Self-sufficiency and sustainable lifestyle(s) Books

Book SynopsisDiscover the new science and ancient wisdom on why nature makes us healthier and happier in body and soul from the co-author of The Spirit Almanac and mindbodygreen’s Senior Sustainability Editor.For centuries, we have known that getting outside is good for us. Yet we have become increasingly disconnected from the earth that nourishes us, with most of us spending 87% of our days indoors. In response, writer and environmentalist Emma Loewe demonstrates the power of nature’s healing properties in a guidebook organized by eight landscapes. In each chapter, you''ll find research-backed ways to explore that landscape right now and protect it in the future, so that it can be healthy and nurturing for generations to come. Drawing off modern science and innate wisdom, she uncovers:  Why being by the ocean makes you measurably happier How living near greenery helps you lives longer The staggering, illuminating st

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Book SynopsisWith The Natural Home, you''ll discover how to clean everything in your house the healthy way with just a few inexpensive, easy to find products using tried and true cleaning methods that have been around for centuries. Organized by product and location in the home, the book includes an in-depth explanation of natural products like vinegar, lemon, and baking soda which can be used to clean most areas in your home. There''s a cleaning guide by room; tips for maintaining materials like marble, stainless steel, and wood; solutions for every stain; natural fragrances for your home; laundry tips; and natural products for pets. Also included recipes for cleaning products you can make on your own that will help disinfect, whiten, deodorize and remove even the toughest stains in bathrooms, kitchen, carpets and clothing.Beautifully designed with two-color interiors and filled with dozens of illustrations, The Natural Home is a charming gift book that shows you h

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Book SynopsisFor millions of years, humankind has used a brilliantly successful survival strategy. If we like something, we chase after more of it: more status, more food, more info, more stuff. Then we chase again. Its how we survived famine, disease and disaster to colonise the world. But now, thanks to technology, weve suddenly got more of everything than we can ever use, enjoy or afford. That doesnt stop us from striving though and its making us sick, tired, overweight, angry and in debt. It burns up our personal ecologies and the planets ecology too. We urgently need to develop a sense of enough. Our culture keeps telling us that we dont yet have all we need to be happy, but in fact we need to nurture a new skill the ability to bask in the bounties all around us. ENOUGH explores how our Neolithic brain-wiring spurs us to build a world of overabundance that keeps us hooked on more. John explains how, through adopting the art of enoughness, we can break from this wTrade Reviewwitty, self-depreciating * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring and approachable tip-filled guide to changing your habits, living more sustainably, and taking action, by Greenpeace ambassador Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movies)Go Gently is a guide for sustainability at home that offers simple, tangible steps toward reducing our environmental impact by looking at what we consume and the waste we create, as well as how to take action for environmental change. The title reflects Bonnie Wright’s belief that the best way to change our planet and ourselves is through a gentle approach, rather than a judgmental one. This is a book of do’s rather than don’ts. It’s also an invitation to Wright’s followers to join her on this journey to sustainability.Going through every room in her home, Wright helps us assess which products are sustainable, and alternatives for those that are not. She shares recipes to avoid waste, homemade self-care products to avoid packaging, small space-friendly gardening ideas, and a template for creating your own compost system. Finally, to sustain yourself, there are exercises and meditation prompts to keep you energized, plus info on how to get involved in community and organizations.

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Book Synopsis This handbook explains all the ways trees are essential for our climate, our urban and rural environment, our society and our mental health Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 1 TREES AND THE WORLDTrees and the Climate 14Trees, Soil and Fungi 20Trees and Wildlife 26Agroforestry 32 2 TREES AND HAPPINESSShade and Shelter 42Trees and Pollution 46Why Climbing Trees is Good for You 50Expanding Tree-based Play 52Trees and Mental Health 54Community and Reduced Crime 58 3 GROWING TREESRaising Your Own Trees 64Growing Apple Trees on Their Own Roots 68How to Plant a Tree 70Keeping Your Tree Healthy 74Using Woodchip in Your Garden 76 4 THE FORTY BEST TREESMapleAlderBanksiaBirch BottlebrushChestnutBean TreeCedarCercisDogwoodHazelHawthornHandkerchiefGum TreeSpindleBeechFigAshHoney LocustHollyWalnutMagnoliaAppleRedwoodMulberry IronwoodPinePlane AspenAlmondCherryPlumPearOakMangroveBlack LocustWillowElderSorbusElm Guide to Tree Identification 160 5 TREES AND THE ECONOMYBuy Wood to Save the World 166Working With Trees 170 Further Reading 173Index 174Acknowledgments 176

