Home & Garden Books

Book SynopsisThis latest volume in the Workshop Practice Series presents a general overview of the grinding, lapping, honing and polishing of metal, as well as the materials used to make grinding wheels, belts and papers. The uses of various machines and grinding mediums are described, including the off-hand grinder, modern miniature hand drill/grinders and toolpost grinders. There are also instructions for making a small barrelling machine and other suitable devices.Table of ContentsIntroduction and safety Abrasive materials Principles of grinding Off-hand grinders Surface grinders Cylinder & centreless grinding Gear grinding Belt and disc sanders Barrelling Tool post grinders Honing Polishing

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Book SynopsisWhen Harold Hall was Editor of Model Engineer's Workshop magazine, he was surprised by how just so many of his readers had no access to a workshop at home, or even at college. This book presents a complete guide to building or converting a workshop space and then equipping it to serve a wide range of metalworking activities including model engineering, model making, car restoration and clockmaking. It explains all the essential requirements of the workshop environment: planning, heating and lighting, condensation plus health and safety factors. It then explains in detail the choice of various tools and equipment for differing tasks so the new workshop owner can avoid making unwise purchases. The book is based on a very popular series of articles which originally appeared in the pages of Model Engineers' Workshop magazine, and which have been revised for publication in this edition.Table of ContentsPurpose and Possibilities of the Workshop. The Workshop. Fittings. Planning. Hand Tools. Precision Tools. Shop-Made Tools. Electrics and Electronics. Machine Installation. Safety Equipment. The Lathe. Lathe Accessories. Drilling Machine and Accessories. Milling Machine. Milling Machine Accessories. Grinders. Motorised Saws. Presses. Sheet Metal Machines. Welders and Shapers. Final Comments.

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Book SynopsisProvides tips on fashion, beauty, style and confidence for girls and boys, straight and gay - and everyone in between. This book contains insights into makeup, clothing choices and the illusion of drag. It includes four colour photos and words of wisdom from the contestants on Season One of RuPaul's Drag Race.Trade Review"A glorious book from one of my all time favorite icons of glamour! I can't get enough of RuPaul's humorous wit, fabulous advice, positive words of wisdom, and the encouraging messages he offers to people like me who dare to be different!" -- DITA VON TEESE "This book is required reading, because nobody does it better than RuPaul - a queen amongst men! Life, love and liberty - RuPaul really gets it." -- JACKIE COLLINS "RuPaul drags out the inner QUEEN in us all!" -- TORI SPELLING "RuPaul is the spiritual leader of the transcontinental fashion elite. A life-coach and a beacon of stylish authority, RuPaul is also a fashion visionary and a treasure-trove of life-saving, brow-plucking, finger-licking life-style tips, and one of the funniest broads on the block." -- SIMON DOONAN, Creative Director Barneys New York and author of Eccentric Glamour "Ru embodies the true idea that you can create your own success on your own terms and remain completely authentic to who you really are. You better work!" -- VANESSA WILLIAMS "If she says it AND it's in print, it must be true!" -- DEBBIE HARRY

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Book SynopsisA highly practical guide that shows readers how to create a tailor-made mid-century modern home one room at a time.Trade Review'An absolute dream for real interior enthusiasts' - Daisy Butter'Fabulous' - fionacumberpatch.com

