cost) if the author wasnt such a chatterbox. Every tip or suggestion is presented with lots of irritating, droning anectdotes about her family...