I have added Green Building Products: The GreenSpec Guide to Residential Building Materials, written by Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn, to my library of sustainable design resources. This book caught my eye for a number of reasons:
1. Residential focus
2. Insight into the GreenSpec method outlined in introduction
3. Organization of a lot of product information in a single volume under 400 pages
4. reasonable price under $40
Sarah Susanka probably overstates it a bit in the forward when she describes the difficulty of identifying green products and companies, and says, “This book is the guide.” The book however, is a guide and good start.
The authors do a nice job of mapping out the GreenSpec criteria used for evaluating green products. The material is organized according to building systems, as expected in a spec, so navigating through the pages to a desired subject area is easy. They have also done a nice job of providing an introduction to each chapter that offers general insight into the issues and principles critical to the topic. Ultimately, they have done a nice job offering uniting general overviews with specific product information.
How will I use this guide? It seems like a great first source in scoping out a product or assembly type. The short chapter lessons pointing to critical points provide a nice review or reminder of the issues, sometimes bringing new information to the discussion. The product descriptions offer a nice overview and help direct the search for the ideal choice. This book will be the first step of my product search and inform the effort as it expands to other resources. I expect it make me a more informed evaluator and consumer of green building materials.