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Book SynopsisA practical course in vegetable growing, by the master of no-dig gardening.Trade ReviewThis book is essential reading to gardeners of all abilities. The advice given is honest, truthful and fresh without trying to impress its readers and that is what makes this book so impressive. It is the best all round garden book I have read in years and worth every penny of the cover price. This is definitely no ordinary run of the mill book and should be on every gardener's bookshelf even if you have to beg, steal or borrow it.Offers clearly explained, prectical information on what every gardener wants to know: how to tend your plot with minimal effort and achieve abundant, healthy harvests.Sharpen-up your veg-growing skills with this new guide. I visited Charles' garden some four years ago when he held his annual open day. It turned into a life changing afternoon out. The rotavator was sold and we have never dug since. Our vegetable patch now provides us with virtually all our vegetable needs, is totally organic and looks a picture too. Thank you Charles.I don't think I've ever previously sat down and read a book on vegetable growing from cover to cover, but this one had me hooked. It is a model of clarity.Want to know about vegetables and no-dig gardening? Look no further: Charles Dowding is your guru. Packed with information and first hand experience.A wonderful book, to devour at a reading and to keep on hand for constant reference and enjoyment.Sharpen-up your veg-growing skills with this new guide.'A must for the time stretched.' Bunny GuinnessCharles Dowding is my hero: his no-dig approach to growing has saved me hours of back-breaking work and improved my techniques no end. His tried and tested advice has been proven from years of successful veg production and it's easy to see from the health and vitality of his plants that htis approach really works.A book for all growers, who will find easier, more productive ways to grow vegetables all the year round within.Offers clearly explained, prectical information on what every gardener wants to know: how to tend your plot with minimal effort and achieve abundant, healthy harvests.This book is essential reading to gardeners of all abilities. The advice given is honest, truthful and fresh without trying to impress its readers and that is what makes this book so impressive. It is the best all round garden book I have read in years and worth every penny of the cover price. This is definitely no ordinary run of the mill book and should be on every gardener's bookshelf even if you have to beg, steal or borrow it.

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Book SynopsisThis book defines and describes the ancient craft of bonsai. The techniques of this precise art form are clearly described, and provides a stunning and fully comprehensive reference that is ideal for the beginner as well as the more experienced bonsai artist.

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Book SynopsisEver think of making your own beauty products, handmade, high performance, healthy alternatives to just about every chemical laden product you currently put on your face and body? It''s easier than you think! In Make It Up author Marie Rayma shares the recipes she has developed through years of trial, error, and testing to come up with the very best. This is real makeup and skincare: bright lipsticks, quality mineral powders, long-wearing eyeliners, and masks and cleansers that yield results. Rayma walks you through natural ingredients available online or at health food stores. These awesome oils, butters, clays, and minerals will replace the petroleum products, artificial colours, and lab-created mystery fragrances that have untold effects on our bodies. Products can be tailored for individual needs,from swapping out ingredients not suitable for sensitive skin to whipping up the perfect colours suited for any complexion. With easy-to-follow instruction, Make It Up provides more than 40 essential cosmetics and skin care projects so you can make just what you want, when you need it.

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Book SynopsisA collection of clockwork motorcycles from Europe, Japan, and America.

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Book SynopsisAmerica sees the cowboys of yesteryear as native heroes. Cowboys were seen to represent American character and to stand for freedom in rugged big sky lands. Cowboys were tough, self-reliant, courageous, modest, and only turned to violence when absolutely necessary. With a reputation like that, it is no wonder that since the very first reel was created, the Western has been the single most popular movie genre. In this comprehensive guide, readers will find over 2000 Western movie starsâ photos and signatures from the 1920s to the 1970s. Also included are values for all those signed images and every star presented is identified. Among the cowboy heroes and heroines covered are the stars of the 1920s silent Westerns, the âœAâ and âœBâ movie stars of the 1930s through the 1960s, singing cowboys, sidekicks, heavies, Indians, women, veteran actors, supporting actors, and, of course, John Wayne. Enjoy this nostalgic ride through American cinema history.

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Book SynopsisTrace the evolution ofautomatic Morse code devicesfrom the early 1800s to today through this informative text and over1,100 photos. Beginning with an overview of telegraphy and early key history, fifteensections explore the equipment usedto sendmessages over long distances. Featured arecode readers, oscillators, Morse trainers, electronic keyers,single- and dual-lever paddles,portable paddles, automatic mechanical keys, accessories, andmore. Eachdevice is presented in text and images,somewithclassicadvertisements; this combination allows the readerto appreciate devicedevelopmentand better understand the thinking that went into the design. Paddle and keymaintenance and adjustment are also examined, as well ascomputer interfacing and use of the Internet. The book also includes the results of patent studies and historical research, with many new findings presented, making ita must-have for collectors, ham operators, or anyone interested in the history of these communication devices.

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Book SynopsisDior is one of the most revered names in fashion, the archetype of the Parisian couture house. Famous for launching the â??New Look,â? Christian Diorâ??s landmark first collection that marked a sea change in womenâ??s dress after the Second World War, Dior is known today for its exquisite couture line of dramatic dresses. This book comprises a portfolio of portraits of over one hundred incredible gowns from the entire era of Christian Dior haute couture, including dresses designed by Dior himself. All of the images were shot by Patrick Demarchelier, known for his exquisite fashion portraits that grace the pages of Vogue, Elle, Harperâ??s Bazaar, Glamour, and many other magazines.Trade Review"...far and away the most gorgeous book on the house..." ~The New York Times"Dior Couture immortalizes one of the most important and long-lived couture houses in the world and is a book that anyone with an interest in fashion will want for their library." ~Huffington Post"Books such as this are rare and should be considered a must for any fashion library and certainly for anyone with a serious interest in fashion as an art form." ~New York Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisIndia is a vast sub-continent with a complex history and a great array of languages, cultures and religions. This books serves as a short introduction to the exquisite weapons used in the region from the earliest times to the twentieth century. Among others, it covers archery, swords, shields, daggers, firearms, artillery and elephant armour.

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Book SynopsisIn this book the author describes the way her garden evolved and how, without meaning to do so, she let it take over her life. She suggests moving away from planning, regimentation and gardening with the mentality of a stamp-collector. Frequently funny and always stimulating, she writes of the alchemy of gardens, of the 19th-century plant-collectors and plant illustrators and of the gardening philosophers, all fertilizing great thoughts along with their hollyhocks. She won the 1988 Sinclair Consumer Press Garden Writer of the Year Award.

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Book Synopsis''The Forensic Records Society is like Animal Farm but with blokes for pigs, and much better songs'' GuardianTwo men with a passion for vinyl create a society for the appreciation of records. Their aim is simple: to elevate the art of listening by doing so in forensic detail. The society enjoys moderate success in the back room of their local pub, The Half Moon, with other enthusiasts drawn to the initial promise of the weekly gathering.However, as the club gains popularity, its founder's uncompromising dogma results in a schism within the movement and soon a counter group forms. Then the arrival of a young woman called Alice further fractures the unity of the vulnerable society. As rifts are forged and gulfs widen, Magnus Mills examines the surreal nature of ordinary lives. The master of the comic deadpan returns for his ninth novel, a spectacularly disingenuous exploration of power, fanaticism and really, really good records.Trade ReviewMills uses his blokes in the back of a pub to tell a massively ambitious story … A story that could be read as a disguised retelling of the Russian revolution, or the Reformation, or the Sunni-Shia schism, or any great human falling out. As soon as you form any kind of “us”, Mills suggests, a “them” will form in response. In this, The Forensic Records Society is like Animal Farm but with blokes for pigs, and much better songs * Guardian *For nearly twenty years Mills has been entertaining and occasionally perplexing readers with his enigmatic tales of thwarted expeditions, projects and schemes … Tremendously funny. Mills is one of Britain’s best comic writers, and this is an excellent introduction to his scrupulously amusing world ... You will love this book. Buy one on Saturday to go with that Toto single -- Andy Miller * Spectator *It doesn’t take long for the veneer of politeness to fall away and for obsession to take hold in this darkly witty novel -- The Best Paperbacks * Mail on Sunday *A demented, deadpan comic wonder -- Thomas PynchonOne of our most idiosyncratic voices ... Deceptively genial, eerily comic ... Mills is extremely good on the way obsessiveness is an end in itself for these barely distinguishable chaps ... It also contains some classic Mills hallmarks, including the unsettling impression something sinister is going on, if only you could work out what it is * Daily Mail *‘One for the pop pickers … There are some wonderful aspects to The Forensic Records Society … Bloomsbury have pushed the boat out with the packaging, which is a wonderful pastiche of the sort of vintage 1960s seven-inch single sleeve collectors covet at record fairs, and will really make you think there must be three minutes of music as well as 180 pages of prose to discover inside * Herald *This, his ninth novel, is as odd, simple and parabolic as the first eight ... The theme is unmistakable and unavoidable – when humans can fall out, they will fall out **** * Metro *Magnus Mills is unique. There is simply no equivalent of his brand of domestic absurdism … The most British of anarchists * Independent *A true original * Mail on Sunday *He’s original, he’s eccentric – and I predict that Magnus Mills will still be fascinating his admirers 100 years from now -- Kate Saunders * Saga *

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Book SynopsisCanoecraft is the ultimate guide to building a wood-strip canoe. Thousands of canoes have been built using Canoecraft over the last 30 years. Now revised and expanded with 32 pages of colour, this international bestseller, known as the 'Bible of canoe building' is back, bigger and better than ever. Ted Moores is a master builder of woodstrip/epoxy canoes. Over four decades teaching wooden-boat construction, he discovered that the same dream motivates all of his students, no matter their age: to build something beautiful and functional. Canoecraft is the road map to that dream. Moores offers comprehensive instructions for the first-time builder, and for the second-time builder. He adds a variety of canoe plans, each presented as a traditional table of offsets. There is also a series of builder's tips and techniques, and an entire chapter on carving a paddle, the perfect accompaniment to a handcrafted canoe. The author's counsel is straightforward: 'When good materials are used and simple steps are performed with care, professional results are sure to follow.' Whether the goal is to build a general-purpose recreational canoe, or an efficient modern tripping canoe, or a full-decked fast-cruising canoe with walnut veneer, Canoecraft is the ideal guide to making it happen successfully.Trade Review'If you want to build a strip-plank canoe - or kayak - Canoecraft is the book to buy ... A very comprehensive boatbuilding book and highly recommended' Water Craft; 'An excellent definitive book ... something you must read if you are going to build a woodstrip canoe' Canoeist; 'A gentle push twoard your own canoe project' Woodworker's Journal. A Woodworking Magazine Top 40 Book.

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive guide to the appreciation and appraisal of the blades of Japanese swords still offers an English translation of a definitive Japanese text on the subject. Taking the practical historical approach, it discusses each tradition, examining the features that distinguish specific schools and smith. Each section closes with an easy reference chart summering the distinctive features of the work of various schools and smiths. There are chapters on terminology and description, and the care and appraisal of blades. Richly illustrated throughout.

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Book SynopsisOne of the bestselling garden books ever is fresher than ever! Ready to inspire a whole new generation of gardeners.When he created the "square foot gardening" method, Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer and efficiency expert, found the solution to the frustrations of most gardeners. His revolutionary system is simple: it's an ingenious planting method based on using square foot blocks of garden space instead of rows. Gardeners build up, not down, so there's no digging and no tilling after the first year. And the method requires less thinning, less weeding, and less watering."I found a better way to garden, one that's more efficient, more manageable, and requires less work," Bartholomew explains. Not surprisingly, his method quickly received worldwide recognition and has been written up in every major newspaper and gardening magazine. His book, which served as the companion to the nationally acclaimed television series, has sold over 800,000 copies. Now freshened with new illustrations, the book Ingram calls "the largest selling garden book in America" is reissued for the delight of a whole new generation of gardeners.Trade Review“The book is great and the method is even better.” —Bob Thomson, host of Victory Garden“Top 10 Gardening Best-Seller.” —Publishers Weekly“This is a good, competent gardening book, well written and sensibly presented.” —Library Journal“How to get more from less is one of life's major challenges today. Here is a book that does just that for those with a hoe...” —Booklist“Bartholomew is a welcome presence...” —Kirkus Reviews“This amazing discovery truly makes gardening fun and easy.” —Mike Levey, host of Amazing Discoveries“The approach is fascinating. It's new, different and very innovative.” —Long Island Horticultural Society“It's one of the few garden books that offers something new to the reader.” —Christian Science Monitor

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Book SynopsisGrowing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and mushroom expert Paul Stamets explains how in this groundbreaking manual. The science goes like this: fine filaments of cells called mycelium, the fruit of which are mushrooms, already cover large areas of land around the world. As the mycelium grows, it breaks down plant and animal debris, recycling carbon, nitrogen, and other elements in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets shows is that the enzymes and acids thatmycelium produces to decompose this debris are superb at breaking apart hydrocarbons--the base of many pollutants. Stamets discusses the various branches of this exciting new technology, including mycorestoration (biotransforming stripped land), mycofiltration (creating habitat buffers), myco-remediation (healing chemically harmed environments), and mycoforestry (creating truly sustainable forests)--From publisher description.

