Book Alert: A Householder's Guide to the Universe

It's not every day that a KGI member writes a book, so I want to take a moment to congratulate Harriet Fasenfest on her new work "A Householder's Guide to the Universe: A Calendar of Basics for the Home and Beyond" .

The book takes up the banner of progressive homemaking and urban farming as a way to confront the political, social, and environmental issues facing our world today. Offering grass-roots practical advice on how to shop, garden, run a household, preserve and cook food, and more, Harriet also discusses the philosophy of householding.

Streetwise and poetic, fierce and romantic, the book provides not only a way out of our current economic and environmental logjam but also a readable and often funny analysis of how we got there.  In A Householder’s Guide to the Universe, which is organized according to season and presented in monthly installments, Harriet invites us  into her home, garden, and kitchen to consider concrete tools for change.

I think we can all find some inspiration in Harriet's book but also in the story of her life which, like that of a compost pile, is a story of repurposing and rebirth.  At fifty-six, Harriet fled main street (and her restaurants) for the greener pastures of the backyard, where she teaches classes on householding. Born and raised in the Bronx, she currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

You can watch her book trailer below and buy the book here .