Home Enlightenment    by Annie B. Bond Order:  USA  Can Rodale, 2005 (2005) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Annie Bond introduces Home Enlightenment with the Navajo world view, to 'walk in beauty' and harmony with the environment. She talks about the damage that uniquitous synthetic chemicals do to our health, and shares what she herself has learned about making healthier choices. Bond offers a rule, that is to 'Simply choose the least toxic, most natural alternative every time you buy anything, be it a couch, peach ... or three-ring binder.' She talks about making a homescape feel good to you, reflecting the people who live there - she discusses traditions from different cultures as well as personal experience. She then takes us through our homes, room by room, providing perspectives on creating both a harmonious and ecofriendly environment - via topics that range from the crafty (like how to make a wreath and smudging) to the environmentally sound (e.g. use of solar lights, coposting, and the dangers of treated wood). She includes a Healthy Home Checklist and Questionnaire. There's a lot covered. Information that I plan to incorporate in my own lifestyle includes: NASA research on plants that are most effective against closed room pollutants (spider plants made the list); make-it-yourself cleaners for all kinds of surfaces; healthy food shopping tips; meat cooking and thawing guidelines; instructions to make an ant hotel (to rid the home of them); advice on effective well water filtering; ingredients for herbal and healing baths; use of vinegar to disinfect drains; light boxes for Seasonal Affective Disorder; stain removal guidelines; and disaster preparedness checklists. Bond goes into topics even further from the mainstream like geomancy, crystals, and pyramids - though not a believer, I found them interesting. At the back of the book are about seventy pages of Resources on categories that range from Air Purifiers to Rodent Control. Overall, Home Enlightenment is an excellent reference for anyone interested in moving in the direction of a less toxic, more healthy and harmonious lifestyle. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews