Linda Mason Hunter became interested in environmental issues related to the home after reading an Environmental Protection Agency report on indoor air pollution and its effect on health. A result of her research is "The Healthy Home: An Attic-to-Basement Guide to Toxin-Free Living," just published by Rodale Press ($21.95).

"It's a tough subject to deal with," she explained, "because you don't want to scare folks. But the home is a place where people can take control."

Among Ms. Hunter's subjects, which she approaches with a positive tone, are indoor air quality, hazardous household products and how to buy a piece of furniture that does not cause back problems. The book, a sort of "Whole Earth Catalog" for the home also has tips on soundproofing, safety, detecting carcinogens and an appendix of products and services.

The 42-year-old author lives in Des Moines in a "four-square," a cube-shaped house prevalent in the Midwest. She recently renovated it, putting in French doors and skylights to bring in more light. A lot of what is "healthy" in houses, she says, are the things human beings veer toward instinctively, like "bathing a room in breezes and natural light."

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