Book Reviews, Environmentalism

Reviewing Go Gently, an intro to eco-conscious living 

When I first started learning more about the world of sustainability and environmentalism, I was immediately inundated with YouTube videos and blog posts about best eco-friendly products to buy or the same “how to live a more sustainable life” tips. But that wasn’t what I was interested in. What I really needed was a way to identify what I can do to make a difference in my own life, to my community and to the planet, as well as learn about the history of the movement and the people leading the way today. 

But during that search on YouTube, I happened to stumble across the Go Gently YouTube channel, where I learned about this book and was able to see some of the information from it played out in real life. After a few of the episodes, I ordered the book to see if this was the information I was looking for. 

What is Go Gently: Actionable Steps to Nurture Yourself and the Planet?

Before we get into the review, let’s talk about what this book actually is for some context. Go Gently is a tips-filled guide that helps “eco-curious” people identify ways they can implement simple, tangible steps to their own lives to live a more eco-friendly life. The goal is to identify ways to look at what we consume and the waste we create while introducing readers to avenues to make environmental change. 

The book is broken into four different sections: Go Learn, Go Make, Go Enjoy, Go Beyond. Each section highlights ways you can “gently” go about making changes to your daily life. Overall, this is a book meant to introduce you to the world of sustainability while encouraging you to keep learning and to find ways to be part of the community around you. 

My Thoughts on the Book

As stated above, Go Gently is framed as an introduction into this movement through achievable steps and it very much delivers on that. I enjoy that this book is broken into those different sections because it helped me get fully invested in the section I was reading and thinking a bit more broadly about that specific category and how it applied to my life. 

The four sections are well put together with helpful guides you can easily implement into your own life to be more thoughtful about things you buy and how you take care of things already in your home, it also inspires you to be more involved in the community. I appreciated that she takes time to highlight different systems that we all use regularly but don’t necessarily know how they work (i.e., recycling and composting). 

Another fun aspect of the book is that in each section, there are exercises and recipes/tutorials that you can follow. While I may not use the exact table that she put in the book to audit how much plastic you bring into your house, that idea she recommended did inspire me to at least be way more mindful of what I’m bringing into my home and what I already have. It also encouraged me to try things that I thought were not in my wheelhouse, like mending clothes. It is a simple thing, but after reading the book and watching her YouTube videos, I thought it was time to finally give it a try. 

Throughout the book, Bonnie includes snippets from various activists who have different backgrounds and expertise than her own. Though they don’t go into too much detail, I like that she introduces you to some new people you may not have otherwise come across. This can open you up to new perspectives or opportunities within the movement you weren’t aware of, so it was a nice touch to the book. 

Overall Takeaway

If you’re well on your way to living a sustainable lifestyle, this book may be a bit too elementary for you, but if you’re completely new or even newish, it may be a good option for you. There are recipes and tutorials in here as well, which can serve as a good stepping stone to bigger projects once you’re feeling a bit more confident.