The Good Life Lab

“This rollicking, inspiring tale of Tremayne’s journey from being the creative director of N.Y.C. marketing firm Green Galactic to being a Burning Man volunteer, yoga teacher, Sufi seeker, and hardscrabble DIY urban homesteader in a former trailer park in the eccentric community of Truth or Consequences, N. Mex., is alternately funny, tender, philosophical, and practical. … Illustrated with whimsically florid drawings by a variety of artists and interspersed with essential how-tos for living “life in the waste stream”—from fermenting tempeh and brewing mead, to building a papercrete dome and removing rust from wrenches with electrolysis—the memoir riffs off Scott and Helen Nearing’s 1954 Living the Good Life with much more style and humor than the original, bringing the back-to-the-land genre up to date with impressive sophistication and appeal.”

"Stop whatever you’re doing and get this book. I’ve just finished reading it and I have to say that Wendy and Mikey could easily be the poster children for modern day hacking. ...There wasn’t a single piece of their lives that wasn’t somehow improved by their efforts to play an active role in their own living. … Their life is their workbench. … should be handed out in high schools as part of the curriculum.” —Book Page

“Captivating right from the start … Whether for inspiration or as a road map to creating your own off-the-grid homestead, Tremayne’s book is a must read for any maker who fantasizes about stepping off the consumer-centered treadmill and into a life that is connected to nature, unhurried and meaningful.” —Los Angeles Review of Books

“Visionary naturalist and conceptual artist Wendy Jehanara Tremayne presents a unique synthesis of memoir, travelogue, guru-level spiritual wisdom and pragmatic instruction on how to get out of the ‘waste stream’ in which urbanites wallow and re-enter the vital stream of the natural world.” —Book & Game Company, Walla Walla, WA

“Tremayne is part of a grand American tradition of abandoning urban commercialism to grow food and build houses far from the crush of city life. … There are many roads to satisfaction, from homesteading to buying a ticket into space, and the advice underlying [The Good Life Lab] ultimately has less to do with composting and more to do with deciding what you are willing to sacrifice to live as you choose.” —The Guardian

“Part essay, part how-to book, The Good Life Lab is for anyone who wants to live closer to the source of their food, housing, clothing and energy use.  If you want inspiring examples of do-it-yourself creativity then read this book.  From building with recycled materials headed for the land fill, to making biodiesel and more, this one is sure to spark ideas for your own hands-on living.  A refreshing read from a couple who is leading by example.” —Rachael Ray Blog

Named a Best Staycation Summer Read: “If you want to reset your psychological clock and improve your lifestyle while staying in the same place, then The Good Life Lab is the book for you.” —DIY Network blog

“Have you ever felt so fed up with the materialism of the modern world that you wanted to opt out and go back to a simpler way of living? That’s exactly what Tremayne and her boyfriend ended up doing, in an effort to get in touch with what’s important in life." —Nautilus Awards

“Shares a wealth of information to inspire people who may want to embark on their own path of discovery. “ —Nautilus Book Awards - Books for a Better World