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6th out of 115 books
—
46 voters
Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World
Spending money is the last thing anyone wants to do right now. We are in the midst of a massive
cultural shift away from consumerism and toward a vibrant and very active countermovement that has
been thriving on the outskirts for quite some time—do-it-yourselfers who make frugal, homemade living hip are challenging the notion that true wealth has anything to do with money. I...more
cultural shift away from consumerism and toward a vibrant and very active countermovement that has
been thriving on the outskirts for quite some time—do-it-yourselfers who make frugal, homemade living hip are challenging the notion that true wealth has anything to do with money. I...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
April 26th 2011
by Rodale Books
(first published November 9th 2010)
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Just a fantastic collection of DIY home-centered projects written for an audience that resembles me: cheap, environmentally & punkishly inclined, discretionary but fairly ambitious, and an urban USA eco-hipstery type. Probably not for everyone, but sat exceptionally well with me. With DIY project books, the tone & style really matters; I can read about a project twenty times but I generally won't attempt it until it's explained just so, in a way that I "get."
Exceptional projects in here...more
Exceptional projects in here...more
I definitely love the idea of this book, but I found many of the projects a little too off-the-grid for what I'm willing or able to try at this point. But I do appreciate that the authors anticipate that, and encourage you to try the ideas that seem intriguing to you and leave the rest for another person or another day. When my current cleaning supplies run out, I am excited to try their mixes. I am not, however, willing to brush my teeth with a stick. I also get frustrated any time I read books...more
What a fun book. It gives me comfort to know there are other couples out there asking themselves ways to make things themselves in a safe, environmentally friendly, cost-effective way. It doesn't cover quite all the stuff discussed in Home Economics, but rather expounds on a new generation's concerns and puts focus back into so much stuff long forgotten. Home Economics was once said to be the backbone of Democracy because it instilled a family foundation in all matter of household living, from f...more
i cannot give this book enough stars. i found their first book, 'the urban homestead', to be quite inspirational and something of a catalyst for me. that book planted the seed for many of the things i do now in my day to day life, such as cooking most of my meals from scratch, using homemade cleaning products, etc. however, the new book takes it to a whole new level. i've been wanting to try soapmaking, but the resources i've come across have these long lists of items you need and make it seem a...more
I read books like this all the time. I'm one of those 'aspiring homesteaders' who is constrained by a neighborhood association. Who knows what I would or wouldn't do if that were not the case.
This book's instructional range covers so many bases. The length of coverage falls within a pretty decent ballpark for my attention span. Not to brief as to frustrate, not too long as to lose me, just enough to satisfy my educational needs but leave my looking for more if need be.
Within the past 6 months, t...more
This book's instructional range covers so many bases. The length of coverage falls within a pretty decent ballpark for my attention span. Not to brief as to frustrate, not too long as to lose me, just enough to satisfy my educational needs but leave my looking for more if need be.
Within the past 6 months, t...more
If you are intrigued by the theory of urban homesteading but aren't sure how to put the ideas into practice, this is the book for you. It's full of projects and how-tos, ranging from the simplest 5-minute oil lamp (olive oil, a piece of string, and an Altoids tin) to how to set up beekeeping or a long-term compost system. The book is arranged by time of project, with sections broken out into daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and annually (or once ever) descriptions of time commitment. The inst...more
wow. comprehensive. from diy lipbalm and shampoo bars to processing a chicken and a diy composting toilet. wow. I'd say that this is a must-have if you're really interested in homesteading (urban or otherwise), living more lightly, spending less money, living more intentionally. Not really bedside reading, as I was ready to drift off right as I got to the latter of my four examples, but certainly informative and inspiring. Can't say I'll jump on that form of composting, but if we needed it, it's...more
Many things to like about this book. If you're already active in living a more sustainable life, this book will present some challenging next steps. If you're just beginning, you'll still find a lot of easy and involving projects to try as first steps.
The author was one of a few "self-sufficiency experts" who were profiled in this month's (Feb/Mar 2012) Mother Earth News. Coyne is the author of a blog called "Root Simple." Her description: Root Simple is about back to basics, DIY living, encomp...more
The author was one of a few "self-sufficiency experts" who were profiled in this month's (Feb/Mar 2012) Mother Earth News. Coyne is the author of a blog called "Root Simple." Her description: Root Simple is about back to basics, DIY living, encomp...more
A great guide for how to make just about anything (soap, shampoo, lip balm, deodorant, all-purpose cleaner, moisturizer) Useful and informative, you'll find lots of everyday items that are way cheaper and healthier to make yourself at home. I will never buy luxury bath products again! Only thing is that the way the book is organized is bizarre (not by type of product but by how often you would theoretically make it (weekly, monthly, yearly). It'd be much easier to use if they categorized things...more
This a a much better book than their last book. There were some simple easy to do projects or recipes for some at home basics like cleaners, personal hygeine and kitchen recipes. Many of the recipes were made simple instead of long drawn out, complicated versions I have seen elsewhere (like soap or vinegar). There were also some larger projects like behives or composters and a variety of in-between things. Almost anyone could make use of at least a few of the ideas. I am going to have to buy a c...more
I have read several how-to/homesteading/trendy home ec books and this one is a keeper. There isn't much narrative about "why we do this stuff" other than in the introduction, which is refreshing. I think most of us who read books like this want the 'meat and potatoes' to be real, how-to, instructional stuff--and this book delivers. I would give it five stars, but I would have liked more diagrams/pictures to help the folks that learn visually. I'm a learn-through-text learner, but I know some fol...more
This is an excellent book. It is well written, clear, concise and well organized. They take you through, step-by-step how to make a number of household items. The chapters are organized by items you need daily (tooth paste, shampoo, etc) to items you will only need to make once or yearly.
