In the Canadian publication Change the World for Ten Bucks: 50 Ways to Make a Difference, the contributors compile simple ways to do your part for the planet.
True, the actions suggested are tiny steps but as the epigraph reminds, "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.
" The recommended actions include such standbys as, "learn mouth to mouth," "take public transit," "install at least one energy-saving light bulb," and "turn your thermostat down by one degree.
" Other actions are decidedly more sentimental such as "hug someone," "smile and smile back," and "write to someone who inspired you.
" The authors back up their suggestions with powerful statistics.
For example, the book points out that 500 years ago we thought the sun revolved around the earth and that 500 years from now the billions of plastic bags that we use every year will still be around.
One interesting section instructs readers to learn to be friendly in another language.
A handy chart teaches readers how to offer help in Mandarin (Wo leng bung oma?) or how to ask someone if they'd like tea in Bengali (Aponi ki cha pan korben?).
Some of the book's tools will be less helpful to the American reader.
However, a diligent person can pursue counterparts to the Canadian organizations and websites referenced in the pages.
Another drawback of the book is its brevity.
Unlike more comprehensive how-to guides, this book reads more like a list than a manual.
A reader can finish Change the World in twenty minutes making this a book ideal for perusal at the store rather than for purchase.