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Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage

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GONE TOMORROW explores all these facets and more.
An important book for anyone who cares about our environment
We just think its gone because we don't see it...
10 star must read Fun as well as informative information
Reuse and Recycle, but Rethink

Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage
Heather Rogers
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash
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Sociology: The Core

ASIN: 1595581200

Book Description

A sobering exploration of our high-octane trash output that was named an Editor's Choice by the New York Times and a nonfiction choice by The Guardian.

Eat a take-out meal, buy a pair of shoes, or read a newspaper, and you're soon faced with a bewildering amount of garbage. The United States is the planet's number-one producer of trash. Each American throws out 4.5 pounds daily. But garbage is also a global problem; the Pacific Ocean is today six times more abundant with plastic waste than zooplankton. How did we end up with this much rubbish, and where does it all go? Journalist and filmmaker Heather Rogers answers these questions by taking readers on a grisly, oddly fascinating tour through the underworld of garbage.

Said to "read like a thriller" (Library Journal), Gone Tomorrow excavates the history of rubbish handling from the 1800s to the present, pinpointing the roots of today's waste-addicted society. With a "lively authorial voice" (New York Press), Rogers draws connections between modern industrial production, consumer culture, and our throwaway lifestyle. She also investigates controversial topics like the politics of recycling and the export of trash to poor countries, while offering a potent argument for change. 10 b/w photographs.

Customer Reviews:

GONE TOMORROW explores all these facets and more........2007-01-07

The U.S. is the top producer of garbage on the planet, generating 30% of the world's trash and throwing out 1600 pounds per American per year - but what happens to garbage after it's in the trash? GONE TOMORROW: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF GARBAGE focuses on the answers to this question, providing journalist Heather Rogers' history of rubbish handling from the 1800s to modern times and reviewing the politics and social issues revolving around trash management policies. Technological transformations affected the nature and quantity of household garbage, postwar innovations handled more volume, and industry changes changed the nature and motivation of cartels handling garbage: GONE TOMORROW explores all these facets and more.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

An important book for anyone who cares about our environment.......2006-08-17

This book has had a profound effect on my growing enlightenment about sustainability. Heather Rogers traces the history of waste disposal, from the days when everything was used and re-used (and then scavenged and used again), to the dawn of mass production and organized waste disposal, where there is little if any economic incentive to minimize manufacturing waste. She argues convincingly that our consumerist economy is literally built on trash. If you think global warming and altered ocean chemistry are legitimate threats to our childrens' futures, then you should add this book to your must-read list.

We just think its gone because we don't see it..........2006-08-16

In my archaeology class we learned about the importance of the village midden, or garbage pile, in determining the culture and practices of the people inhabiting that village. On that basis, future archaeologists are going to have a heyday trying to figure out our current civilization.

Gone Tomorrow, the Hidden Life of Garbage by Heather Rogers is fascinating and depressing at the same time. There are fascinating tidbits such as the idea that garbage is a relatively recent invention, that less than 300 years ago it would have been unthinkable to consign so much of our production to the trash heap so soon after it is produced. Before mass production and mass marketing, items were produced to be repaired and reused again and again and slogans such as "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" were common. There wasn't anything to throw away as even scraps of cloth became part of a quilt or rug.

There are horrifying descriptions of garbage dumps such as Rikers Island:

"The rats became so numerous and so large that the department imported dogs in an effort to eliminate the rats... there were more than one hundred dogs on the island, dogs which were never fed by authorities but lived solely on these rats."

"Gases... were constantly exploding, erupting through the soil covering and busting into flames. ... When a hot spell would come along in the summer, the ground resembled a sea of small volcanoes, all breathing smoke and flames."

Another disturbing idea brought out by Rogers is that the trucks that pick up your garbage and your recyclables may be dumping them into the same landfill because recycling often just isn't economically sustainable. But it's politically impossible to cut back the appearance of recycling.

There are also some distractions in the book as when the author claims the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign was modeled after a later series of clean-up efforts by Ladybird Johnson. I'm not sure how you model something after something that comes later.

The book definitely has a pro-environment, anti-business, distrust of government bias to it. In spite of that, it is an interesting and enlightening book.

