Your Natural Home: The Complete Sourcebook and Design Manual for Creating a Healthy, Beutiful and Environmentally Sensitive House by Janet Marinelli & Paul Bierman-Lytle, Little, Brown and Co., New York, N.Y., 1995. Softcover, 256pp.

    Your Natural Home is both an encyclopedia, and a yellow pages, full of worthwhile information about all sorts of environmentally sensitive building products. The book is an excellent sourcebook for everyone from architects to homeowners, interested in products and methods aimed at conserving energy and helping save the environment.

    The book is divided into three sections. The first, "What’s Wrong With Our House", discusses the inefficient and unhealthy manner in which Americans build and inhabit their homes. Did you know, for example, that the average American home is filled with petrochemical products emitting volatile organic compounds, including latex paints and synthetic carpeting. Gas stoves, fireplaces, and boilers all release carbon monoxide, the most significant "greenhouse" gas and the leading contributor to global warming. In addition, fungi, molds, mildews, pollen, and other allergens collect on wall to wall carpeting.

    The second section, "Building, Remodeling, and Decorating with Environmental Materials", discusses specific case studies on different environmentally friendly construction projects and living situations. These case studies range in scope from a simple environmental renovation to an extremely large "Twenty First Century Home", complete with indoor wetlands and a sewage treatment system that filters sewage to be used as irrigation for gardens.

    The third section, a "Compendium Of Environmental Home Building, Decorating, and Maintenance Materials", makes up the bulk of the book. This section discusses structure, HVAC, interior surfaces, furnishings, and appliances and fixtures. These sections are then broken down again into building materials or systems. There is then a brief summary of health and environmental concerns about the product, a listing of conventional and alternative an a listing of suppliers.

    Your Natural Home offers an insightful look at both environmentally friendly construction and healthy living. The book is a valuable tool for anyone interested in creating a healthy, beautiful, and environmentally sensitive house.