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Book SynopsisFrom popular cookbook author and homesteader at heart Georgia Varozza comes this collection of craveable comfort food recipes. Learn how to make delicious soups, stews, breads, muffins, and more. Includes over 200 homestyle recipes.

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Book SynopsisDiscover how to easily regrow vegetable discards and scraps and turn them into harvestable, edible plants—even if you have no gardening experience. Stop tossing your carrot tops, leafless herb sprigs, lettuce and celery stumps, and beet greens in the trash! Cut back on your food waste and cultivate your own homegrown veggies easily with advice from Kitchen Gardening for Beginners, a beginner-friendly edition of No-Waste Kitchen Gardening.Learn how to grow indoors and maintain your regrown plants until they are ready for harvest. The accompanying photos highlight each step of the process, showing you what the root section, seed, leaf, stem, or other plant part should look like when you replant it and then what it should look like when it’s ready for harvest. Many of the featured vegetables can be regrown in water or in soil. Full instructions are supplied.A diverse selection of large and small edi

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Book SynopsisThis classic guide to homesteading is based on solid, practical techniques that remain useful to everyone who wants to learn country skills and increase their self-sufficiency. By turns philosophical and instructional, Ed and Carolyn Robinson share their pioneering approach to efficiently growing vegetables, raising livestock, and building farm structures. Since it was first published in 1943, The Have-More Plan has inspired generations of homesteaders to make the most out of whatever land they have available.

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Book SynopsisElucidates procedures and tools involved in tanning and dyeing leather and fur and furnishes ideas and guidelines for making leather goods from home-tanned leather.

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Book SynopsisSTART YOUR VEGAN CHALLENGE TODAY with the help of the Vegan Kit from VeganuaryINSPIRATION, SECRET TRICKS & TIPS for a fulfilling vegan lifestyleTHE PERFECT GIFT for the vegan-curious: do your bit for the animals, for the people, for the planet, and for yourselfJoin the Vegan revolution! Going vegan and staying vegan is simple with the Vegan Kit. Inside you''ll find everything you need to plan the weekly shop, navigate dinners out, make informed nutritional decisions and more. Start your vegan challenge today!

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Book SynopsisLearn how to de-stress, relax and connect with the wildness you can find on your doorstep even in urban and suburban settings.Increasing workload, nervous tension, trouble sleeping? Wondering whether there is more to life? You're not having a mid-life crisis. Like so many others, you are feeling the call of the wild.Today's urban living makes it easy for us to feel divorced from nature. This practical book is filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs that will get you out and about whatever the weather.Featuring a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful projects, all with nature at their heart, you'll be surprised how much wildness you can find on your doorstep when you know where to look.Organised by month, Urban Wild's simple, seasonal, step-by-step activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you increase your potential for health and well-being and take your first steps on Trade ReviewGorgeous new book… packed with tips to help even the most ardent city dwellers connect with the natural world. * Daily Mirror *This beautifully illustrated book promises to “get you out and about” with first steps towards a lifelong relationship with flora and fauna. * BBC Countryfile *…includes a wide range of activities to help you connect with the wildness close to home. * Countryside Magazine, Book of the Month *Organised by month, this book’s simple, seasonal activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you learn how to de-stress and reconnect with the natural world on your doorstep. * Easy Gardens *Offers a plethora of ideas on how you too can reconnect with nature even if you live in a city. * Irish Examiner *Filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs, to get you out and about whatever the weather. * Garden News *For both avid nature lovers and novice outdoorspeople, Urban Wild unlocks the beauty available right under our noses, no matter where we live. -- Melissa Norstedt * Booklist *With nature at their heart, [step-by-step activities] provide a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful seasonal projects. * Garden News *Table of ContentsThe planting of the seed A note on safety January Take a tree shower Sounds of nature Landscape navigation Wild pot-pourri February Micro-pilgrimage Valentines for the birds Animal tracking Home spa facial March Be out in a storm (or at least watch one) Make a spring flower bouquet Plant a nectar bar Eat wild spring pesto Spring wild weather activity: Homemade reed diffusers April Plant something and watch it grow Watch for the first swallows Make nettle cordial Foraged pakoras May Make daisy oil Sleep in a hammock Make a natural gratitude journal Honour your feet June Make rose petal gin Make elderflower champagne Afternoon tea ceremony Find a sit spot Summer wild weather activity: Make herbal gin bags July Get to water Make mojito jellies Savour a plant Cloud watching August Go camping Look at the stars Sit by a fire Swim in the sea September Wild herbal balms Bountiful berries and the art of eating mindfully Wild mocktails Rose hip vinegar Autumn wild weather activity: Make a plaster print October Wild berry jelly Make a bulb lasagne Autumn light photography Carve a pumpkin November Make something and burn it Scrumped apple pies Go on a night walk Plant a tree (even indoors) December Christmas wreath walk Bake bread on a skillet See a sunrise Know when enough is enough Winter wild weather activity: Make an ice glob Further reading Resources Image credits Index

