Guest post from our Twitter friend Hannah Giles

Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale is a deceptively thin book, chock full of imperative information about not only the environment, but more importantly, public health. Her perspective is far-reaching; her grandfather, J.I. Rodale, was one of the first advocates of modern organic agriculture, so it is no surprise that Rodale has written such a thorough book on what “going organic” really means.

When many people think about what the “organic” label means, it usually doesn’t drum up enthusiasm. Let’s be honest: it’s expensive, it looks the same, and sometimes even tastes the same! However, it differs in multiple ways from “conventional” food, and Rodale offers up nearly two-hundred pages of empirical evidence to explain how. In my opinion, it is one of the most important books you will ever read in the entirety of your existence.

What’s so important about this book? It answers tough questions with indisputable facts and science. Before reading Organic Manifesto, my family was trying to transition to organic food. I liked the quality and had read it was better for the environment. But with each page, I realized that I was not acquainted with my food in the sense that I had never seen where it came from, what it had been through, what it had been treated with, or the soil in which it grew. I had never seen how my food was affecting those farming it, those eating it, and the earth it was farmed on.

In the book, Maria Rodale says, “If you do just one thing — make one conscious choice — that can change the world, go organic.” I’m saying if you read just one book in 2012, make it Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale. I promise (scout’s honor!) that you will not walk away feeling guilty. You will walk away feeling informed and encouraged.

What do you think about organic food? Have any book recommendations that focus on this topic?

*Note* The above blog post is a guest blog from our Twitter friend Hannah. This content does not necessarily reflect the views of Better World Books (as our lawyers make sure we say). We love having guest bloggers and invite you to email 11@betterworldbooks.com if you are interested in covering a book or topic on the BWB Blog. Thank you, Hannah!