reading vs doing

This weekend I attended a book signing at my local independent bookstore. I hit it off with the author and can't wait to sit down with the book. The work is historical but with an element of supernatural, while mine are straight historical. I asked him how he got the daily life stuff right and he gave a few suggestions. But I have a suggestion for him. Get thy self to a reenactment. Any time period before electrified houses works. Knowing that you can't cook until you have chopped the wood is fine, but trying to build a fire when you are hungry, and you know you still have to wait until the food is cooked is quite another.