Reduce,reuse,recycle'urgeenvironmentalists;inotherwords,domorewithlessinordertominimizedamage.ButasarchitectWilliamMcDonoughandchemistMichaelBraungartpointoutinthisprovocative,visionarybook,thisapproachonlyperpetuatestheone-way,'cradletograve'manufacturingmodel,datingtotheIndustrialRevolution,thatcreatessuchfantasticamountsofwasteandpollutioninthefirstplace.Whynotchallengethebeliefthathumanindustrymustdamagethenaturalworld?Infact,whynottakenatureitselfasourmodelformakingthings?Atreeproducesthousandsofblossomsinordertocreateanothertree,yetweconsideritsabundancenotwastefulbutsafe,beautifulandhighlyeffective.Wasteequalsfood.Guidedbythisprinciple,McDonoughandBraungartexplainhowproductscanbedesignedfromtheoutsetsothat,aftertheirusefullives,theywillprovidenourishmentforsomethingnew-continuallycirculatingaspureandviablematerialswithina'cradletocradle'model.Drawingontheirexperienceinredesigningeverythingfromcarpetingtocorporatecampuses,McDonoughandBraungartmakeanexcitingandviablecaseforputtingeco-effectivenessintopractice,andshowhowanyoneinvolvedinmakinganythingcanbegintodosoaswell.