I used to wish I could pick up just one book and read it from cover to cover before I’d think about reaching for the next. I recently came to terms with the fact that’s never going to happen. It’s simply my nature to read five (or six) at once. I love the library and, even though I’m 30-something, I still think it’s cool you can borrow books for free. When you think about it, no matter how low on cash one becomes, there’s always that big room with its wall-to-wall of inspiration and education. One’s never poor when there’s a library around!

So here’s a rundown on what’s lying around on my nightstand, coffee table, kitchen table and work desk right now…

Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment by David Kirby

Huffington Post contributor Kirby follows three families and communities whose lives are devastatingly changed by massive neighbouring animal farms. The factories confine thousands of animals in small spaces-intolerable conditions that also generate huge volumes of fecal and biological waste and toxins. The author is invited into the homes of the people whose lives are destroyed by these Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: a North Carolina fisherman takes on pig farms upstream to preserve his river, his family’s life and his home. A mother in a small Illinois town pushes back against an out-sized dairy farm, while a Washington State grandmother becomes an unlikely activist when her home is covered with soot and her water supply is compromised.

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

I like Gary Vaynerchuck. I like his energy and his philosophy. His marketing strategy is a simple one: to care. Care about your customers, your readers, with everyone you interact with online. He’s a master of social networking and is fueled by passion for what he does (namely wine and business development). No matter what your passion may be, Gary teaches you can make it your life’s (paid) work if you’ll put in the work. His infectious energy may not be to everyone’s liking, but the fact he’s a success from living his passion makes this one book worth checking out, especially if you want to live your passion too.

Look Great, Live Green: Choosing Bodycare Products that Are Safe for You, Safe for the Planet by Deborah Burnes

Self-confessed beauty junkie Deborah Burnes gets right down to the nitty gritty of what toxins are lurking in every day beauty products, shares secrets on how to look past the hype and recipes to make your own beauty products straight from your kitchen pantry (note: some ingredients aren’t vegan so I’d advise against those). I like this book for many reasons-the main one being Deborah has done all the dirty work for you. She also shares some great hints and tips on how to assess what products deliver the promises and those that are certain to toxify your body.

Eating For Beauty by David Wolfe

No matter what we put on our skin in the effort to make ourselves beautiful, it’s not going to do a thing if we’re not beautiful on the inside. In Eating for Beauty, raw food guru David Wolfe takes you through all of the amazing natural foods that work internal wonders-foods that have been known for thousands of years to promote inner beauty and good health. He also talks about the concept of beauty, where it came from and why it’s so important to us. If you’re interested in understanding how to achieve real beauty, this is a book to buy not borrow.

How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth Edited by John E. Wade II

This is a book authored by 101 most prestigious thinkers, writers, public figures and luminaries of our time. From Marianne Williamson to Barack Obama, each tackle the question of how to achieve heaven on earth. To quote Martin Luther King, Jr: “We must reaffirm our commitment to non-violence. He who hates does not know God, but he who loves has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.”

In Green Tea Living: A Japan-inspired guide to eco-friendly habits, health, and happiness, author Toshimi A. Kayaki shares timeless wisdom from her native Japanese culture through useful tips and anecdotes.

She recently shared a few with The Green Dove…

1 Create smoother, younger-looking skin with a green tea face pack. Grind up used green tea leaves into a powder, then mix with water and flour until it forms a paste. Wash your face, and then apply the pack for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and follow up with your favorite lotion.

2 Drink green tea to lose weight. Drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn up to 80 extra calories!

3 Use wet green tea leaves to clean your house. Green tea is not only an eco-friendly cleaning option, but will leave your rooms sparkling and smelling fresh! Squeeze most of the water out of wet tea leaves, and then place on dirty floors or dusty surfaces. Brush the leaves back and forth in small strokes, allowing the tea leaves to pick up dust and dirt. Sweep everything into a dustpan when finished.

4 Use vinegar for even the most heavy-duty cleaning! Vinegar will shine up sinks and counters, as well as kill bacteria. Scrub the slime out of your bathtub, disinfect cutting boards; even combine 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash your floors. Simple, cheap and most importantly, not harmful to the environment.

5 Mix your own vinegar conditioner for soft, shiny hair. In an empty plastic bottle combine 16 oz water, 4 tbsps white or rice vinegar, and 3 or 4 pieces of fresh rosemary or sage. Just as effective as expensive conditioner, but far more economical.

6 Make your sweaters look like new. Rub a sweater with the rough edge of a dry sponge to easily get rid of pilling fabric.