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Book SynopsisOwning and raising chickens doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. With imagination, simple tools, and salvaged or bargain materials, you can make everything your flock needs for their health and safety.Buying a chicken coop can be a major expense. Follow the steps provided in the book to retro fit an existing structure into a chicken palace fit for the fanciest hens. Brooders, grow out pens, and chicken runs can easily be pulled together and give your feathered family a safe place to scratch and peck. If your chickens want fun activities, create boredom busters with the directions for a chicken swing, dust bath, outdoor roosts, front porches, and resting perches. Are you planning to raise your own sustainable flock? Building a nesting box area fit for the best broody is included. You can even set up a maternity ward and brooder pen in the coop. Dropping boards to dust baths, feeding stations to first aid, read and learn the simplest ways to provide the infrastructure and fun that your chickens need to grow and thrive. After all the project building, and chores are done, treat your flock to a delicious seasonal recipe with one of the recipes included.From beak to talon, you're ready to tackle the needs of your flock with 50 DIY Projects you can create on a limited budget. Let's get started!Trade Review“In 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens, Janet Garman offers a wide variety of projects with clear, step-by-step instructions. With budget-friendly suggestions for upcycling and using materials you already have on hand, you can spoil your birds without breaking the bank. Her homespun style and love of chickens shine through on every page.” —Laurie Neverman, Common Sense Home "When we first started keeping chicken on our homestead, it was a confusing time with quite a bit of money spent on items which were not needed to raise a healthy happy flock. Janet's book provides practical and environmentally friendly DIY tips while being budget friendly! This is a great book for new chicken keepers, as well as for seasoned ones who are looking for creative new ideas on how to modify existing builds. The projects and tips listed here are ones that every chicken keeper will need over the course of raising poultry, and for that I am thankful it was written." —Ann Accetta-Scott, A Farm Girl in the Making, www.afarmgirlinthemaking.com "If I could be an animal, I’d choose to be a chicken as long as I could play, roost, nest, and eat on Janet’s farm. Janet knows chickens! If you had only one book about raising chickens, this gorgeously photographed and step-by-step illustrated book is for you. Janet makes it easy, inexpensive, and oh, so doable to keep chickens. Personally, I can’t wait to get started building Janet’s Jungle Gym and Herbal Snack Bar Wall Hanging for my chickens. Janet’s book is a must-read for everyone who its thinking about keeping chickens and the experienced chicken farmer. 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens is the best Chicken book I have ever read! Stacy Lyn Harris" —Author, Game and Garden.com "From bringing your chickens home, to keeping them healthy and well, this book isn't just about building projects, it's an exceptional resource for raising your chickens from the moment you bring your chicks home to the time they begin laying! Every DIY chicken keeper should have this beautiful resource on their bookshelf!" —Amy K. Fewell, The Homesteader's Herbal Companion, and Founder of Homesteaders of America "For years Janet has provided a wonderful resource with her blog, giving incredible advice for keeping your chicken flock healthy. We are so excited that she has created such a beautiful book that compiles amazing chicken keeping advice, alongside all of these wonderful DIY projects, that she has made into easy to understand steps that anyone can do! Every chicken keeper will learn a lot from this book, but we love how it addresses the 'tricks of the trade' that it would normally take beginners years of trial and error to figure out on their own." —Brittany May & Penny Ausley, Happy Days Farm, http://www.happy-days-farm.com/"Practical, comprehensive, profusely illustrated, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens: Chicken Coops, Brooders, Runs, Swings, Dust Baths, and More! is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library collections." —Midwest Book Review

