Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills

by Reader's Digest Association

Uses the latest methods to teach crafts and old-fashioned domestic skills and contains projects ranging from planting a kitchen garden to building a hot tub

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, How To, Gardening, Survival, Crafts, History

456 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. is a global media and direct marketing company based in Chappaqua, New York, best known for its flagship publication founded in 1922, Reader's Digest. The company's headquarters are in New York City, where it moved from Pleasantville, New York.

The company was founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace in 1922 with the first publication of Reader's Digest magazine, but has grown to include a diverse range of magazines, books, music, DVDs and online content.

Reviews

[Deodand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I see this book at my parent's house, I pick it up. There's something about the depth of the material here, the insane level of illustration, that draws me to this book. My father has kept this book to hand for decades. He is the only person I know who's had the opportunity to apply a fraction of the knowledge contained in this tome.

This book explains how to do everything the old-fashioned way - and I do mean everything. You have to have held this book in your hands to get it. If a nuclear bomb went off I'd have this book in my shelter - heck, I could probably use it as a shelter.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 review: This 1980 how-to book riding the crest of the "back to the land" movement presents a dizzying array of skills, crafts, and advice. I grew up poring over it for hours, and I want a copy for my own shelves.

Original review: Everything from crafts to gardening to recipes. In this push for multi-culturalism, it's kind of heart-warming and grounding to look back at the skills that have always been considered "American"--that are in themselves a blend of foreign cultures.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a bear mauls you, don't wash the wound out with peroxide. You may end up having something unneccessarily amputated. (For some reason that is the piece of advice that stuck with me from this book.) This book tells you how to build your log cabin from scratch, how to find water in the desert, and loads of other useful things. Thank you, Matthew Petty.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must have read through this book several times as a kid/teen - my Dad's book, of course, just his kind of thing. And pretty much his life - our life. No electricity, living off the land to a great degree... Good memories. I'd love to leaf through it again!

This book has it all - how to do everything from scratch. Build a home, raise livestock, plant a garden, amongst other things.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first time I have checked this book of my library. This time I am viewing it with fresh eyes. I no longer am interested in this topic, I now have a need to absorb this topic.. good examples and pictures make this book very user friendly for those of us who wish or need to return to a simpler way of living a sustainable lifestyle. Topics covered are once again very timely. Canning, live stock, rural farming, husbandry, and even a gallery of fish. I definitely believe this is a book worth keeping handy as a reference. we can count on Reader's Digest to keep us straight. The book was published in 1981.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up reading this book. It captured my deep desire for living off the land, using the things that surround you and keeping the older crafts alive. I still enjoy flipping through it to learn how to build a log cabin, extract honey from a hive, or how to plant and cultivate celery. It's a fabulous do-it-yourself guide on slowing down and doing for yourself. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in living off the land!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. It was published in 1981, so there are current publications that have current issues. But I like this one because it has wonderful how-to's if I decided to move to the mountains of New Mexico with my husband and play hermit. It's a survival guide for the city runaway.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this since I was a kid. It started just because I liked looking at all the animal pictures (though I could never stomach the idea of killing/eating them), and gradually branched out into every chapter. I will probably never apply any of this information in a practical way, but it has provided countless hours of daydreaming and creatively writing about what I could do with the right equipment and level of determination. What I really love is how vast and varied the information is - from impossibly complex things like farming crops or harvesting natural energy, to camping suggestions and simple ideas for recreation.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the how to version of Farmer Boy, for the 70's. Its awesome, how to build a log cabin, how to build a solar hot water heater, how to build a methane digester! Could use an updated for the 00's.

[Craig Knock · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest book ever written by mankind. Convert your poop to household energy. Build a hydro-electric generator in your back yard. Employ passive solar heating to maximum effect in your household. Turn your above ground pool into an aquarium that feeds the family.


Greatness.

[David Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad purchased this book for me when I was just a kid and through the years I have read, re-read and then referenced it again many times! It is full of illustrations and step by step instructions for the many skills it describes for the home gardner, hobby farmer, and nature lover.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. What an AMAZING book! Wanna talk about raisin' some chickens? Diggin' your own water well? Ah yeah, this book is for YOU! Drop what you're doing RIGHT NOW, and go find this book and BUY IT. Life changing.

[Linda Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, have owned it since the 1980s, and have lent it to daughters more than once; currently cannot find it so may have to buy another copy.

