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The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It

4 stars (A great place to start your journey toward self-sufficiency...) - If you can't get your hands on Country Life by Paul Heiney, this is your next best bet. Nicely illustrated and covers all elements of what it takes to become reliant upon yourself and your land. This book would prove useful to anyone interested in any component of self-sufficiency from a small garden patch to a working farm. 3 stars (Missing some vital information) - I am really disappointed with the content of this book. It has beautiful glossy pictures, and a great deal on gardening and livestock - but skips important topics entirely. For gardening, this is the least valuable book that I have ever purchased. I expected this book would include a section on making lotions, but lotions were not covered at all. I use white vinegar extensively for cleaning, preserving, and cooking. The book includes vinegar as a needed ingredient for canning, but it did not go into how to make vinegar - a vital product for self sufficency. I bought a 'how to make vinegar' manual for under $3 from lehman's instead. 2 stars (There are much better books than this) - I was disapointed by this book. The book is written totally from the context of living in England. The author is a very poor communicator, he reminds me of an intellectual trying to explain how to farm with poetry and quotes from his vast knowledge of classic books. I have been farming now for a few years and have some experience growing my own corn, vegatables etc.. I also raise catttle and horses. (I am also a licensed Vet in Texas) This author does not know what he is talking about on alot of animal husbandry issues and I see alot of ridiculous nonsense in his teachings of growing crops vegetables etc.. To make a long story short, if you live in the U.S. don't buy this book, it is really awful. There is a far better book...."The encyclopedia of country living" by Carla Emery ...
DK ADULT :: Gardening & Organic :: Technology & Industrial Arts :: Self-Help :: Handbooks :: manuals :: etc :: Country life :: Agriculture - General :: Agriculture :: Deirdre Head :: The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It

 

American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants

4 stars (Beautiful Book) - This is a beautiful, coffee-table worthy book. The information is detailed and thorough. However, I am just starting the landscaping process, and was hoping for a book that I could study to decide WHAT I want to plant; possibly a book divided into categories. This book is organized entirely alphabetically. With this book, you must already know the plant and can then get any information about it you want. It will be useful once my landscaping is finished. 3 stars (Encyclopedia of Garden Plants) - This is an excellent book only if you know the name of your plants. If you are looking to find out what the name of a specific plant is, the book is just way to huge to go through page by page to find out its name. 4 stars (AHS A-Z of Plants) - An excellent work. Full of detailed photos and comprehensive and thorough information on most varieties you are likely to encounter. Easy to reference and locate responses to your gardening questions. Downside is the book is a little heavy and a little expensive. ...
DK ADULT :: Gardening & Reference :: Reference :: Plants :: Ornamental :: Ornamental Plants :: Gardening&Plants :: Gardening & Horticulture :: Gardening :: Encyclopedias :: Christo :: American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants

 

The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition

5 stars (Great Reference Book) - I have carefully compared this book with the New Reader's Digest Sewing Guide. Although some topics are covered in the Reader's Digest book (Patchwork & Quilting, Tailoring, & Projects) that are not in this book, most of the basic sewing topics (Tools, Patterns, Fabrics, Stitches, Seams, etc.)are covered in both books. What I like most about this book was the ease of finding what you need and side by side comparisons/lists, also the photos are easier to look at than the drawings of the Reader's Digest Guide. This book also has a section on mending, and separate chapters for Interfacings & Interlinings / Darts, Tucks, Pleats, & Gathers /and Edges which I did not find in the Reader's Digest Guide. It also shows you how to do things like make bows. And has a chart for fabric care. I would recommend this book for anyone, it is a great reference. 4 stars (Advanced for more serious sewing!!!) - This book has great detailed, color photos and explanations. The only problem I had with this book was that it goes beyond my field of sewing expertise. If you are into making clothing, and I mean complex clothing projects, then this book is for you. 5 stars (Great Book!) - The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition is a wonderful new reference book. I think that it is important to have a handy guide that you can use as a review, while you are working on large projects. This book has wonderful photos, and direction. I think that is successfully joins that advanced sewer and beginner together nicely in this book. I am always looking for a book that is clear and will "remind" me how to fix something I might have done wrong. This is a good buy for the money. ...
DK ADULT :: Crafts & Hobbies & Sewing :: Sewing :: Reference :: Hobbies&Crafts :: Dressmaking :: Crafts & Hobbies :: Crafts & Hobbies :: Chris Jefferys :: :: The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition

 

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation- The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Pra

5 stars (EXCELLENT! Look no where else for this bible of propagation) - Ive had this book for two days and I just adore it. For the advanced or intermediate gardener, this book does not "speak down" to you, yet supplies enough info for the average, curious or Home Depot crowd. There is so much information compiled in here -- great breakdown of species and methods -- conventional and traditional methods of propogation (that I use, and I like their write-ups on these more complicated - yet effective - methods). The artistic direction and layout of the book is fabulous. Highly illustrated with step-by-step techniques and photography. My only criticism is the way the individual plant species are layed out in the book, but that is just my preference. The book is arranged in species by annuals, trees, vines, etc -- I would have preferred to see the book arranged in the alphabetic by species or common names; however, there is a well thought out index in the back which makes the look up easy. A great book -- look no further. If I could marry a gardening book, this would be it!!! 5 stars (American Hort. Society Plant propagation) - This book is great. I borrowed it from my local library and had to have it for my own !!!! 5 stars (The mysteries of propagation have finally come together...) - I was in search of a good informative book for seed starting and stumbled upon this one. What a find!!! They give detailed instructions for hundreds of plants (including hardy and tropicals) defining exactly what propagating technique(s) works best for each. Softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, dividing, grafting (far more methods than I have ever seen in one book) and the various methods of gathering and seed-starting, whether your species prefers cold-stratifying, soaking, scarification or if it prefers to be direct-sown. This book has techniques for reproducing just one or hundreds of plants. I could go on and on but it all boils down to this; If you have any interest in multi...
DK ADULT :: Gardening & Techniques :: Techniques :: Regional - General :: Plant propagation :: Horticultural Plant Propagation :: Gardening&Plants :: Gardening & Horticulture :: American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation- The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Pra