7 Repair dry or damaged skin with a soothing green tea bath. Steep one green tea bag in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pour the tea water into your bathwater. The vitamins and catechins in green tea will kill bacteria on your skin and smooth away imperfections, not to mention contribute to a relaxing bath!

8 Mix homemade sake lotion. This simple lotion and moisturizer only requires two ingredients and some time in the fridge. Mix 7 oz cold sake and 1-

Author and renowned spiritual teacher don Miguel Ruiz has collaborated with his son, don Jose Ruiz, on the sequel to The Four Agreements.

The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self Mastery expands on his last book with fresh insights and a powerful new agreement: Be skeptical, but learn to listen.

The fifth agreement uses doubt as a tool to discern the truth. Doubt takes us behind the words we hear to the underlying real message or intent. By being skeptical, we dont believe every message we hear, and when we dont put our faith in lies, we quickly move beyond emotional drama and the feeling of victimization, the book says.

According to the Ruizes, The Fifth Agreement prepares us to “return to our innate wisdom, and live our lives based on truth”. The truth leads to self-mastery, to a life thats very easy; believing in lies leads to needless conflict and human suffering.

“Many years ago, I began to teach the fifth agreement, but then I discovered that no one was ready to learn the advanced Toltec teachings that underlie this agreement. The Four Agreements were enough of a challenge at the time,” don Miguel Ruiz says.

“The fifth agreement is ultimately about seeing our whole reality through the eyes of truth. The result of practicing this agreement is the complete acceptance of ourselves just the way we are, and the complete acceptance of everybody else just the way they are. The reward is our eternal happiness,” says don Jose Ruiz.

The Five Agreements:

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DONT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you wont be the victim of needless suffering.

DONT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

BE SKEPTICAL, BUT LEARN TO LISTEN
Dont believe yourself or anybody else. Use the power of doubt to question everything you hear: Is it really the truth? Listen to the intent behind the words, and you will understand the real message.

The Fifth Agreement is available at bookstores everywhere. For more information check out miguelruiz.com.

Why its great: While The Looking Book is aimed at children, it’s also a great reminder for big kids too: take time to unplug yourself from your computer, television and iPod, and get back to nature. Take time for the simple stuff. Learn to breathe again and be at one with the world outside. With many children addicted to the modern technologies that fill our homes, this beautifully illustrated book (thanks to artist Patrice Barton) teaches there is a world of possibilities outside the front door. It just takes a little imagination to get Kenny and Mikey past the front step.

Whos reading it: Parents who want to show their children there’s more to playing than hooking up Nintendo or spending hours in front of a computer screen. The Looking Book is also a favorite among kids who love to explore and put their imagination into practice.

What youll learn: That it’s important to stop and smell the roses. That using your imagination may well be the key to helping your children use theirs.

Want to know more? Head to Amazon.com to order your copy or visit www.pkhallinan.com

Dr Michael Klapper, is a man who really knows his stuff when it comes to real nutrition – from food the body does and doesnt need to survive (and thrive). He believes strongly that proper nutrition and a balanced lifestyle are essential for health, rather than merely treating the symptoms when someone becomes ill.

Check out this video of Dr Klapper where he shares information, insights and the truth about foods we eat that are killing us. You can also find out more about him here.

One important word on soy, which Dr Klapper recommends in part six of this video. Be sure it’s fermented soy, as most soy products on the supermarket shelf aren’t good for you, stopping the body from absorbing nutrients. To get the lowdown on soy, check out this video on soy from Dr Mercola.

Can we predict the future? Can our thoughts and intentions affect the physical world? Can we be spontaneously “healed “from fatal illnesses? Do we have the power to read minds? Are we “energetically” connected? Is there a guiding force orchestrating the universe?

In a new award-winning documentary film, Something Unknown is Doing We Dont Know What… (Beyond Words), Dutch filmmaker RenĂ

Why its great: Traditional feng shui guides can be somewhat to downright confusing. Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life is not only a cinch to follow, it presents the ancient Chinese system of creating balance and chi (energy flow) with a sense of humor. It’s Rauch’s ability to bring on a giggle or two that makes this book not only practical, but also entertaining.

Whos reading it: Those who are feeling stuck at home or work, and can’t put their finger on why life just isn’t going the way they want it to. It’s also a favorite of those who have tried to understand the Feng Shui principles, but have been frustrated by more complicated guides.

What youll learn: How to simply map out your home or apartment to know your prosperity corner from your love and relationship corner. You’ll also become a Feng Shui expert on what objects should be placed where, what colors are no-nos for particular areas, as well as hundreds of other tips and tricks you’ll wish you knew years ago (such as close the toilet lid to stop the chi from going down the drain!). This is a guide that is sure to bring out the interior decorator in anyone, while making you feel comfortable with your space once and for all.