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Book Synopsis'A wonderfully uplifting holistic book with many practical tips' - Mark Lane, BBC Gardener's World presenter and landscape gardener'A delightful introduction for those wanting to learn ... how to reap the benefits that plants and gardens can have on our own health and wellbeing' - Sally Petitt, Head of Horticulture, Cambridge University Botanic Garden--- Getting outside, our hands in the earth, watching plants bud then burst into bloom: the slow pleasures of gardening are an age-old tonic for the soul.From sowing seeds to deadheading flowers, growing your own potatoes to welcoming feathered friends into your own garden, discover the joy to be found in every moment of gardening by slowing down, observing nature and planning ahead for the seasons.Happiest when surrounded by plants, Ellen Mary is passionate advocate for the benefits of nature for wellbeing, spreading the word through The Plant Based Podcast and her regular talks.The Joy of Gardening includes:· Understanding your soil· How to sow seeds and care for young plants· Tips for recycling and reducing waste in your garden· How to encourage wildlife into your garden· Harvesting and cooking with fresh produce· Choosing and planting trees for both small and larger gardens· And much, much more!Trade ReviewA wonderfully uplifting holistic book with many practical tips, but more importantly a better understanding of our own place in the world, our outdoor space, understanding our limitations, our failures and rewarding ourselves at every stage. Written from the inception of an outdoor space to harvesting and rewarding yourself, the analogy to life has been very carefully thought through. This is a pocket-sized book, ideal for taking into the garden with you, and written in a very positive way. Wellbeing and mindfulness tips are scattered throughout but have been artfully added at specific points throughout your gardening journey that make them seem easier to understand and implement. I read the book from start to finish in one go and realised that all the stresses of the day had disappeared, but the gardener can easily dip in and out, especially when they need to stop in the moment and require a wellbeing exercise, or simply an affirmation that it is good to be outside. The wonderful illustrations also make the book feel very readable.I discovered myself while reading the book and reawakened thoughts and mindful actions. This is a whizz of a book!(Mark Lane, BBC Gardener's World presenter and landscape designer) -- Mark Lane, BBC Gardener's World presenter and landscape designer * Mark Lane *We're all becoming much more aware of the benefits of green spaces, and gardening offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with and observe the world in which we live, while also improving our own wellbeing. In The Joy of Gardening Ellen Mary combines practical hints and tips for nurturing and caring not just for our gardens and their plants, but also for ourselves. Presented in a gentle, accessible style this book is a delightful introduction for those wanting to learn not only how to garden, but also how to reap the benefits that plants and gardens can have on our own health and wellbeing.(Sally Petitt, Head of Horticulture, Cambridge University Botanic Garden) -- Sally Petitt, Head of Horticulture, Cambridge University Botanic Garden * Sally Petitt *As a scientist and home gardener, I am passionate about promoting the evidence-based health benefits of gardening. Ellen Mary brilliantly uses gardening as a metaphor for human health. Ellen provides many practical growing tips for a healthy you, wildlife and the planet.(Professor Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science & Collections, Royal Horticultural Society) -- Prof Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science & Collections, Royal Horticultural Society * Professor Alistair Griffiths *