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Book SynopsisCreate a safe, sanitary, and efficient home for your rabbits. In this informative guide, Bob Bennett provides clear step-by-step instructions for building attractive all-wire hutches of all sizes, with additional tips for adding the necessary accessories like feeders, watering systems, nest boxes, and fencing. From the direction a hutch door should swing to proper ventilation and protection from predators, Bennett covers everything you need to know to create a housing structure that will help promote a healthy and productive rabbit-raising operation.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1977, this book—from one of America’s most famous and prolific agricultural writers—became an almost instant classic among homestead gardeners and small farmers. Now fully updated and available once more, Small-Scale Grain Raising offers a entirely new generation of readers the best introduction to a wide range of both common and lesser-known specialty grains and related field crops, from corn, wheat, and rye to buckwheat, millet, rice, spelt, flax, and even beans and sunflowers. More and more Americans are seeking out locally grown foods, yet one of the real stumbling blocks to their efforts has been finding local sources for grains, which are grown mainly on large, distant corporate farms. At the same time, commodity prices for grains—and the products made from them—have skyrocketed due to rising energy costs and increased demand. In this book, Gene Logsdon proves that anyone who has access to a large garden or small farm can (and should) think outside the agribusiness box and learn to grow healthy whole grains or beans—the base of our culinary food pyramid—alongside their fruits and vegetables. Starting from the simple but revolutionary concept of the garden “pancake patch,” Logsdon opens up our eyes to a whole world of plants that we wrongly assume only the agricultural “big boys” can grow. He succinctly covers all the basics, from planting and dealing with pests, weeds, and diseases to harvesting, processing, storing, and using whole grains. There are even a few recipes sprinkled throughout, along with more than a little wit and wisdom. Never has there been a better time, or a more receptive audience, for this book. Localvores, serious home gardeners, CSA farmers, and whole-foods advocates—in fact, all people who value fresh, high-quality foods—will find a field full of information and ideas in this once and future classic.Trade ReviewThe Ethicurean- In Small-Scale Grain Raising, Logsdon lays out clearly just how easy it can be to grow grains for your family and your livestock, from his beloved "pancake patch" up to acre-sized plots. Interspersed with good-humored vintage anecdotes and his usual Contrary Farmer commentary, this primer elevates the status of grain-growing on farms of all sizes (from the backyard on up) to a happy essential. As he states repeatedly, there's nothing so delicious -- or so economical -- as home-baked goods made with fresh grains you grew and milled yourself. And when those same home-grown grains can also feed your animals and build soil fertility… well, what's stopping you?Logsdon's book covers all of the well-known grains and several of the lesser ones: barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, rice, spelt, sorghum, triticale, wheat, and others. He also devotes a chapter to soybeans and dried beans, despite their classification as legumes, because they partner so well with grains both in growing and in eating. For at least the major grains he discusses varieties, yields, nutritional value, and uses (both for human and animal consumption as well as other farm uses). He describes how to prepare the soil, how to plant the grain