Anyone who wants to learn basic living skills--the kind that were common to earlier generations--need look no further than this full-color, eminent...
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Apr 21, 2009
Adrienne
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I loved this book. I wish I could convince my husband to move to the country so I can use more of it. But until then, I'll just dream of a big garden where I can grow all of our wheat and vegetables, some fruit trees...well, that's pretty much it. I can't really get on board with the cow thing because in order to keep a cow lactating it has to have a baby every year and guess what happens to that baby? Sold for veal. So sad. I can't do it. I would want to keep all the babies and then we'd
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Jul 29, 2009
Ann
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Hats off to the editors and publisher of this awesome collection of more traditional skills, some of which are fast fading into memory. The book begins with locating and fashioning the home itself, detailing how to dig footers and a well, raise a log home, build a fireplace and moves on to gardening and pruning.
The reader is also instructed in obtaining and maintaining food sources, such as geese, ducks and rabbits, as well as canning, pickling, salting and smoking foods for the com More...
The reader is also instructed in obtaining and maintaining food sources, such as geese, ducks and rabbits, as well as canning, pickling, salting and smoking foods for the com More...
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May 09, 2010
penny
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I forget how I came across this volume -- probably by browsing various subject headings in my library catalog -- but it doesn't matter. I'm just happy I did and I hope soon to add it permanently to my own bookshelves.
While this book is intended to be for those desiring to go out and survive in a less urban and technologically minded manner I found it quite useful to assist me in building realistic scenes while writing. For example, on page 21 is a nice chart that describes various s More...
While this book is intended to be for those desiring to go out and survive in a less urban and technologically minded manner I found it quite useful to assist me in building realistic scenes while writing. For example, on page 21 is a nice chart that describes various s More...
Mar 15, 2011
Kymberly
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I found this at Cosco and it has taught me so much. So excited to put it to work.
Wish it had more information about chickens.
Wish it had more information about chickens.
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Aug 05, 2008
John
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I'm taking this book and moving to a farm. It's that awesome.
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Dec 14, 2008
Pam
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Useful for the back-to-the-lander in all of us.
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Jul 30, 2011
Tina
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Wow! This book is bizzarly facinating. I keep coming back to it and despite the fact that it is something like a manual I am reading it cover to cover. Even the projects that I am not all that interested in, like how to build a foundation for your log cabin, manage to keep my attention. I have actually wondered how a lot of these projects were done and now I know. If you have ever fantasized about going off the grid, put down The Traveler and pick up this book.
Mar 12, 2011
Katy
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An outstanding resource and read for anyone who is interested in farm and home crafts, touching upon everything from vegetable gardening, canning, recipes, raising and butchering livestock, making your own stove and other power sources, blacksmithing, stenciling, and many other topics for the person who really wants to know about going back to basics. Everytime I pick this book up, I learn something new and valuable.
Dec 18, 2011
Nathanael
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A wonderful book, with loads of information, photos and diagrams about making a self-sufficient life for yourself even down to building your own house, raising a barn, choosing horses to work a field, cooking and preserving. It's not a book out of the 17th century and does include all the modern niceties you might want including power generation, combustion toilets and dealing with sewerage, solar hot water, home heating and more. I don't plan on going this hardcore with urban homesteading but i
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Mar 03, 2009
Erica
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Completely packed with information. Most of it concerning things I don't need to ever know (building your own log cabin) but eternally fascinating. I'm always amazed at the wide range of skills people used to have, but have been lost along the wayside as we move to a more specialized society.
Mar 14, 2011
Dioscita
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One of those great "geeks who love to learn and have great resource information on a wide variety of topics" books. These days that's typically called "the internet," but this book is certainly what could be used in place of Google. Or for those days the power is out/internet is down.
Jan 14, 2010
Meryl
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This is the book I want for armageddon. There's a little bit of everything in here, and the instructions are detailed enough that I think I could actually use them to perform the given task.
Mar 17, 2011
Kaitlyn
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Great book if you want to learn about living a sustainable lifestyle. It teaches a wide range of different skills from gardening to canning, and even how to raise farm animals.
Dec 07, 2011
Patricia
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While this book covers a good bit of do-it-yourself, living-off-the-land frontier-ism, it doesn't go in depth enough to be useful. Still, an interesting read.
Feb 25, 2011
Carie
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Excellent resource for homesteaders! Has info on just about anything you can think of!
Jun 23, 2010
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition by Abigail R. Gehring (2008)
May 26, 2009
Elizabethesaurus
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This book is AMAZING. I can't believe how thorough it is, and how much information is packed into one book. It's incredible, and fantastic.
The color illustrations and pictures really take this book higher than some other similar books, as well as the level of detail with which everything is treated (not too much, just enough).
This is something Chris and I decided to buy because it will be endlessly helpful when we build our own house and do the homestead thing.
The color illustrations and pictures really take this book higher than some other similar books, as well as the level of detail with which everything is treated (not too much, just enough).
This is something Chris and I decided to buy because it will be endlessly helpful when we build our own house and do the homestead thing.
Dec 08, 2011
Ryan
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This book is a gold mine. Wanna plant a garden? Clear land for a homestead? Keep bees? Generate your own sustainable energy? Make cheese? It's ALL here. If the world ever experiences a nuclear fallout, or the like, you will survive with this book. It will be a constant reference on my shelf for the rest of my life.
Mar 19, 2009
Tamara
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Note to self: When apocalypse occurs, find this book.
For now, I will pay special attention to the section on canning. Will save the animal skinning for another life.
For now, I will pay special attention to the section on canning. Will save the animal skinning for another life.
Nov 19, 2011
Anotherkevin
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I come back to this periodically to get a refresher, pick up on something I missed the first few times around.
Feb 11, 2012
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