Want to know more? Head to Amazon.com to order your copy.

Why its great: Naturalnews.com founder Mike Adams lifts the lid on the lucrative breast cancer industry. It’s a shocking, tell-all report that reveals how conventional breast cancer detection and treatment programs are actually designed to ensnare women into a very harmful (but highly profitable) system of toxic treatments that will only cause permanent damage to her health. “It’s the report the industry would prefer to censor, because it contains startling truths about how the cancer industry actually feeds upon the continuation of this disease while censoring natural cancer prevention strategies that could halt 90 percent of all future cancers starting right now,” Adams says in the report that’s available online here.

Whos reading it: Women who are are looking for alternative treatments to health-destroying radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It’s also attracting attention of health care professionals who are turning to natural therapies, as they begin to understand chemical treatments are the real killers in the “cancer war”.

What youll learn: Mike Adams (The Health Ranger) says it best:

The top 18 causes of breast cancer that you can control or change;
How breast cancer provides billions in profits for drug companies;
Why the breast cancer industry isn’t looking for a real cure;
Which simple nutrient prevents 77% of ALL cancers;
The latest research on natural breast cancer prevention therapies that really work;
Names and web addresses of my top recommended anti-cancer herbs and supplements;
The real reason why cancer mortality is much higher in blacks than whites (and why you were never told the truth about this…);
The shocking truth about the miserable failure of over-hyped breast cancer drugs;
How chemotherapy causes permanent organ damage to cancer patients;
Why “pink products” are often just a marketing sham;
Why the cancer industry ultimately doesn’t want people to prevent cancer;
How certain cancer non-profits are actually front groups for Big Pharma;
How the cancer industry victimizes black women by keeping them ignorant of simple cancer prevention strategies;
The truth about deadly mammograms (and why mammography harms ten times as many women as it helps!);
The top 22 ways to prevent or even cure breast cancer;
Which anti-cancer foods work best to halt tumor growth;
How the male-dominated cancer industry exploits women for corporate profits;
Which breast cancer non-profit you can really trust!;
Which herb from the Amazon rainforest shows powerful anti-tumor activity;
Why your geographic location on the planet impacts your breast cancer risk (includes graphs);
Why running in circles to raise money for a “cancer cure” is a complete waste of time;
How top cancer non-profits have abandoned cancer prevention in favor of screening and “treatment”;

Want to know more? Head to www.naturalnews.com/Report_Breast_Cancer_Deception_0.html

Why its great: Author, humanitarian and philanthropist Julie Chrystyn’s fascination as to why some people are successful while others are not, has resulted in a book that challenges, inspires and enlightens. It is a must-have manual for anyone who wants to follow their heart’s desire. Heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping, inspirational chapters from the likes of Clarence Thomas, Larry King, Patch Adams, David Foster and Paula White, are sandwiched between chapters from Chrystyn herself who asks the question: “how often have we done the same thing over and over again while expecting different results?”.

Whos reading it: Of course Larry King is reading it (he also wrote the forward), but so too are those who know there’s more to life than riding a merry-go-round that keeps dumping them off in the same spot. From passion-driven parents to life-loving leaders, everyone who needs a reminder that success doesn’t come from following the crowd — rather listening to what’s in their heart.

What youll learn: Chrystyn writes: King Solomon was the wealthiest man who ever lived, even by today’s standards. He had a mantra: “Without a vision, the people perish.” Without a vision there can be no successes, no life. Do you have a dream? The Secret to Life Transformation will show you how to turn your dream into your vision, and your vision into a reality. Now.

Want to know more? Get your copy at Amazon to learn first hand how to really turn your dream into a reality.

Why its great: Rather than harping on about how our toxic household cleaning and beauty products are slowly killing us, Michael DeJong offers solutions that are right there in your kitchen. Using just five pure, natural ingredients-baking soda, lemon, olive oil, salt and white vinegar-he shows you how to wash, scrub and rinse with complete peace of mind, all while saving dollars and the environment. Not a bad deal, eh?

Whos reading it: Those who are discovering their allergies are directly caused by harsh chemicals that lurk in most mainstream cleaning and beauty products. It’s also a favorite of parents who want to give their littlies the most pure start to life, and of those who understand that what goes onto the skin gets absorbed into the body.

What youll learn: How to mix baking soda in varying amounts to use as a shampoo, facial scrub and foot scrub; why olive oil is a superb make-up remover and moisturizer; how lemon will get you salon-perfect streaks and why salt is great for scrubbing away dead skin on elbows and knees.

Want to know more? Head to www.zencleansing.com but not before disposing thoughtfully of all those hazardous products in your cupboards.