seeds (including optimal space requirements), what diseases and pests to watch for and how to deal with them, how to harvest and dry the grains, how to store them, and, finally, how to turn those seeds into food for your family.Drawing on his personal experience growing almost all of the major grains, Logsdon describes "how we do it" even when it contrasts with conventional wisdom. He touts the value of open-pollinated seed, despite advances in hybrids, because of their superior taste and the satisfaction of not being beholden to agribusiness. He also demonstrates that old hand tools and techniques can sometimes be the most efficient when growing on a small scale. For example, though corn may be harvested by machine, he outlines how to bundle corn stalks into shocks for easy, inexpensive drying and storage (and aesthetic value). He claims to keep a basket full of old socks to slip over ripening ears of corn to prevent wild animals from dining on his crops. (I'd like to see that!) And for his money, the best weed control -- the one to which pests never develop resistance -- is the hoe."Gene Logsdon could just say, 'I told you so.' Instead, he has revitalized Small-Scale Grain Raising with bushels of new information, thirty additional years of insight, and the welcome leavening of his wonderful and cranky (with a wink and a nod) voice. He makes sowing sexy, and shifts the food revolution from his back 40 to your back yard."--Michael Perry, author of COOP: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting"Small-Scale Grain Raising, 2nd ed., is the definitive book on how to grow, thresh, process, and use grains in the amounts that matter to a family--from enough wheat for a single batch of pancakes up to an acre or two--all the grain needed for a family with a cow, a pig, a few sheep, and a flock of chickens. The first edition has long been a cult classic, decades out of print, decades before its time, eagerly begged, borrowed, and handed around in bootleg copies. The second edition is updated and expanded to include virtually every grain grown in North America. Particularly useful is the state-of-the-art information about threshing and dehulling of various grains for those without access to specialized equipment. Even more useful than the specific information, however, is the portrayal of the overall pattern--the full integration of appropriate grain-growing, appropriate cover-cropping, appropriate livestock keeping, appropriate economics, and appropriate philosophy, all woven together into a powerful model of a coherent framework for gardening, farming, and living. This book is the Small is Beautiful of grain growing, by Gene Logsdon, one of the founding curmudgeons of modern garden farming and sustainable agriculture."--Carol Deppe, author of Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving "Home bakers rejoice! Gene's book is back just in time to help you grow those flavorful, old, heirloom grain varieties you have always wanted to try. Bon appétit!"--Eliot Coleman, author of The Winter Harvest Handbook and The New Organic Grower "Interspersed with good-humored vintage anecdotes and his usual 'Contrary Farmer' commentary, this primer elevates the status of grain-growing on farms of all sizes (from the backyard on up) to a happy essential."--Jennifer McMullen, reviewed in The EthicureanTable of Contents1. Homegrown grains: the key to food security 2. Corn: America's amazing maize 3. Wheat: the main source of the staff of life 4. The sorghum family 5. Oats: the high-protein cereal grain 6. Dry beans: the "poor man's meat" 7. Rye and barley 8. Buckwheat and millet 9. Rice: the oldest garden grain 10. Some uncommon grains, old and new 11. Legumes: the overlooked partner in small-scale grain raising 12. Feeding grain to animals