10 star must read Fun as well as informative information.......2006-06-02

Every now and then a book or two comes along that makes me want to get on the phone to friends or email friends to tell them they must read the book. This happened this past week when Gone Tomorrow the Hidden Life of Garbage by Heather Rogers arrived at my cottage.

We are a homeschooling family who as a project spent a year looking at what we buy and why and what happens to what we put out for recycling and refuge pick up, as well as what gets flushed or composted. So this book became part of our curriculum. In less than three months our water usage dropped 60%, and the garbage can went from being overflowing to being placed out once a month and then with very little in it. Am now considering cancelling the service when the contract is up. And going in with three other neighbors and combining what little we all have and sharing the cost.

Recently someone asked me why we don't put our recycling bins out or rarely put the garbage container out and we had to explain that just because we have them doesn't mean we have to fill them and put them out every week. And this is where the book is so on target when talking about how there is a downsize to the whole recycling area. It is one of those things that came about because of good intentions, but hasn't helped stop people from actually buying stuff. Also in target is how the author says that often the recyclable get dumped in with the regular trash pick up because there is no local market for the items. This is what we discovered one morning when we saw the garbage truck picking up the recycling bins and garbage at the same time, not separately. Even more so now that gas prices have gone up and garbage companies cant raise prices so they dump everything at once. So we simply save the glass and what aluminum items we have and make a run to the real recycling center where we also make some extra money.

Much like I did as a kid when I would eagerly walk the roads on the island we lived on in summer to gather up the cans and bottles the tourists left behind, to turn in for money.

The author also does a great job in explaining how packaging of products is overdone, but also done because we live in a highly suit happy society. So having that extra foil safety cap on a bottle of pills, or secure bag around the lettuce raise the cost of items as well as add to landfills. Around here Styrofoam has to be put out with regular garbage not with recyclables. Same with those pesky popcorn packing things.

On page 207 the author writes about an area in Oakland, California where the Batcave garden sits. While it may not be for everyone there is enough helpful can do information from this group that most Americans could adopt that would cut down drastically on what they buy and then what they discard. Heck most Americans would do better with less lawn to cut and more vegetables being planted that could save on food costs as well on garbage since edibles are compostable.

The author provides so much information on the big business that garbage is and how the costs get passed on to us in ways we often do not see. From increased food prices, to hidden fees for getting rid of items.

Was especially pleased to see on page 210 the group Freecycle mentioned, since I belong to my local Freecycle group and love the attitude that rather than dump something why not see if there is someone locally who can use the item. To find a group near you go to their internet site which is Freecycle.org

Also loved seeing where Berkeley's Urban One was mentioned. They have a license to glean items from the city's dump that are useable, and then the items are taken to Eco Park where they are sold, for a profit. There is a similar place in Sonora east of Angles Camp that I go to that does the same thing. Some areas have twice yearly pick ups where you can set anything from furniture to appliances out for pick up. We visit these areas and gather items that we can use or give to others in need. Its a shame that Americans are so obese in so many ways, and throw out such useable items.

So I recommend this book for anyone who wants a mature education on garbage and what we can and should do to reduce the amount we produce. Its not good enough to simply preach a use and recycle mantra.

Reuse and Recycle, but Rethink.......2006-05-30

This book came after the documentary by the same name (same writer), but it is not intended to be a companion piece. This work is self explanatory, and it packs quite a punch without lots of scenes of waste.

The author goes into some detail about the history of garbage and how the science of waste management came into being. In doing so, she discusses the economics involved and explains how waste is a fairly new phenomenon, as prior generations reused waste or repaired broken things. The author quotes Karl Marx a lot, and readers may be turned off as we equate him with communism. However, the comments cited here seem to hit squarely on the mark.

She also discusses the politics and lobbying involved in dealing with waste. Without a doubt, we are a wasteful culture. Everything is designed to be thrown out and replaced. As a result, we are slowly wasting our resources and burying ourselves (and third-world countries) in our trash. This is the part of the book that hits the strongest.

I would highly recommend reading this book. It draws attention to our need to start paying attention to what we are doing. Maybe we do need to rethink the way we do things.

