So here is my Ultimate reading list for those of us who are rethinking the city. Rethinking the city doesn’t mean that I want to move to the country away from the city. I simply means that I am rethinking about the way that I live in an urban area and interact with my community. I want to make the city a more sustainable, green and lovely place to live. So here are some reads that really inspired me!
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver- www.animalvegetablemiracle.com
This book really is what inspired me to put in my own garden last year. It is an adventure that the authors family took to try to eat only foods that were local or that they grew and put away themselves for an entire year! There are great ideas and recipes but also eye-opening information about how our food is grown and made. It is totally inspired me to eat as local as possible and learn more about where my food comes from.
2. Farming as a Spiritual Discipline by Ragan Sutterfield-available from Englewood Church in Indianapolis http://www.englewoodreview.org/
This book is based on a series of talks given at Englewood church. This book is small and an easy read, but is very challenging. Not only did it talk about living within God’s economy and kingdom it also gives a unique perspective that many of us have forgotten. Great read-if you live locally get a copy or borrow mine!
3. A Slice of Organic Life by Alice Waters
This book covers a variety of suggestions for making your life more organic, green and sustainable. Majority of these things need a larger space that I currently have. However, there several great ideas for things that anyone can do even if they live in a small apartment with no green space. I plan on starting to make my own butter and using some of the recipes for preserving.
4. Anything by Wendell Berry
I love just about anything written by Wendell from his poems to his thoughts on farming and technology. He has a great collection of farm related essays called Bringing It To The Table: On Farming and Food. I also love his collection of poems called Leavings.
