Joyreading

Two books you may be interested in for the summer.

First, friend of the League, Mia Birk, former Bicycle Coordinator for Portland, Oregon, and now CEO of Alta Planning and Design, has published a book, Joyride: Pedaling towards a healthier planet. The book tells the story of her career trying to integrate bicycling into daily life. Hear it from her:

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Second, Lester Brown has included a chapter on bicycling in his new book PLan B 4.0. Here’s an adapted excerpt:

Few methods of reducing carbon emissions are as effective as substituting a bicycle for a car on short trips. A bicycle is a marvel of engineering efficiency, one where an investment in 22 pounds of metal and rubber boosts the efficiency of individual mobility by a factor of three. On my bike I estimate that I get easily 7 miles per potato. An automobile, which requires at least a ton of material to transport one person, is extraordinarily inefficient by comparison.

The bicycle is not only a flexible means of transportation; it is ideal in restoring a balance between caloric intake and expenditure. Regular exercise of the sort provided by cycling to work reduces cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis, and it strengthens the immune system.