Self-sufficiency and sustainable lifestyle(s) Books

Book SynopsisDiscover the huge possibilities of a small house! Whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1,400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan presents creative and efficient layouts that use every inch of space, with tips on fully maximizing closets, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. From reorganizing a small storage area to building a brand-new home, you’ll find a detailed design to fit your family’s needs.

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Book SynopsisOver 200,000 copies sold—fully updated! Dye your own wool, raise chickens, make your own cheddar cheese, build a log cabin, and much much more.Anyone who wants to learn basic living skills—the kind employed by our forefathers—and adapt them for a better life in the twenty-first century need look no further than this eminently useful, full-color guide.Countless readers have turned to Back to Basics for inspiration and instruction, escaping to an era before power saws and fast-food restaurants and rediscovering the pleasures and challenges of a healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient lifestyle.Now newly updated, the hundreds of projects, step-by-step sequences, photographs, charts, and illustrations in Back to Basics will help you dye your own wool with plant pigments, graft trees, raise chickens, craft a hutch table with hand tools, and make treats such as blueberry peach jam and cheddar cheese. The truly ambitious will find instructions on how to build a log cabin or an adobe brick homestead.More than just practical advice, this is also a book for dreamers—even if you live in a city apartment, you will find your imagination sparked, and there’s no reason why you can’t, for example, make a loom and weave a rag rug. Complete with tips for old-fashioned fun (square dancing calls, homemade toys, and kayaking tips), this may be the most thorough book on voluntary simplicity available.Trade Review"When they said complete, they meant it. This book includes everything from how to choose a suitable piece of property for a homestead, to cutting down trees to make your own log cabin, to gardening and preserving the harvest." "I was looking for a good reference book on how to do things we've forgotten in this digital look-it-up age. This is perfect. It has everything in it! From installing solar panels to how to skin a rabbit. It doesn't matter what page you flip to, there's something interesting to read/learn. Highly recommend." "This book is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a book with a wide range of information that a pioneer person would find very useful. This book is loaded with pictures and diagrams. It is better and more complete than I anticipated." "I am on overload with all the information contained in this book. It's a wonderful reference guide for everything from building a house to making crafts and planning and growing a garden." "Amazing book for any homesteader or anyone who's just interested in learning new skills!" "This is the classic book on traditional skills, crafts, and homesteading. An hour with this book will have you making plans to find your own country plot to build your farm."

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Book SynopsisWith advice on tools, materials and methods and written in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step format, this is a book that makes it easier to say ‘NO’ to our disposable society and make a real difference.___________‘Covers a vast range of jobs and gives simple, clear instructions’ – Sunday Post‘Reminds us that there’s a solution for every problem’ – Glamour___________Not everything has built-in obsolescence – as this fantastically handy guide to fixing everyday objects proves! Whether you need to repair the strap of a favourite handbag or mend a leak in a washing machine, How to Repair Everything is packed full of tips and tricks of the trade for the person who likes to do-it-yourself. From quick fixes that will get you out of a jam to permanent solutions that make the item good as new, this is perfect for anyone who hates the throwaway society and would much rather refurb and recycle.Whether it’s a sweater that’s shrunk in the wash, a broken umbrella spoke or fixing a microwave oven, you’ll be amazed just how many things can be mended with a few tools and a bit of patience.Trade ReviewThis step-by-step manual shows you how to tackle a whole range of household problems, offering both quick fixes and permanent solutions. * Sainsbury’s magazine *... reminds us that there’s a solution for every problem. * Glamour *An idiot-proof guide to fixing all the things that inexplicably break down and blow up on you: TV, toaster, the toilet – plus several rusty things you can fix by rubbing stoutly with a potato. Book of the year! * Sport magazine *Covers a vast range of jobs and gives simple, clear instructions. * Sunday Post *

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