Building a Better World in your Backyard by Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop

Rebekah Harmon wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:I believe that if this book is read by 100 million people, several global problems will be solved.

This belief is predicated upon the assumption that, if someone reads the book and learns what to do.... that they will actually change their lives.

True, but Paul made it easier for them: the book is now on scribd .com, which millions have access to at no extra cost, plus his audiobook edition,

and even if people changed to rough service incandescent bulbs for instance, not a life changer, but less toxic for the lives of those who work in the light bulb factories, and for mother nature once the bulbs are dead,
Paul could tell his maker soon enough that he helped changed the planet.

It is easy to get discouraged, and I am not trying to criticize your remark, just trying to help you see the bright side 👻

Richard Gorny wrote:It would be very interesting to make a survey across readers community of this book. I mean a serious reseach. To see what impact it has on their thoughts and actions. I wonder if there is a good way to do so, to get statistically significant results. Here on permies our survey sample is skewed ...

So true: preaching to the choir 😂

However young people are impressionable and have time to provide research surveys -- and many teachers teach to change the world -- ask Jeshua/Jesus -- when I used to teach music to mass quantities of school children, I would sneak in stuff like Bob Dylan (yes I saw him perform in a field) , songs like Man in the Mirror, along with somewhat appropriate rap 😆for my pre teens , facilitate music composition to support what they were learning in current events for their social studies
And these days with social media, they will springboard an idea they love
Sometimes all they need is to know how just once and then the know how spreads

In Iqaluit there isn't a recycling system yet

Iqaluit's Caribrew recently started giving their spent hops away for remediation of ex military contaminated soil.

Cardboard is being land filled -- but I am on it.
Easy to start there, add in motivation for municipal composting later: baby steps.

So if you have a questionnaire you want answered,
I suggest a grade 3 reading level like many newspapers do

Make one for school children
With instructions for teachers on what to do with it
(makes me want to bring back the mainframe punch card reader)
And maybe Paul would make his ebook and audiobook available for free for schools/literacy programs?

I know children would participate if the resources are free for teachers!

you could get your answers about how effective his book could be in getting our future generation to make the grownups change now

Btw in Nunavut all 14 communities now have Internet access through qiniq but a high school teacher I spoke with in an outlying community told me his students have very limited English so picture clues (cartoon style) would be a plus to any questionnaire and that is why I specified a low reading level: Inuktituk is the first language but lessons are delivered in English.
The arctic is growing, but let's support our first peoples and their land as much as we can 😀

But there are other places in the US with intelligent citizens with poor academic skills
This is where audiobooks shine -- read the book along with listening to it with the speed slowed down: I can't thank Paul enough for having taken that step.

I'd give this book a solid 10 out of 10 stars!

"The Better World Book" by Paul Wheaton is like a friend sharing super useful ideas from podcasts and articles in one neat package. It talks about big problems we face, rates solutions, and suggests even better ones. The book is well-organized, has cool pictures, and links to discussions where you can learn more.

It starts with everyday issues like people causing trouble and pollution. Then, it suggests smart ways to deal with them, like making eco-friendly choices and changing how we eat.

What's cool is it gives practical solutions for your home and yard. Some can even soak up the carbon footprint of lots of people!

Overall, it's awesome because the ideas just make sense, and Paul's personality shines through. It's like a whirlwind of helpful info! 🌟📚

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns.

I purchased “Build a Better World in your Backyard” by Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop on September 6th, 2023 after I had just joined Permies.com. I honestly forget how I even stumbled upon the website but I had received a taste of a lot of the Permaculture work that had occurred and was occurring. Opening the book and gazing over the chapter titles, I felt like I had found the foundational knowledge that would help me create a jumping off point for my own projects and goals.

The book is a relaxed read with a moderate amount of details across a variety of subjects. I appreciate the included illustrations as many of them help clarify the subject being talked about, usually a main point or something that might be hard to convey only in words. With numerous subjects, the information is pretty clear and to the point yet retains the author's voice and personality. A unique thing with this book, and a good one at that, is if there is a subject that I want more information on then I can search the Permies forum and there tends to be expanded discussions that I can continue to learn from.

This is one of my favorite permaculture books that I have on my shelf. I would not hesitate to share it to those who have similar views because I think it helps kindle the flame of change. It allows me, as a person, to really start thinking about alternatives to what is the mainstream lifestyle in an effort to leave the land, flora, and fauna improved where I inhibit. I would like to thank the authors for this impressive work.

I have bought two cases of books from permies. The first case went to the Husband’s coworkers and our family and friends. The second case has been slower to give out. When I make a sale on eBay, I typically send a copy of the book with a note “free book with purchase”.

I try to keep a few copies in my vehicle since I started working at TSC. I scribble “permies.com” on lots of paper and urge customers to have a look.

I have been neglecting the email reminders for permies and got really far behind. After the new year I hope to purchase my third case of Better World books. Just keep plugging away at this. We will find the regular folks and infect them with permaculture!!!

PIE for you.  

It turns out that I needed to hear that this morning.

I especially like the part where it is a new year strategy.

Update.  Today was super busy at my store but I finally had the chance to give a young man a copy of both the Better World book and the SKIP book. I only know him as “that guy who always wears cool shirts” and he was very happy to receive them.