Average customer rating:

HER CHAPTER TITLES ARE KIND OF "PUNNY"
not as bad as it was made out to be
9th Bill Slider a little dull, but Joanna & Sue resolved !
This is a Weak Book in the Series!
Don't Bother

Gone Tomorrow: A Bill Slider Mystery
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Bill Slider Omnibus

ASIN: 0312300468

Book Description

"All around, for miles and miles in every direction, in streets and shops and houses, real life was going on, oblivious; but here a dead man sat, the full stop at the end of his own sentence, with a little still pocket of attention focused fiercely and minutely on him. Why him? And why here? Slider felt the questions attaching themselves to him like shackles, chaining him to this scene, to a well-known process of effort, worry and responsibility."

Detective Inspector Bill Slider returns in another thrilling mystery from the prolific pen of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles.

In the heart of Shepherd's Bush, London-Slider's patch-a groundskeeper discovers a well-dressed man seated on a children's swing. Problem is, the man is dead, a single, perfect stab-wound to the heart. Even more mysteriously, someone has clearly rummaged through the man's pockets-but left behind over a thousand pounds in cash.

Initial investigations confront a wall of silence, but this only fuels Slider and his team's determination to solve the case before it gets taken off their hands and they face failure on their own doorstep. The task is made no easier by Slider's qualms over his long-distance romance, or by Detective Superintendent Fred "The Syrup" Porson's mysterious absence from work for the first time in as long as Slider remembers.

As Slider unearths the victim's sordid lifestyle of debts, drugs, and dodgy deals, the trail leads the police through London's neighborhoods, from the seedy pubs of Shepherd's Bush through the brothels of Notting Hill to the mansions of Holland Park. As they probe deeper the body count rises and Slider suspects the machinations of a crime baron who will stop at nothing to keep his identity hidden.

Customer Reviews:

HER CHAPTER TITLES ARE KIND OF "PUNNY".......2004-12-08

The base plot of __ GONE TOMORROW __ is almost generic. A group of dedicated policemen (and women) have multiple murders to solve. At first there seem to be no clues and no motives for the killings. There are no witnesses to anything, at least no witnesses who are willing to talk to the police. Anyone who might know anything seems to be frightened almost "out of his or her wits." As is often the case in Police Fiction, the higher-ups who are politically motivated but who have no actual experience in investigative work, are putting pressure on our hard working heroes to solve the murders yesterday for publicity purposes.

This, then, is the background for this latest Bill Slider mystery. Into the plot mentioned above are thrown the first murder victim, who is discovered, stabbed, sitting upright on a children's swing in a park, without any identification; a couple of later murder victims; Detective Inspector Slider, and his domestic problems; Detective Atherton, and his domestic problems; Slider's boss whose wife has just died; and an assortment of witnesseses, victims, and good and bad guys, who sometimes are not so good or not so bad; and, oh yes, an oddball witness or two such as a blind man and his retarded adult son.

What I think that Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (the author) does so well is to show how a group of police investigators, working as a team, and following up each lead, no matter how minor, doing repetitive, fatiguing legwork, can make a case out of seeming bits and pieces of nothing. She also makes almost all of her main characters come to life, and gives them lives and problems of their own, outside of the main plot.

I was also fascinated by the sense of humor she showed in her chapter titles, each one a masterful pun. Following are a few of my favorites:

"Opening the Male"

"The Eyes Have It"

"From Err to Paternity"

"Bra-Tangled Spanner"

And, my personal absolute favorite: "Bet Your Bottom Deux Lards"

To find out how well each of these and ten or so more chapter titles fit into the content of their respective chapters, I guess that you'll just have to read __ GONE TOMORROW __ yourself.

not as bad as it was made out to be.......2004-06-23

This is my first bill slider mystery. Without having been prejudiced by other bill slider books, I enjoyed this one immensely. I agree that the ending is a bit rushed and can be improved upon. However, the dialogues are lively and witty; the characters are well-developed. (For a mystery, that is. After all, this is not supposed to be a "character piece.") What I found most amazing was how Ms. Harrod-Eagles can bring a character alive in a few paragraphs by a description of his mannerisms and his speech. I would definitely recommend this book for someone who has not read her other bill slider books.