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Book SynopsisThe earth is in great peril, due to the corporatization of agriculture, the rising climate crisis, and the ever-increasing levels of global poverty, starvation, and desertification on a massive scale. This present condition of global trauma is not "natural," but a result of humanity's destructive actions. And, according to Masanobu Fukuoka, it is reversible. We need to change not only our methods of earth stewardship, but also the very way we think about the relationship between human beings and nature. Fukuoka grew up on a farm on the island of Shikoku in Japan. As a young man he worked as a customs inspector for plants going into and out of the country. This was in the 1930s when science seemed poised to create a new world of abundance and leisure, when people fully believed they could improve upon nature by applying scientific methods and thereby reap untold rewards. While working there, Fukuoka had an insight that changed his life forever. He returned to his home village and applied this insight to developing a revolutionary new way of farming that he believed would be of great benefit to society. This method, which he called "natural farming," involved working with, not in opposition to, nature. Fukuoka's inspiring and internationally best-selling book, The One-Straw Revolution was first published in English in 1978. In this book, Fukuoka described his philosophy of natural farming and why he came to farm the way he did. One-Straw was a huge success in the West, and spoke directly to the growing movement of organic farmers and activists seeking a new way of life. For years after its publication, Fukuoka traveled around the world spreading his teachings and developing a devoted following of farmers seeking to get closer to the truth of nature. Sowing Seeds in the Desert, a summation of those years of travel and research, is Fukuoka's last major work-and perhaps his most important. Fukuoka spent years working with people and organizations in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States, to prove that you could, indeed, grow food and regenerate forests with very little irrigation in the most desolate of places. Only by greening the desert, he said, would the world ever achieve true food security. This revolutionary book presents Fukuoka's plan to rehabilitate the deserts of the world using natural farming, including practical solutions for feeding a growing human population, rehabilitating damaged landscapes, reversing the spread of desertification, and providing a deep understanding of the relationship between human beings and nature. Fukuoka's message comes right at the time when people around the world seem to have lost their frame of reference, and offers us a way forward. Trade ReviewKirkus Reviews- From the late author of bestseller The One Straw Revolution (1978) comes a similar book about a philosophical approach to natural farming."The fundamental concept of a natural farm," writes Fukuoka (The Natural Way of Farming, 1985, etc.), "begins with intuitively grasping nature's original form, where many varieties of plants and animals live together as a harmonious whole, joyfully and in mutual benefit." In this English translation of the author's last work (first published in Japan in 1996), he decries the "indiscriminate deforestation and large-scale agriculture carried out in order to support the materialistic cultures of the developed countries." This process has created a condition called "desertification," the inability of the soil to grow anything. Because humans have lost their connection with nature, Fukuoka advocates foregoing harmful modern methods of farming in favor of a simpler approach. Based primarily on the success of his farm in Japan, the author believes the solution lies in aerial distribution of a large variety of plants via clay seed pellets, the use of cover crops, and a no-tilling approach to the soil. By seeding a wide variety of species in the desert, nature will select those plants best suited for a particular location. These plants will flourish, drawing water from deep within the earth and thereby allowing other plants and trees to prosper. Taking his philosophy to Africa, India and the United States, among other places, Fukuoka demonstrated that, given sufficient time, seeding fallow earth with vegetables, plants and trees created a lush setting. More a spiritual analysis of farming methods than a hands-on approach, the book still provides viable and simple solutions to the world's increased need for productive land. An enlightened method for reclaiming the barren soils of the world. Booklist- The vision of the late Japanese farmer and philosopher Fukuoka, a pioneer in natural farming techniques and author of the now classic The One-Straw Revolution (1978), extends far beyond agriculture. In his final book, a far-reaching treatise on ‘earth stewardship,’ he considers dragonflies, Darwin, and even a meeting with Einstein’s niece as he reflects on the best possible future for human society. At times Fukuoka’s prose can be striking in its simplicity as when he writes, ‘In nature there are no beneficial or harmful insects,’ and furthermore, ‘this is a human construct akin to saying the right hand is good and the left hand is bad.’ Fukuoka never wastes a word or thought, insisting the reader consider all aspects of how we grow our food everywhere in the world and how the food industry manipulates supply and demand for gross profit in ways both economically and socially damaging. Fukuoka’s techniques have been and still are world-changing; the challenge now is to continue practicing them without the master here to lead the way. ForeWord Reviews- Small-scale and urban farming as well as sustainable living and organic food purchasing are so prevalent right now that these practices are moving from a foodie trend to a fundamental shift in our food system. One of the people to thank for that momentum is Masanobu Fukuoka, whose The One-Straw Revolution became a must-read for organic farmers and their supporters around the world. Before his death in 2008, Fukuoka spent decades working on natural farming techniques that he felt could benefit the world. He didn’t plow his field, use fertilizer, or flood his rice fields, in keeping with the methods traditional to many indigenous cultures. Commonly referred to as ‘Do-Nothing Farming,’ his techniques are part of a wider philosophy about respecting nature’s own principles and rhythms. The success of his work sent