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Book SynopsisEcosystems require balance to survive, and when that balance is compromised, disaster can befall the whole system. To keep a balance in our global ecosystem, we need to use resources efficiently, equitably, and sustainably. In both nature and economics, we observe that when a healthy distribution of resources is achieved, systems can not only function but flourish. The United States recycles roughly 34% of its waste and has been stuck at this level for decades. Recycling brings a balance to our system by managing resources in a loop. When done well, it benefits communities and the environment. Individuals are a key part of connecting this loop because we provide a supply of materials and a demand for new recycled products. But many of us don’t know what happens after those items leave our homes. We’re confused by inconsistent rules of what we can and can’t recycle. Our confusion has huge consequences and is a reason why our recycling is stuck. Throughout Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine, Beth Porter provides answers to clear up that confusion, and shares great resources about recycling, explaining the complexity, guiding individual action, and contextualizing its history. This book reveals how we arrived at this state of dysfunction, and what steps we need to employ to be an active participant in strengthening our recycling system. Nature knows how to recycle itself, decomposing waste back into the soil to continue the circle of growth. We should follow its lead.Trade ReviewPorter delivers a thoughtful rallying cry for one of the most basic and misunderstood environmental acts we can all take. This is a helpful primer for anyone interested in the future of recycling at a moment when many are wondering if the economics behind it can still work. -- Cole Rosengren, Senior Reporter, Waste DiveBeth Porter presents an image of recycling as a tiny acorn that with nurturing can to grow into a viable system that greatly benefits the country financially and environmentally. She then presents a history and the practice of recycling in the US. At a time when China's recycling policies are roiling the recycling world, her book is important for both specialists and the public at large. -- Neil Seldman, PhD, Director, Waste to Wealth, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Washington, DCWe’ve all heard that recycling isn’t working anymore in the U.S., but we’re not hearing how we can fix it. Beth Porter takes us beyond the act of recycling itself to an understanding of the ways in which we use and waste materials as a society, and maps out the solutions we can start implementing today in our communities and in our homes. -- Todd Larsen, Executive Co-Director, Green AmericaPorter, climate and recycling director for the nonprofit Green America, offers a succinct treatise on the history, efficacy, and future of recycling and waste disposal in her informative debut. She begins with the history of recycling as a patriotic act during WWII and includes delightful details about the ubiquity of victory gardens and the social pressure exerted by scrap drives. Revelations about the aggressive marketing done by manufacturers to convince Americans that waste is their personal failing (and not one that industry holds responsibility for) sit alongside direct, actionable advice on lessening one’s environmental impact. Porter also discusses what she terms environmental racism; for example, the seizure of indigenous lands for production and harvesting, and the overwhelming placement of landfills and incinerators in black or Hispanic communities. Porter also delves into the individual recycling rates of specific materials such as plastic (less than 10% globally) vs. steel (92% in the U.S.), stresses the importance of buying recycled materials, and concludes with a list of concrete steps for being a better environmental steward. Porter’s prose is direct and backed with overwhelming data, as well as examples of functional recycling models in various cities and countries worldwide. This heartfelt plea from a dedicated environmentalist is a clear guide to responsible waste management. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Ecosystem of Recycling Chapter 2 When Recycling Was Patriotic Chapter 3 Running Out of Room Chapter 4 Why Reduce and Reuse Come First Chapter 5 What’s the Point of Recycling? Chapter 6 Where Your Recyclables Go Chapter 7 How Psychology Affects Recycling Chapter 8 Economics of Recycling Chapter 9 Taking Action from Your Curbside to Capitol Hill

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Book SynopsisWhether you live on a small suburban lot or have a many acres in the country, this inspiring collection will empower you to increase your self-sufficiently and embrace a more independent lifestyle. A variety of authors share their specialized knowledge and provide practical instructions for basic country skills like preserving vegetables, developing water systems, keeping farm animals, and renovating barns. From sharpening an axe to baking your own bread, you’ll be amazed at the many ways learning traditional skills can enrich your life.Table of ContentsTopics include: The Home; Buying, building, fixing, and landscaping a home; Alternative heating and energy; The Garden, Yard & Orchard; Vegetable, flower, and herb garden plans and ideas; Advice for building greenhouses and garden structures; Cooking and Stocking Up; Time-tested recipes & cooking skills such as baking bread/ making maple syrup; Barnyards, Stables, and Fields; Building and maintaining barns, sheds, and outbuildings; Caring for common farm and ranch animals, and pets

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