The new book A Slice of Organic Life might be better described as A Gigantic Slice of Organic Life. This is not your average-sized serving of tips on how to incorporate more green into your life; it is super-sized. While the book itself is not overly large (it will fit nicely on a bookshelf), it's the content that overflows.

Editor-in-chief Sheherazade Goldsmith packs A Slice of Organic Life full of tips and diy projects for living more naturally, or organically, if you will, whether you live in a tiny New York City apartment, a moderate abode with some outdoor space, a large suburban house with a big yard, or a big ol' farm with a few acres. There are a variety of different suggestions complete with easy, step-by-step instructions and guidelines. Also rampant in this volume are beautiful, colorful photographs which make a simple flip through the book enjoyable, and give a hearty visual representation of each tip presented.

The book is sectioned off into three parts: 1) No Need for a Yard, 2) Roof Terrace, Patio or Tiny Yard, and 3) Yard, Community Garden, or Field. Within each section, however, are ideas for both small and large spaces: from making and freezing baby foods, to collecting rainwater, growing chili peppers, making summer fruit jam, using renewable energy, planting herbs indoors, keeping honey bees and raising your own chickens.

At first I was thrown off by the order - or dis-order rather - of the book. There is no gardening section, or home improvement section, or recipe section. The tips are all over the place throughout the over 300 pages. The editor takes you from "Bake Bread", to "Choose Natural Diapers", to "Forage for Wild Greens", to "Nourish Skin Naturally". Then later, "Grow Flowers for Cutting", "Preserve Fruit", "Keep a few Geese". I did e-mail the publisher to ask about this and was assured it was intentional: "We felt that this would make the book less didactic and much more fun." The more I flipped through the book, the more I agreed with that sentiment. I let my conventional book expectations go, and was able to enjoy the scattered tips. The layout also gives the reader a chance to look through more of the book instead of being constrained by the one section that seems most applicable. (There is a easy to navigate table of contents and index to find what you're looking for.)

I'm not much of a DIYer myself, and probably won't get to any of the more ambitious projects in the book, but having them all in one place in a very approachable, do-able guide is inspiring. While I might not go out and get a milking cow, I could definitely do my part to help wildlife survive in the winter, or use up a glut of tomatoes.

This book is a great introduction to those new to the green scene who are ready to take action in their lives and want to live in a more organic, sustainable way. It is not enviro-preachy, and really suggests ways for people to reconnect with the earth, one small step at a time.

A Slice of Organic Life, DK Publishing, 2007.