"A great guide for creating joy and building community through responsible parties and gatherings." This Tom Brady is a retired city recycling coordinator
"In my capacity as a librarian, I spend a fair amount of time pushing a metal cart through the stacks, a task that provides a unique perspective on the sheer volume of human endeavor committed to paper. My "to-be-read" cart is often a precarious tower of cookbooks, many of which appear to have been written by people who believe a "budget meal" involves a casual trip to a specialty boutique for organic saffron and a small loan from a venture capital firm. I’ve grown weary of these glossy volumes that regurgitate magazine trends with the enthusiasm of lukewarm porridge—advice that is, at best, tone-deaf to those of us who shop at the neighborhood market and worry about the rising cost of a decent head of lettuce.
Then there is Cheryl Leutjen. Having worked with Cheryl on library programs over the years, I can attest that she is the genuine article. When she asked me to contribute two recipes to her new book, Party On Purpose: Your Complete Guide to Eco-Chic Entertaining, I was honored, but I didn't expect to find myself sitting in my office grinning like a person who had just discovered an overlooked first edition in a donation bin. Leutjen is a geologist and an environmental attorney by trade, but she is a "professional eco-worrier" by temperament. In this book, she takes that anxiety and turns it into something deliciously subversive, suggesting that throwing a real, honest-to-goodness celebration is an act of revolution.
The book earns its place on the shelf by ditching high-society pretension in favor of a masterclass in "eco-chic" that actually works for people with jobs and mortgages. She balances rock-solid research with a sharp, snarky humor that keeps the reader from falling into the abyss of eco-despair. Leutjen manages a rare feat: providing clever, plant-based "edible hacks" and sophisticated décor that minimize waste, while extending her wisdom to the often-dreaded cleanup so the host isn't left in a state of post-party misery. It is a rare talent to be able to discuss compost bins and "Worst Art Gallery" party plans in the same breath without sounding like a scold.
As a librarian, I am trained to categorize, but I think I’ll bypass the Sustainability or Cooking sections and keep this in the part of my brain reserved for "Books That Make Me Feel Better About the Future." Woven through these party plans is the empathetic soul of an author who understands that while we are all fumbling toward a more conscientious life, joy remains our most vital renewable resource. Party On Purpose reminds us that while the fate of the planet is serious business, the revolution might just start with a really good playlist and a compost bin named "Guest of Honor."
5 out of 5 *****
"At a time when anxiety about the state of our world can feel paralyzing, Leutjen offers something radical: permission to have fun. She’s not suggesting escape. To her, fun is a means of living our values out loud. Gathering with intention, she argues, is one of the most powerful things we can do for our mental health and our planet.
As someone who has spent decades exploring how movement and mindfulness can lift us out of depression and back into life, I know that healing rarely happens in isolation. We need each other. Cheryl Leutjen's Party on Purpose makes that case beautifully and practically.
Party on Purpose reminds us that joy is not frivolous. It is essential. And community is not a luxury. It's medicine. Throwing a party with care and intention is both social and environmental activism as well as profound self-care. This book is a gift for anyone who needs permission to celebrate life, even (especially), now.”
"This book seems overdue. I’ve no doubt the author wrote it in as time-efficient a manner as possible, but where has this been? With the world falling apart (just talking ecology, not politics), I was never smart enough to ask the question “Is there anything joyful to be done or are we consigned to rage, rage against the dying of the light?”
Fortunately, Ms. Leutjen has a suggestion: let’s party! Let’s share joy and fellowship with our sometimes-drunken compatriots and do so in a way that supports our values and protects the Earth. She does a masterful job of helping the reader(s) focus on what matters most to them (e.g., plastic reduction) and using it as a basis for a party theme/concept. From here, we’re guided through recipes, games, playlists, everything except Cirque du Soleil performers (which were probably in there too, but this book lends itself well to skipping around, so I may have missed them).
I highly recommend. Buy one for yourself or a friend who’s known to love the Earth and throw good parties but may be starting to feel burnt out in the current climate (ecological or political). You won’t be sorry!"
"I was curious what Leutjen‘s third book was all about. Part “How to…” handbook, part collection of tested recipes, part explanation of eco-friendly and harmful practices and label deciphering, it turns out to be a genre-bender, written in Leutjen’s signature witty style. I found it to be a declaration of love and compassion - from understanding the human species’ need for joy and gathering to the passionate desire to protect all species and planet Earth herself."
"I don’t know about you, but I love a good party! What I don’t love is the trash overflowing the next day with red plastic cups, nasty plastic ware and styrofoam! I’m not sure the parties I throw are all that interesting. Mostly my parties have consisted of beer and gossip and, in a town as small as my town, we only talk about each other! So what’s an old party gal to do to make a party environmentally friendly and a whole lot of fun? Buy Party On Purpose, that’s what.
Cheryl Leutjen, environmental warrior and author of Love Earth Now and Madness on the Brink of Eco-Apocalypse has a new book that will not only tell you facts you might not know about sustainability in an age rife with disposables, but will also tell you how to do it in a party hearty style. This volume includes activities for children and adults that will take your occasion beyond an excuse to trade gossip and into the realm of art, nature, games, puzzles to get your party guests involved (possibly educated) and glad they came.
And no party book is complete without a nod to the feast. Cheryl covers this section by calling on friends and neighbors to contribute their best plant-based recipes for every celebration. They are all winners!
In Party On Purpose, Cheryl Leutjen does what she does best. Writing with unique style and good humor, she shares her clear vision for sustainable entertaining, showing us that you can be an eco-worrior and still throw a darn good party… without waste or gossip!”
Party on Purpose brings on the complete insight re: “how-to” throw a party in a sustainable way. The author leaves no stone unturned when it comes to hosting any kind of event (big or small) and gives so many ideas, tips, and tricks that I realized this book is something that an eco-conscious host needs to keep handy at all times.
Great info on the “how-to”, but my absolute favorite section was the “what kind of party to throw” ideas. Loved so many things about this book and learned so much re: composting, solar cooking, party themes, and recipes. This book was a gentle “eye-opener” re: our planet and how much we actually consume. Written in a gentle and funny way, this book points no fingers, but only points the way to helping our planet one party at a time."
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