Recommended Reading: The Virtuous Consumer is a sound, informative local effort

I met for coffee recently with Leslie Garrett, local writer, mother of three and former long distance runner with the idea in mind we’d trade one another a copy of our most recent books, and all went well until she walked over to my favourite table at The Little Red Roaster and politely handed me The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World.

Crap, I thought, after realizing my book was still on the drop leaf table inside the front door of my house.

And because a person at an adjacent table had distracted me with a comment about my good looks, or something else, I forgot to pay for Leslie’s pot of tea.

Me bad times two.


Our conversation went very well, however, as we touched base about our writing, families, search for truth and happiness in the modern world, our sporadic short-distance running habit and 101 other things.

Later that day I read the first chapter of Leslie’s book while riding my exercise bike and concluded the following:

I’ll read more of the book though Ch. 1 addresses women’s concerns more than men’s.

The book’s format makes it easy for consumers to make wise choices on behalf of the environment when they shop.

There weren’t any cartoons, and I like a book with funny little cartoons, but that could just be me.

The next day I emailed Leslie to inform her she’d been quoted in the right margin of green bean things. Good quote too.

She gave me the phone number and address of a local organic farmer.

Hey, could be a good story there too.

Read another good story about an upcoming trip at Four Mugs]