[Sarah Brazytis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you need to sew a pair of moccasins, spin wool, raise a milk cow, start a fire without matches, convert a tree into lumber, or mix up your own lip balm? This is the book. Because when you need to grow carrots, bake bread, churn ice cream, dye fabric with plants, keep bees, and celebrate Christmas, it will tell you how. Every time I need to go wilderness camping, sew a patchwork quilt, lay a patio, raise rabbits, hook a rug, create a composting toilet, mix up an herbal hair rinse, and cut pegs for my furniture, this is where I will go. That way, when I make persimmon pudding, brew root beer, concoct sausage, build a sauna, unclog my turbine, and put up wallpaper, I'll do it right. No one wants to tie the wrong knot, dig your pond in an improper place, weave your fabric incorrectly, read the weather signs inaccurately, miscut your dovetail joints, ruin your peach turnovers, dry your pemmican badly, or have your herb garden grow awry. We all want the perfect grapefruit, hair dye, gristmill, Boston Baked Beans, adobe house, beeswax candles, and Blueberry Buckle. And when things do fall apart, we'll know where to turn to know how to stop the bleeding, heal the athlete's foot, sharpen the axes, care for abandoned birds, find the right wood to bake bread, create an emergency fish hook, and boil cattail roots for supper. That's when we'll be able to celebrate by making a spinner toy, playing cat's cradle, flying a kite, designing a wreath, or dancing square dances to a handmade dulcimer.

If I could choose one book to take with me to a desert island - or anywhere else, for that matter, it would be this book. You would almost have to knock yourself unconscious with the hardback copy to not survive - anywhere - as long as you can read. Or see pictures. That's how good it is.

[Audrey Friday G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very influential book when I was young, it gives you surprisingly detailed instructions for making it on your own. Our family utilized nearly every part of this book, and we have all built upon its instructions. If you like country living, this is a must-have manual when you are starting out. Learn everything from shearing sheep and putting up fences to building a house or barn, planting garden beds, or household repair.

[Stitching · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this at a used bookstore when I moved to a rural area in 1994. It's well-written and a great reference book. I've read it at least 5 times and typically reread several sections annually. I couldn't find it last year so I bought another copy- it's just that good. Though I read other books that claim to offer similar instructions, they are never quite as good for every subject as this book is.

[Stephanie Sirois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all, from animal husbandry, to buying and building on land, to different energy solutions to skills and crafts, to vegetable and fruit growing, even recreation and fun at home and in the wild.

I go back to this book often whenever I have questions about my homestead and it's a staple for any troubleshooting in the home.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really has stood up well over time for backyard homestead type make-it-yourself content. From how to cut and store lumber, to canning and preserving food, this has a ton of cool content for the hobbiest or the folks wanting to be a little more self-reliant.

[baej · Rating 5 out of 5]

It tackles the perspective of how society was during the 1950s to the early 1970s on a daily basis, informative for young readers of today to refer to as recorded documents of the older generation in order to learn from our mistakes.

[Christine Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating book. Most Americans live in such a developed world that they won't even have the chance to use many of these skills. "Part 1: Land/Buying It--Building on It" is the first chapter, and even that is already out of reach for so many people :')

[EM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great how-to book on just about everything. Detailed info, along with pix, make it easy to follow. This one is a keeper to refer back to time and time again.

[Celeste Rule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grew up with this book in our house and I finally ordered it for myself. Very informative if you're into this sort of thing.

[J Crossley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is full of skills and ways to use those skills. It is a rather large book. There are plenty of illustrations.

[Ebony NightWing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

[Chappyfamily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much information for homesteading

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is on of the best books for building and living off the beaten path everything you need to know how to survive on your own with out all the modern things

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know me you know I love this book. It’s my survival backup.

[Judith the Book Gobbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reference.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to work on gradually becoming more self sufficient. This book has massive amounts of information. It talks about planning your house so that it is more efficient, getting water, providing heat, creating energy, growing a garden, raising animals, preserving produce, recipes, making syrup, dying fabric, spinning, weaving, making rugs, making brooms, metalwork, woodwork, soapmaking, basketry and lots more.

I'm sure there are other topic specific books that will provide more information, but this is a great starter book that has helped me become aware of some of the things I need to think about in my quest for self sufficiency.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a nice book to look at and dream of living in the wilds of Tasmania with chickens and alpacas and living off your garden. Not likely to ever happen, but good daydream. My dad gave me this for Xmas about 15 years ago. It tells you in brief how to do just about everything crafty and self sufficient. I want to keep bees, make cheese and build a refectory table in my daydream too! Oh, and get a goat and weave it a coat of course.