Infecting more minds with permaculture!

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

I've read the book “Build a Better World in Your Backyard” by Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop a couple of times now. It's become my absolute favorite way to show others so many simple yet profoundly impactful solutions in a manner that's both friendly and easy to grasp.

I believe this book is the ultimate way to spark interest in people about moving away from a doom and gloom mindset towards a cycle of positive actions. Being confronted with actionable steps one can take is incredibly empowering. It not only motivates further research into a myriad of topics that are both intriguing and directly applicable but also instigates a deeper curiosity that will inevitably end in permaculture. I also really admire how the authors manage to shift the narrative from sacrifice to luxury, demonstrating how changing our understanding of our relationship with nature and each other can lead to a lifestyle that’s not just more sustainable but genuinely better in every conceivable way for our lives.

I recommend this book to anyone who's into ecology, gardening, or permaculture. Or frankly, to anyone interested in making a tangible difference in the world through achievable actions.

Have you seen these books? This is awesome!

A Growing Interest: How Three More Books Left My Collection

The benefactor enabled a freaky-cheap deal for two dozen Better World Books, which I picked up as many months ago.
I gave away a few to friends and family, but they seemed uninterested. "I don't read much" "I have 10 books in my queue"
I brought a few to work where they garnered more dust than attention.
I asked a coworker outright, who outright refused saying "nah...I wouldn't read it"

I felt defeated. I put them in a drawer.

I met someone a little more like me. I waited a while though.
I casually brought it up and he seemed interested; I finally gave away another.

I needed something out of that drawer last week. And the dust rag was right there. Joel liked the book so...
I put them on my desk.
But there they sat, another week, another layer of dust.

Then something sparked and I thought my few dozen cuttings were all snatched up in a single day when I put them by the elevators
I realized visibility is a driving factor.

I put out 2 on Monday, but nothing happened... Until observation kicked in



From that moment on, I would push the books back into an orientation I could remember (corners touching).
While people looked, it was only a few times and the books ended up back on the table.
There's interest but also confusion?
How are two random books on the random "common" chest of drawers in an office confusing... Okay fair

As I was walking out the door I adorned each with a hastily scribbled READ ME! :) on a sticky note.
Visibility alone doesn't cut it, add a call to action oh and don't forget to be nice :)



Tuesday I managed to remember to get a picture, and payed more attention.
Way more movement. Virtually every time I would walk by, which was like once an hour because I am a well hydrated plant, they had been moved...

Wednesday, I caught someone red handed.
"Have you seen these books? This is awesome!"
"Yeah I put them there :)" that felt like a scene out of a movie

We had a rapid fire back and forth exchange for a few minutes, where we started talking about getting land, prices, difficulty therein...
"So this is one of three books Paul wrote..." and I quickly explained SKIP
"My wife and I were just talking about [the idea: what happens if Otis doesn't have family] last night!"

So not only did he walk away with a copy of BWB, he now has my last SKIP book too. for those keeping track with the title, our official count is now up 2 books given away
I guess I'll have to make do with the ebook for now.


I was heading out for a walk right then and by the time I got back, the second book was gone. count++


Yesterday I put out some more, I'll report back

Hey everybody! I’m on a bucket list trip with my mother. We just docked in Juneau, AK. Mother mentioned to a crew member that she has many birds on her 20 acre property.

That led to me telling the crew member about permies.com. I wrote it on my “business card”.  She was delighted to know that there is a website with all this information. I told her to look up the book.

I guess next cruise I need to bring a dozen books…

I just ordered another case of 64 books.

My supply of books to sell or give away on my eBay store is just about depleted. For the record, no one has bought the book through my store. However, I add the Better World book in the package with any orders I mail out.

When I “only” (usually) used Priority Mail, there was no additional charge for me to add free items to the order. Priority Mail covers up to 70 pounds domestically and up to 50 pounds internationally.

Ground Advantage came out and it goes by weight like “regular” First Class mail. Once I add the size of the package, differences in weight under two pounds seems to cause little change in the price I am charged for the mailing label. So, I still try to send books. Added bonus is it makes a great protector inside the package to keep the ordered book safe from the package manglers!

Now that I will have a renewed supply, I will carry more books in my vehicle that I commute to work.

Permaculture for the win!

I picked up a dozen BWB books when we were at Wheaton Labs in late September.  Somewhere along the way (possibly Paul mentioned it aloud while we were there) I knew that co-author Shawn was Canadian.  What I didn't realize until I got to the about the authors at the back is that he's from Winkler, MB.  Our acreage is about halfway between our home and Winkler.

On our drive home, we spent the night in Swift Current, SK and She Who Must Be Obeyed started reading one.  It was amusing ow she noted that as she read she could hear it in Paul's voice, albeit perhaps a bit more refined or less coarse.  

I finished reading a copy a while back.  While I was familiar with much of the content, there's always something new to pick up or new ways to look at things.  Having seen many of the projects at Wheaton Labs also helped with some of the descriptions.

I did share a book with a friend a while ago...I have another couple folks in mind that I think would be interested.  This morning I finally put a few into a string bag to go on our dog walk.  

This morning both books were gone from the Little Red Library!