Review of David Bach's Go Green, Live Rich

A Capitalististic Guide to Adopting Environmental Habits

Dec 23, 2008

For David Bach, Earth Day is every day. He practices what he preaches, and his practical suggestions for simultaneously saving money while saving the Earth make sense.

In April, 1972, a Time magazine editorial called "Rescuing Rivers" said, "Blame environmentalism for the fact that federal agencies can no longer get things done in the old, unquestioned way." Almost 40 years later, David Bach takes a different approach. He wants people to appreciate environmentalism, because getting things done the new way has hidden benefits, which he explains in Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying, which he wrote with environmental reporter Hillary Rosner.

Assessing the Financial Impact of Going Green

Most arguments about increasing environmental awareness do not include discussions about money. There is a perception that mixing capitalism and conservationism is literally like mixing oil and water, and there is no middle ground. David Bach proves how flimsy that argument is, because his previous books (The Automatic Millionaire, Smart Couples Finish Rich, Start Late, Finish Rich) are all financial guidebooks. With Go Green, Live Rich, he has created a another financial guidebook, and he shows how making ecologically sound choices is also financially sound.

One of the most important lessons in Go Green, Live Rich relates to the collective messages shoppers send. "Your spending choices shape the world we live in," Bach reminds us, saying that consumer habits determine "the quality of your life." Green choices can be reflected by greenbacks.

How Environmentalism Can Help Save Money in a Tough Economy

When Go Green, Live Rich was released in April, 2008, the economy was showing signs of strain, but the term "bail out" was not used in the nightly news. Some of Bach's suggestions may take on even more significance during hard times.

Taking the tone of a friendly, tree-hugging economics professor, Bach discusses the environmental and the financial impact of different behaviors. He then provides "action steps" for Earth-friendly choices, then he lists annotated resources to help the whole process go more smoothly. Go Green, Live Rich has a textbook feel, which makes learning from the book seem easy and familiar.

There is nothing preachy about Bach's style. He seems as amazed by the impact that his changes have had on his life as the reader. He says, in his simple style, "you can do better, and so can I." He is motivated by improved heath and his firm belief that, today and in the future, "going green is the most important issue" the citizens of the world face.

Throughout the book it is tempting to stop and get started on his ideas. Reading with an open laptop makes the book even more useful. For example, the reader can go to some of the calculator websites and measure one's carbon footprint, and then get on with the rest of the chapter. Later in the book, Bach gives instructions on how to make computers more energy-efficient. By following even one of the fifty ideas in Go Green, Live Rich, the book will pay for itself.

Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying (ISBN: 076792973X) is written by financial columnist David Bach, with journalist Hillary Rosner. It was published by Broadway in April, 2008.

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