Fukuoka from his small village in Japan to speaking engagements across the world, where he spent a great deal of time addressing issues of limited resources in areas like Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. In this, his last major book, Fukuoka draws from those experiences to create, once again, a timeless work that has the ability to create a revolution in agriculture. Beyond Fukuoka’s important philosophy, his book is a lyrical, lovely valentine to nature. He’s passionate about bringing other people to the near-enlightenment state in which he lived, where every single leaf moved him to appreciation. Expertly argued and backed by experience, anecdotes, and simple logic, Fukuoka’s last work shines just as brightly as his first.Publishers Weekly- Renowned Japanese agriculturist and philosopher Fukuoka’s (The One-Straw Revolution) final work calls on modern-day farmers to reconsider their methods and heed the needs of the land. Navigating work with international organizations—particularly in Africa, South Asia, and the United States—he illuminates regional disparities in environmental and agricultural thought and practice. Through trial-and-error and years of acute observation, Fukuoka developed a pioneering vision to ‘avoid unnecessary work, especially work that was created as an adverse side effect of previous actions.’ He describes these misguided experiments and failures, such as leaving an orchard completely on its own, as ‘not natural farming; it was abandonment.’ In clarifying popular misconceptions about organic and natural farming, he advises that we must not focus on cash crops, because ‘there is no good or bad among life-forms on earth.’ Only by the co-existence of myriad micro-organisms and vegetation will we be able to preserve and maintain our land. More important, the best farming was simple, ‘rather than the modern approach of applying increasingly complex techniques to remake nature entirely for the benefit of human beings.’ Though elimination of mechanization might be tough for modern agriculturalists to swallow, Fukuoka’s last message provides a spiritually and environmentally enriching alternative to the farming conditions we know today."Masanobu Fukuoka ran a course on natural farming, and gave our Howard lecture at Navdanya's biodiversity farm in the Doon valley of India, and we even have a cottage named the Fukuoka hut. He was a teacher ahead of his time. 'Sowing seeds in the desert' is what all of humanity has to learn to do, whether it is in economic desert created by Wall Street, or an ecological desert created by globalized corporate agriculture."--Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya Research Foundation for Science Technology & Ecology "Distilling what he has gathered from a lifetime of learning from nature, Masanobu Fukuoka offers us his gentle philosophy and a wealth of practical ideas for using natural farming to restore a damaged planet. Sowing Seeds in the Desert will persuade any reader that the imperiled living world is our greatest teacher, and inspire them to care for it as vigorously as Fukuoka has."--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden "This book is a bombshell. Forget the gentle and retiring farmer of The One-Straw Revolution fame, replaced now by a flaming, world-travelling revolutionary. To achieve the kind of natural farming that can avoid worldwide collapse, Masanobu Fukuoka bluntly and fearlessly insists that we must first reject traditional ideas about God, the after life, accepted economic systems--especially capitalism--much of current agricultural thinking including organic farming, and even parts of science which he says are based on mistaken notions about the connection between cause and effect. Once we return to a way of life dictated by nature, not institutional religions, he says, we can apply his unorthodox farming methods to make the deserts bloom and the green fields stay lush without much expense or even labor involved.Be prepared to be mystified, irritated, shocked, and maybe even, if you persevere to the end, enlightened and encouraged by this trail-blazing book. Disagree with Fukuoka's provocative pronouncements at your own risk. Some of what he predicted in this book, originally written in Japanese in the 1990s has already happened, especially the collapse of the Japanese economy in recent years and the spread of deserts throughout the world."--Gene Logsdon, author of A Sanctuary of Trees "From our first meeting with Masanobu Fukuoka Sensei in the late 1970's at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, he has served as a primary guide, teacher, and inspiration in the engaged practice of organic farming and Zen meditation. Now with Sowing Seeds in the Desert, Fukuoka Sensei's teaching of Natural Farming continues to grow, sending deep roots down into the terrain of global restoration and food security for a hungry world. This wonderful book is to be celebrated and savored for its grounded, encouraging wisdom."--Wendy Johnson, author of Gardening at the Dragon's Gate "Fans of Fukuoka's The One-Straw Revolution will be delighted by Sowing Seeds in the Desert, his last book. It is a rich treasure trove detailing how his own philosophy of farming evolved and how he decided to apply what he learned on his own farm in Japan to other parts of the world. His insights into the tragedies of taking Western, industrial agriculture to places like Africa to 'enrich the national economy,' and his alternative approach of working with indigenous farmers to enable them to become self-sufficient, is instructive for all of us."--Frederick Kirschenmann, Author of Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays From a Farmer Philosopher "This book is not a breath of fresh air, it's a howling gale from the East. It challenges us to think outside our normal, rational frames and venture into a whole new way of relating to spirituality, the earth, and the growing of food. As I read, I was tempted to pick holes in Fukuoka's prescriptions for greening the world's deserts, but I kept coming back to the inescapable fact that he farmed his own land according to these principles over many years and produced a lot of food."--Patrick Whitefield, author of The Earth Care Manual Table of Contents1. The call to natural farming 2. Reconsidering human knowledge 3. Healing a world in crisis 4. Global desertification 5. Revegetating the earth through natural methods 6. Travels on the west coast of the United States

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