9th Bill Slider a little dull, but Joanna & Sue resolved !.......2003-09-20

We've had to wait close to four years for the latest (Brit) Detective Inspector Bill Slider since "Blood Sinister", so we were delighted to get hold of this hardback and catch up on Slider and love-interest and roommate Joanna; his sidekick Atherton (and his new love interest, Joanna's friend Sue); and the gang at Shepherd's Bush PD. The plot gets going in a hurry as a dead body is discovered in a park; and we're off and running despite a paucity of clues in this entertaining police procedural. It takes an awfully long time and another body or two to head the good guys to the right solution, so the reading gets a little logy at times. Meanwhile, we learn Joanna did take the orchestra job over on the continent, so her live-in relationship with Bill is pretty cold -- phone calls and an occasional visit or two per month is causing its own share of frustrations for our ever so gentle leading man.

Harrod-Eagles is a lovely writer who gets us inside the heads and hearts of our favorite characters. While they busily solve crimes, the leading characters become our friends and companions, and their relationships and affairs matter to us. Their skills at solving murders and other crimes are impressive, and generally the plots satisfy. This one is probably a tad weaker than some other entries in the series, but we do finally find out the status of Joanna and Bill, and Sue and Atherton. In all honesty, this novel will probably appeal to the author's faithful fan club; but read standalone without the previous eight as background, it would probably generate only lukewarm enthusiasm among the average reader. Hopefully now that some of the love-life stuff is resolved, maybe the zip will be back in the tenth entry to be released mid-year 2004. New readers might well just wait.

This is a Weak Book in the Series!.......2003-06-27

I love Ms. Harrod-Eagles' Bill Slider. He is one of my favourite Police Detectives out there right now. He's smart, funny and has a droll sense of humour, and he's a genuinely nice guy. But I was disappointed with this book. It was somewhat disjointed and had a loose plot. The reader figures out who the bad guy is practically right away and it's a matter of reading to find out how they manage to get him. And even there we are thwarted because the ending is rushed and we don't actually get the satisfaction of seeing the bad guy nailed with the evidence. Ms. Harrod-Eagles' dry wit and her puns are still excellent though, and I will continue to read this series.

Don't Bother.......2003-06-09

This is the eight Bill Slider mystery that I have read. I have enjoyed all previous seven books, but this one I found utterly confusing and worse, utterly boring. I found myself not only starting to skim the pages, but actually flipping pages. There were too many characters to keep track of, let alone care about. Harrod-Eagles fared better with her series characters: Slider, Joanna, Atherton, and Sue. They had some relationship issues that were interesting, but since this is a mystery book, I would expect the mystery part to be better than the relationship part.
Only die hard Slider fans should read this one.

Average customer rating:

An account worth more than the imaginary deposit
Hurriedly but not badly put together. Editing is poor.

Bre-X: Gold Today, Gone Tomorrow
James Whyte Vivian Danielson
Manufacturer: Northern Miner Pr Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Bre-X Fraud

ASIN: 1552570037

Customer Reviews:

An account worth more than the imaginary deposit.......2002-04-27

This book is a well-researched, coherent and logical account of a gold-mining scam that literally rocked the foundations of the mineral exploration industry in the mid to late 1990s, and caught up in its maw the spectrum of individuals who make their living from exploring for, bankrolling, analyzing, developing and producing gold. It is above all a tale of how previously honorable people succumbed to the twin temptations of outright greed or wishful thinking.

I have some technical qualifications to assess the value of the book. I was an ore reserve geologist at a large gold mine in northern Nevada from 1988 thru 1997 responsible, during the last 5 of those years, for posting and interpreting thousands of assays to rectified, controlled cross-sections in a large open pit (approx 3 mi x 1 mi by 1900' deep in ultimate design). My work required constructing hundreds of orthogonal N-S and E-W sections in a commercial mine-modeling software program, and these sections were checked against plan maps over a 1900' vertical interval represented by 95 invidual benches of 20' height.

In early 1997, when Bre-X started making its assays from Busang (the deposit location in Indonesia) available on its web site, I took a look at them and reached conclusions similar to those of Merks, a Dutch statistician quoted in the book. Namely, the assay runs were inconsistent with any conceivable pattern of gold mineralization I had ever seen in 2,000 drill holes in a very productive gold environment.

