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Sustainable Living Audio Book – Learn From Looking – Preface: Part 2
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The author of Learn from Looking, Charlie Szoradi, has given us authorization to share the written content and drawings from his book with our readers. This is one of many segments that focuses on the overall theme of sustainable design and overall sustainable living.
Book Topic: Sustainable Living
Learn from Looking is about critical thinking and reaching a sustainable future more cost-effectively than ever imagined. The book's subtitle "How Observation Inspires Innovation" speaks to the core aspect of the content, given that the author, Charlie Szoradi, is an architect and inventor who has traveled extensively around the world over multiple decades and built businesses that range from energy saving lighting to indoor agriculture systems. Mr. Szoradi shares insights on "green" clean-technology that are increasingly key for sustainability, profitable businesses, healthy living, and raising intellectually curious children in a pre and post Covid-19 world. We give Learn from Looking five out of five green stars! Note that the audio book comes with the E-book for only $15 together. Click here to Order the Audio Book on Sustainable Living
Sample content from Learn from Looking:
The Multiple Audiences for This Book
General Market: Anyone who is intellectually curious and open-minded.
Tip for the readers: Start at the beginning, and see where this book takes you. Note that you may find information about topics that you never expected, ranging from high-speed bullet trains in Japan to making pickles on sunny windowsills in Hungarian villages. Some of the text includes technical details, specifically for readers such as design and energy professionals, so I hope that you just advance through those paragraphs or pages and continue onward through the book.
General Market—Subset Travelers: Anyone who has already traveled or plans to travel in the United States or overseas.
Tip for the readers: Start with part 2 in the table of contents to identify your geographic area of interest from North America to Asia. Then drill into the relevant chapter to gain perspective on what you have seen or what you may want to see in advance of your trip. The index also includes a deeper dive into the places, from New York to Tokyo, so that you can search more specifically and then navigate accordingly through the book. Safe travels!
Design Professionals: Architects, city planners, industrial designers, interior designers, and all others who help shape our world.
Tip for the readers: Start by reviewing part 2 with the extensive drawings, or use the index to find topics as broad as renewable energy or as granular as Pennsylvania bank barns that have passive geothermal advantages. As a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional (LEED AP), I welcome feedback from other architects, US Green Building Council members, and design professionals.
Real Estate Professionals: Building owners and managers, real estate investors, developers, and contractors from general to the specialty subcontractors.
Tip for the readers: Similar as for design professionals, start with part 2.
Energy and Sustainability Professionals: Sustainability directors, energy auditors, clean technology manufacturers and service providers in categories such as solar, wind, water, HVAC, lighting, and others.
Tip for the readers: Similar as for design and real estate professionals, but definitely look into parts 3 and 4 as well as part 2.
Students and Educators: Undergraduate and graduate architecture and other design, environmental studies, city planning, public policy, and sustainability, plus high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Tip for the readers: Read the whole book.
Parents of School-Age Children: Parents of any age, plus grandparents and other family members.
Tip for the readers: Start with the part 1 chapters “Powers of Observation” and “Critical Thinking” as well as the part 5 appendix sections “Fostering Critical Thinking at the Earliest Ages” and “Creativity for Children.”
Public Sector Officials: Leaders and their policy advisers who want to create more jobs—mayors, state legislators, US senators and representatives, governors, the president, and anyone who works for the government in a position of authority.
Tip for the readers: Start with part 1, chapter “Sustainability and Clean Tech for America,” part 3 “Key to US Economic Revival,” and part 4 “Local First.” You are most likely as busy as any of us, but if you take a few minutes to pause and read these few chapter sections en route to a meeting or vote, you will learn about cost-effective paths to create jobs and support sustainable economic revival.
Sharing Information
The mantra for sustainability in the 1970s centered on the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. “Reuse” is key when it comes to sharing. If you like what you read and see in this book, please pass it along for reuse by a family member, friend, or colleague. The intent of publishing this book was to share the information and inspire positive change. You can become a change agent just by passing it along.
Beyond the Book
Given that innovation never sleeps, I welcome feedback and insights from all types of readers with all types of experiences and mind-sets. I will share relevant content by posting it online at www.LearnFromLooking.com. The website will hopefully grow with some of the content from this book as the springboard. Together, we can collectively advance innovation, critical thinking, and sustainable design.
Dig In
Enjoy looking at this book, following the path through the chapters or skipping ahead in your journey. I hope that you will take away a sense of value in pausing and appreciate how looking closer inspires innovation.
