Books Living Off The Grid

by Dave Black

In daily life, we can take control of the resources and services we depend on. Electricity and energy don’t have to come off the public utility grid—alternatives abound in solar, wind, and water generated power. Design decisions can drastically affect power consumption, and bio-diesel and alternative fuels can help break the oil habit. Dave Black describes alternatives for eco-pimping your home and lifestyle for independence, economy, and a more integrated way of life. Equally valuable for the urban dweller vaguely concerned about the size of his or her carbon footprint and the rural self-sufficiency enthusiast, Living Off the Grid can help anyone take control of his or her life and way of living.

Genres: Nonfiction, Survival, Reference, Sustainability, Environment, Science

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't the book I was expecting. That's probably not the author's fault. It was more like a high school text book and a bit heavy on the 'that information has been out there for years already' side of things.

If you didn't know anything about solar energy, wind power, etc., it would be a good start. If you've been working towards living off the grid for several years already, this may not have much in the way of new information for you.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many people are attempting to return to a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Living off the grid presents tips for living off the network of infrastructures becoming less depend on government and corporation services such as power and water. While useful, it should not be the reader's only source of information.

[R. C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a guide to surviving off the grid, with some philosophizing along the way about how gross compost toilets are, how large a percentage of any population leeches off the rest, and whether it is worth it to come to blows over various resources. I kept expecting the full-on incel prepper to jump out and toxic-masculinate at me any word now. The entire book was written like not seeing your poop was more important than your poop ceasing to contaminate an environment. A method involving placing it in plastic grocery bags then leaving it in a town dump was particularly noteworthy because, well, how does that not require a grid? This book is about being on the lamb from the grid, not crafting a life where a grid is not necessary.

All that said, it also contained the most succinct and straightforward explanation of some processes that I have ever read in twenty-five years of reading about off grid homesteading. In fact I'll credit this book for containing a one-sentence plain-English summary of how compost toilets work that finally got through to my chemistry-avoidant brain. If you're a hippie, you probably do still want to peruse this guide to dodgy survival tactics. The stuff in here will come in handy while you're transitioning and if your systems go down and you want to leech off the grid without hooking back in.

[Marcia Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I have little hope of ever living off-grid, I love reading about people who do. Black's book is one of the most practical I've read on the subject; he offers lots of suggestions about how to adapt your current lifestyle to one that's more responsible, and he provides a wealth of information for those who want to move away from dependence on the grid, as much as is possible. To truly go off-grid, you'd need more than this book provides, but it's both a great place to start and a helpful addition to the libraries of those are already on their way.

[Victour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the author to be snobby and annoying but the book is chock full of interesting and useful information.

[Don · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for telling me that solar fixes everything, what a waist.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fine starting place to get a list of a few concepts to look into deeper. The author's tone is very contemptuous at times, though.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

It reads like a textbook. Did not like the author’s tone in his writing. If the grid went down, I do not think there would be much helpful information
I learn more watching Homestead Rescue!

[Stevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dry read on the shelf in my bunker. Material is dated now all these years later, but a good starting point for the lost and clueless.

[Steven P.]

Finished 2-12-25

[Douglas Audirsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a basic introduction to setting up alternative energy sources for residential use. Since I am a novice in this area, it was helpful and interesting. Although the author occasionally distracts himself by making political commentary asides, they are easy to scan past to stay on track. It was not a deep or exhaustive manual on the subject, but it served the purpose for which I needed it - to stir up my thoughts on this subject and ponder what options I might have for my situation.

[Area51 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing new that has not been said thousands of times before, unless you want to read idiotic suggestions for living "off the grid" like checking out websites for shelters and soup kitchens in the United States.

The most uninformative book on this subject I have seen. Don't waste your money on this book.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good intorduction of who off-grid technologies work. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for. (I wanted more of an instruction of how slot A goes into slot B sort of thing.) Unfortunately my husband isn't quite ready to go completely off grid.

[EOB]

It's nice to see one of these books that
(a) isn't aimed at Aryan Survivalist crazies and
(b) doesn't assume a $2 million Permaculture Magazine Spread budget.
Lots of interesting and hackable ideas herein.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interest Read with short chapters that explain different areas for how to live off the grid. Cooking, sewerage, energy, etc are all included with options for how to survive off the land and resources off the grid. It is very informative.

[Sidnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, with lots of how-to's (for those that can) and the rest of us who can't at least have some idea of direction to take and what to ask.

[LeeFrances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly simple explanations. A good primer for all sorts of "off-grid" projects.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book as much as I thought. This book did not really have any practical tips in it unless my plan was to live in a hut....

[Laura]

okay but simplistic, seemed like a lot of other people's work gathered, not very in depth... could have used more examples or histories of people...not worth purchasing...

[Roberta Chalmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for extremely new beginners, but anyone who has been camping before knows most of what's in this book already.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic covering of the topic. Nothing here groundbreaking for me.