At our mine, which was large, well-endowed with widespread sediment-hosted disseminated gold and occasional 'nugget' effects in fractures, the striking thing about the gold occurrence was how much barren rock can exist in a well-mineralized system. I had looked at literally thousands of down-hole assays, and knew that a huge deposit is possible even in the midst of much waste. Therefore, the extensive runs of mineralization at Busang appeared spurious or exaggerated on its face, and the occurrence in the same location of both low-grade and high-grade streaks was completely contrary to the behavior of gold we had seen in both host shales soaked in gold-bearing solutions, and in the occasional fracture-controlled settings in the same locality.
I came in the next day to the office and said flatly that, although I didn't know what was at Busang, if anything, the assays being reported were garbage and not to be believed.

The scam - which was achieved by implementing rigorously systematic but surreptitious salting of samples at a field preparation site - fell apart in early 1997 when other players interested in acquiring the assets, including members of the ruling Indonesian family and major mining companies, began to demand confirmation of the reported results, and could not obtain any.

The only winners in the story were the thousands of stockholders and speculators who rode Bre-X stock up and sold out before its peak; the losers were all the serious long-term investors, and a huge number of people in the exploration & mining industry who saw their collectively hard-won reputation for probity flushed down the toilet.

Hurriedly but not badly put together. Editing is poor........1998-11-26

Other than the obvious exculpation of the authors and their Northern Miner for having been taken in as much as anyone, the book should be required reading for those involved in exploration and financing. Northern Miner also contributed as much as anyone to spreading the hype on Bre-X stock, and many small investors who relied on the newspaper as an accurate and reliable source of information not otherwise available to them got badly hurt. So the authors themselves are not free of blame. The deep involvement of industry leaders - Barrick Gold, Placer Dome and FreeportMcMoran - in the self-servingly and intensely publicized bidding wars for control of Bre-X and the Busang property is inexcusable. Their respective CEO's and Boards should have known better. The damage of the Bre-X fraud and all those even peripherally involved in it to the mining industry, particularly to the independants in the exploration end of the business is incalculable. So the "jury remains out." If from only the standpoint of having an unfolding story in one place, the book is a very good and worthwhile read.

Average customer rating:

Disgusting, cruel, unfunny book

Gone Tomorrow (High Risk Books)
Gary Indiana
Manufacturer: Serpent's Tail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

a novel, "amazingly perverse, savagely amusing"

Customer Reviews:

Disgusting, cruel, unfunny book.......2000-01-27

I guess the author thought his subjects were funny--disabled people, sick people, people dying. If so, he's the only one. I finished the book only to see if it could get even worse, the writing so sloppy, the characters tinny, and the situations entirely cruel in their exaggeration. I couldn't find one single insight into gay life (or any life) that makes this book worth keeping, and I didn't.

HARE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW (Jessica James Mystery, Book 3)

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HARE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW (Jessica James Mystery, Book 3)
Meg O'Brien
Manufacturer: Crimeline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Release Date: 1991-04-01

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Gone Today, Here Tomorrow: A Memoir
Randall Neece
Manufacturer: Alyson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Randy Neece had it all: a successful job in Hollywood and a life partner in Joe Timko. But then tragedy struck when, in the mid-1980s, he was diagnosed with AIDS. With the total support of his partner, Randy somehow survived, and now tells his story with remarkable, unflinching honesty, inspiring readers to embrace their lives and their loves.

Randall Neece has produced and directed television shows on CBS and NBC and for syndication. His documentaries and educational programs have been honored with more than twenty national and international awards. He and Joe now run Canyon View Ranch for Dogs in Malibu.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Gon Series ; No 3)

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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Gon Series ; No 3)
Masashi Tanaka
Manufacturer: Dc Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Recollections of an Errant Politician

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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Recollections of an Errant Politician
John Nott
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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POSSIBLE TOMORROWS: The Dead Past; Something Strange; Unit; Gone Fishing; Big Ancestor

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POSSIBLE TOMORROWS: The Dead Past; Something Strange; Unit; Gone Fishing; Big Ancestor
Groff (editor) (Isaac Asimov; Kingsley Amis; J. T. McIntosh; James H. Schmitz; F. L. Wallace) Conklin
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0340178493

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Lends itself to discussion about unique differences and similarities
"...Funny, sweet and intelligently written..."
A True Delight!
Funny and Warm
Touching and Funny

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Lisa Dunn-dern
Manufacturer: Llumina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1932560718

Book Description

Every Saturday when her mommy goes to the beauty salon to get her hair done, a little girl finds unusual ways to help her "follically challenged" (i.e., bald) daddy get a new hairdo, too.

