Cradle to Cradle

McDonough and Braungart grab the readers attention right away in the beginning by getting them to think about the ecosystem with the worlds use of paper, particularly through the printing of books. They give three different types of books one on regular parchment, another on recycled paper, and the third on a recyclable polymer. They explain how the first two can be harmful to the environment and that that the book of the future can be used over and over again. This new book is what we can put into our everyday lives to make our world a cleaner world to live in.

The authors, I believe, use a ton of reason in their writing when talking about how we can design buildings to be more Eco-friendly as well as working-friendly. The answer is not build smaller as the case seems to be with a lot of environmentally friendly products now-a-days but to be smart when building. Windows that don't open, sunlight roofs, cooling the building at night with outside air, all of these are ways they explained to build a more efficient building. They tell the reader that if the world would be more like the cherry tree or the ant that the world today wouldn't be in as bad of shape. The two use everything they have instead of wasting what they don't have. What they do have is always biodegradable and even more importantly good for the earth and helps out another species whether it be a plant or animal. This comparison really opened my eyes and me on my heels about the way I live.

The authors finish up the chapter with some emotion that really wasn't present throughout the reading. They give the reader hope for a self-sufficient world by presenting ideas that are clearly stated and understandable rather than hammering home that fact that if we don't change we are doomed. This factor I believe through personal experience turns me away from the whole reading.

The biggest and most interesting way they present their credibility is through the example they gave when they helped Herman Miller design the new building for his factory. With only a 10% increase in pay from the old building they were able to create a building that was not only environmentally sound but also very attractive to the workers. So attractive that they received younger employment who were getting paid more at the old jobs just to work in a more luxurious environment. This story allowed me to put my trust in the authors and gave me inspiration to read on to see just exactly what these two men had to say.