What a delight this book is! I’ve begun a practice in the past few months of reading a little before getting out of bed in the morning, and this was the first book I finished in that manner. And each of those mornings started with fresh, bright optimism. I found myself convinced that all the problems in the world are just design problems. I’ve been increasingly annoyed with this narrative that people are bad, everything we do is harmful, the earth is dying, and we should all reduce, be less, hold our breaths and prepare for the collapse of civilization. The authors design buildings and products that leave the world better. Not just nontoxic, but regenerative, healing. They talk about thinking of resources in terms of „nutrient cycles“. So, instead of „how do we reduce or reuse this toxic product?“ the question becomes „how do we design products so their components are endlessly recaptured and the manufacturing process cleans the water and air?“ An example that’s very easy to understand: they took those fleece jackets that are made of recycled plastic and redesigned the zippers and snaps so that at the end of the jacket’s useful life it can be raw material once again. Instead of reusing the plastic once, they created an endless cycle. The authors have set up a certification program for products that meet their standards, and they provide services for companies who want to meet the standard. For example, they maintain a list of fabrics that furniture makers can use to create nontoxic products that produce no pollution in the manufacturing process. Another world is possible, we just have to design it.