It also starts with simple projects and allows you to progress to more challenging projects. I have already made a number of things and plan to make much more. Such a satisfying feeling, making your own persona...more
It also starts with simple projects and allows you to progress to more challenging projects. I have already made a number of things and plan to make much more. Such a satisfying feeling, making your own persona...more
Nice follow-up to their first book, The Urban Homestead, with a lot more “how to” details. I’ve been making my own skin cream and some house-cleaning products for a few years now, and there are some new ideas here for those and a lot more. And of course it fed my longing to raise chickens, even though I know I would hate caring for them on cold winter mornings almost as much as I would hate the resulting increased raccoon traffic through my back yard.
Reading this book felt transformative. As a yuppy, I am very interested in ways I can simultaneously save money and the environment. This book gives a lot of practical ways to reduce your consumerist footprint while becoming closer to the products you use every day. From making toothpaste to bee-keeping, the book addresses a lot of topics for you to make your life healthier, happier, and ultimately a whole lot more interesting.
This is an interesting book. I think that there are definitely things I could be doing and making from scratch that I don't do now, but this book goes above and beyond most of what I personally wish to do. If I lived where I could have chickens, I might raise them to have yummy fresh eggs, but I don't think I would slaughter them as food unless it was an end of the world as we know it type situation and I could not buy chicken at a store already nice and dead.
I liked that the instructions are very clear, and definitely written for people who have never done these things before. It actually makes me wonder if I might be brave enough to try making a small batch of soap in a blender the way the book describes. Definitely recommended if you're interested in learning how to do or make a lot of things around the home for yourself.
I have their first book "The Urban Homestead" as well, and I have to say that I liked this book much better. The previous one was hard to recommend because they apparently lacked an editor who could point out that maybe they shouldn't cuss in a how-to book (though I liked the project portions enough to have it on my shelf). The new one, done by Rodale, seems to have given them an editor. Many of the recipes and projects can be done immediately and cheaply in minutes with stuff you already have a...more
Great compilation of DIY instructions geared towards urban homesteading (the authors live in the middle of LA). How to make soap in a blender, lots of skin creams, deodorants, shampoo,solar oven, beer, sauerkraut. How to garden, keep chickens and bees, compost. A whole lot of knowledge in a small book.
Covers the basics of urban homesteading--everything from mixing your own laundry detergent to backyard beekeeping to all sorts of things in between. Not an exhaustive how-to, but it tackles small scale projects that you could sample before wholly embracing the DIY lifestyle.
This book is chock-a-block full of projects that anyone can do to live more simply and become more of a producer rather than a consumer. I mostly checked it out from the library to see if this is one for the "to purchase" list and it definitely is. Full fledged hippy-dom here I come!
Very practical day-to-day suggestions and alternatives; I've become an olive oil, vinegar and raw honey devotee--they are now must-have staples. Medium-low ick-factor (building a dry toilet, butchering chickens, using menstrual pad rinse water for fertilizer, etc.)
A great book for the frugal, self-sufficient minded person. This book has step-by-step instructions on how to do or make almost anything you'd need. Why pay for it? Make it yourself with the materials you already have.
Just missed four stars. I think this would be good for anyone who is just starting down this path, but is probably too basic for someone who as been at it for a while. Nice clear instructions.
Ordered a copy of my own after reading about half of this book. I'm sure I'll finish it and then go back and re-read parts time and again. It's a great instructional book for DIYers.
I love this book. The make-it-yourself projects start simple and don't ever get ridiculously complicated. I feel like I *can* make my own hair conditioner!
This is a really fantastic book for anyone looking to DIY their life. Recipes and instructions abound. I recommend it to anyone looking to save money or wanting to be more self reliant.
Absolutely fantastic book for anyone interested in homesteading or just a little home-DIY, from soap to soup stock, in an effort to wean themselves off of the supermarket/department store.
This book is really more of a project-based how-to book for sustainable living. Even though I read it all the way through, it really is meant more as a reference. The book divides projects up by how often you'll need to do them, which is really convenient if you're looking for a weekend project vs. an afternoon project. Among my favorites were homemade soap in a blender, mead brewing, and natural cleaning products. For those of you are more ambitious, there are also sections on keeping chickens...more
for that person who has done all the "easy stuff" on making their home more earth friendly. This book takes the next step and identifies areas where even more home-ec activities can be "greened up". Beekeeping, laundry hanging, chicken raising. It is all here!
Read through about 2/3 of this book and decided to order a copy of it for my reference shelf. Great instructional book for DIYers.
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Aug 05, 2012 07:34am