To the Editor

As usual, read my copy of Bon Appetit cover to cover when it arrived yesterday. But I couldn't let this one slide--

To the Editor:

As a book publishing professional, I was flummoxed by your breezy suggestion in February's issue to "save a tree" by checking Michael Pollan's new book out from the library or buying a used copy online. At best, your idea is ill-conceived -- there is hardly (yet) a "sustainable" business model to encourage future publication and dissemination of important concepts like Pollan's if no one buys new books. At worst, your statement is hypocritical, coming from a magazine publisher who is a prime consumer of paper and likely pulps thousands of unsold copies of its own issues annually. Among your "50 Easy Ways to Eat Green" I did not see a suggestion to "share a friend's" Bon Appetit or read your content online-only.

As paper-free publishing is not (yet) a fully profitable reality, let's agree that our respective industries should broaden their support of sustainable methods for producing books and magazines -- using recycled material where possible, doing business with paper companies who rely on renewable forestry methods, and continuing to explore new technologies.

Also, I would encourage readers to "buy local" by supporting their community bookstores.

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