Customer Reviews:

Lends itself to discussion about unique differences and similarities.......2006-04-13

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (4/06)

Saturday rituals provide a change from the rush to go to work or to get to school. The young narrator of "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" loves Saturdays. Her daddy makes pancakes in the morning and their family eats together. Then her mommy leaves for her weekend hair appointment. Every week while mommy is gone, exciting things happen at home as the little girl sets up her own salon to do Daddy's hair. Since he is partially bald, they have to stretch their creativity. When the play dough comes out, the hairstyles vary in color and outrageous styles. Daddy is a good sport! Just as they wonder how Mommy's hair will look each week when she comes home, Mommy wonders how Daddy will look, too.

Dunn-Dern's picture book provides a wonderful glimpse into the simple pleasures of nurturing a child's creativity. The book shows a strong father-daughter bond, love and the power and stability of family rituals. Virgo Evans's illustrations capture the whimsy and the playfulness of Saturday with this family.

I found Dunn-Dern's natural treatment of an interracial family most appealing. While the topic is trendy she made it a basic part of the book. The narrator doesn't see anything out of the ordinary about her family and doesn't call unnecessary attention to skin color. Yet, the book and the illustrations lend itself to discussion about the differences that make us all unique and the similarities that makes us so alike.

"...Funny, sweet and intelligently written...".......2005-05-22

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow - Review

" Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow by Lisa Dunn-Dern is perfect for children aged four to eight. Large pages, big print and colorful, detailed images absorb young children's attention and spark imaginations.

Funny, sweet and intelligently written, with some light humor adults can enjoy as well, the book represents society as it really is - loving, interracial families and equality between sexes. Lisa accomplished this without lecturing but by showing a naturally happy family experiencing a special day. While Mommy goes to the salon, the little girl spends the time bonding with the father playing an imagination game of salon, but there's a catch - Daddy's nearly bald!"

ISBN#: 1932560718
Author: Lisa Dunn-Dern
Publisher: Llumina Press

~ Lillian Brummet - (...)

A True Delight!.......2005-05-04

Stories about interracial families are a very much in vogue today, and this friendly picture book is truly a welcome addition to the growing body of publications pertaining to the topic.

Author Lisa Dunn-Dern`s adorable first book, Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, is what you term in French, "un vrai délice." (a true delight).
Dunn-Dern was a staff writer on the Fox Television series "ROC." She has also directed several large-scale children's theater productions.

The very young endearing narrator in the story provides readers with a brief glimpse into her life on Saturday mornings, when her mommy is off to her weekly hair salon ritual.
Written in simple, yet sufficiently descriptive and sensitive language, the author effectively captures the creative imagination of a small child, who figures out how to give her father new hair- styles, while mommy is at the hair salon. This is quite a challenge, as the father is partially bald!
The child also speculates what her mommy will look like when she returns home- "Will she have short curls or long braids or a fluffy ponytail?"

Illustrator Virgo Evans` vibrant and playful illustrations, successfully captures the story's setting of this interracial family, as they deal with just one of their dissimilarities- their distinct hair- styles.
Moreover, the buoyant images are in perfect sync with the narrative, with their believable expressive faces and gestures. Their warm tones and cartoon style will definitely spur on identification with the story's family and their distinct hairdos.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, is an enchanting rendered book, and yes, there is a moral to this warm children's story that is delightfully delivered with a great deal of insightfulness and originality. It certainly will appeal to young picture book readers.

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures.com

Funny and Warm.......2005-02-28

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow is a warm and loving story about a little girl, her father and time well spent in a creative yet very special way. It reminds us to make rituals fun and special with the children in our lives. My 4 year old says, "read it again mommy", over and over again.

Touching and Funny.......2005-02-25

An adorable feel-good story that you will love as much as your little ones. It is a touching glimpse into the life of a new millenium family with old fashioned values. I loved it.

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