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"I'm NOT a church-person. I AM a tree-hugger."

Customer Rating:

"I'm NOT a church-person. I AM a tree-hugger." This is how I prefaced my rebuttal to another attendee's comments at a recent resident lunch at our hospital where Dr. Sleeth was the guest speaker. It was at this lunch that I acquired a copy of Dr. J. Matthew Sleeth's book Serve God Save the Planet. Given the fact that I am not a Christian and am generally put off by religious arguments as to why I should (or should not) behave in a certain way I found myself drawn into this little book with it's concrete examples of personal change and growing awareness of the implications of our daily choices - in matters as mundane as choice of toilet paper. Although, to be fair, perhaps I was biased by the reference to one of my own personal bibles (The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn) on page 86. Regardless of how one comes the decision - whether it be through a faith-based idea of stewardship (as presented by Dr. Sleeth) or via other value systems that include an abhorrence of "wastefulness" - I think that we, as citizens of the most prosperous (and wasteful) country in the world need to stop and consider how our, individual and joint, actions impact the fellow denizens of our planet today and the inheritors of our depleted earth, future generations. When one of the other attendees at the lecture asked Dr. Sleeth "What kind of car to you drive?" I flinched...NOT because I wasn't curious. But because then I couldn't ask my own pet question - for fear of turning the event into an "I'm-greener-than-you" bragging contest. Thankfully MY question was answered for me on page 18 and I could settle down and listen to what Dr. Sleeth had to contribute to the on-going conversation of what it means to be a responsible steward toward this bountiful, but bruised, globe we call home. I can't really evaluate the "religious" arguments for stewardship presented in this work - perhaps someone who shares Dr. Sleeth's beliefs will find them compelling (if you require a "reason" to do the right thing, then please feel free to use his - I have my own). I did find the "What YOU can do" aspect to be very enjoyable, practical, and possible. While I don't agree with ALL of the choices Dr. Sleeth presents/has made (in particular some issues surrounding health care), overall I would recommend this book to "church-persons" AND/OR "tree-huggers" - or to anyone who is interested in the concept of (religious or secular) stewardship. DISCLAIMER I did not pay Dr. Sleeth directly for the book I acquired at his lecture -upon reading this book and appreciating its value I did make a contribution in Dr. Sleeth's name to a charitable organization that I felt we both could endorse. This review also posted on LibraryThing.

Four and a half stars, really.

Customer Rating:

Dr. Sleeth's book is packed with hard-hitting, well written points designed to educate readers and then encourage them to action. Many of the issues Sleeth discusses sting because there's some deep truths found in them. Although I loved this book, the best I can bring myself to give it is 4 and a half stars because I felt like the book drifted from it's central theme at times. I've recommend this book to many people already, and I warn potential readers to check the book out from the library or there could be guilt associated with the purchase due to some of those stinging truths.

one of the best books i've read in a while	Customer Rating:
a great easy to read book about everyday ways to be a good steward of the environment

My Green Journey

Customer Rating:

I sometimes listen to podcasts at work and on one particular day I was listening to the Mars Hill Church podcast, where Rob Bell turned the pulpit over to Matthew Sleeth. Matthew Sleeth is an environmentalist. A CHRISTIAN environmentalist. Not only that, but he's sane, well spoken and educated (sorry, I'm a bit . . . pessimistic about Christians in general). After listening to his 3 or 4 podcasts, I felt strongly convicted of living a selfish life. I had the American attitude of convenience, disposibility and entitlement. Why should I have thought about the actions of my life negatively impacting someone else's life? I should do `whatever makes me happy' (which I now believe is absolutely bull****). I bought Sleeth's book, Serve God, Save the Planet. It sounds ridiculous, but this book helped to change my heart and the way I was living my life. Sleeth's approach to this issue is not one of gloom and doom. He gently brings to light issues and consequences that you may not have considered in your life and suggests why that behavior may need to be changed. He also competently reveals the spiritual side of living a life that protects the planet; he called my attention to many actions I was participating in that would ultimately affect the `least of these' (Matthew 25:35-40). Ultimately, I believe that it is important to live a sustainable life because the way you live affects other people (whether you choose to acknowledge it or not), and most often it affects those that don't have the financial ability to take care of themselves. I don't believe that a selfish life is a fulfilling life. The definition of sustainability is meeting the needs of today's generation without compromising the needs of the generations of the future. In other words, caring about people, even if they are future people. If you believe Christ, then you have been called to live a life that loves others the way you love yourself. I believe that you can show people love by showing the planet love and in an age that is disillusioned with the Christ followers of the world (and rightly so), love can still speak above those preconceptions. I know there is a lot of gloom and doom out there (especially about the destruction of our environment), and often I feel crippled by the lack of care/motivation and the depth of depravity that exists in our world today. But I believe that by living with less, living with concern and love I can begin to show love to people in a way that is tangible and real, which is the way I believe I should live my life.

Look Elsewhere

Customer Rating:

This was a disappointing book. Save your money and look carefully for another one. While this book was easy to read, and touched upon some salient and important environmental points, the author's self-example is held up too prominently in the book. No thanks Mr. Sleeth - we don't need to mimic your lifestyle. Rather than explore issues of policy and new alternative energies, Sleeth declines to retrograde and anti-modern views that can scarcely be the basis of a modern economy. Some of the conversation is sober and serious - other parts just plain silly. Conservation is good, but so is exploring cleaner alternate energy policies and technologies, something completely neglected in this book. To hold up personal example and to turn a blind eye to political policies and economic powers is really to retreat from the modern world rather than to address it. Sleeth's book could (and should) have been reduced to an article in recommending ways to conserve one's energy usage. As it stands his relevant points become submerged in backwards thinking and personal sugary piety that is just not a comprehensive response to the climate problem. Finally - this book is not academically footnoted, so Sleeth has submerged is sources. Just look elsewhere.