'What a marvellously interesting book to have on your shelf!
A must have for anyone who is new to, or experienced in, growing your own fruit and veg right up to animal husbandry and land preservation / conservation along with old forgotten skills like basketry, hedge laying and thatching.
The variety of information contained within the hard cover is really good, with detailed instructions on how to plant, care for and harvest all varieties of veg and fruit from the everyday to the more exotic, from how to string your onion harvest into a secure hanging plait; clamping potatoes and carrots to making homemade bread, preserves and wine or beer. The excellent colour detail drawings on almost every of the 400 pages make everything easy to follow.
I would have liked to see more on the subject of permaculture or natural farming, it is sadly missing, and a few more practical skills and crafts would have been wonderful, although those covered are by no means unnecessary.
The book is scattered with gems of information and detail to make you go back to it again and again.
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Customer Review:
Review by: C Jones, 23 November 2009
'This book is pretty much a one-stop resource for anything related to self-sufficiency. It not only provides information on what and when to grow, but also harvesting, keeping animals and cooking tips including how to make preserves. This is a really fantastic book and would make a very useful addition to your home bookshelf, as well as being a really great gift. '
Customer Review:
Review by: Julie , 22 November 2009
'As a beginner to the field of self-sufficiency, I found this book to be invaluable to getting started. It covers such a wide range of areas from growing your own food, keeping animals, foraging, crafts and sustainability. The book is very easy to read, and it is possible to just dip in and out whenever you want to find out something specific. As the book has been around since the 1970s, there are a few bits that are not applicable today, however, I found it to be an incredibly useful reference source, and am looking forward to putting many of the ideas into practice! '
Customer Review:
Review by: John, 20 November 2009
'This is a terrific book but I should put in a warning; if, like me, you tend to be a bit ambitious and optimistic about projects then be prepared to be hit by a dose of reality thanks to this book. Rather than letting you waste time, effort (and money) on projects that are destined to fail, this book spells out just what you can and can''t do with the space you have and in the climate you live in.
The book also explains the degree of effort that will be involved in each level of self sufficiency and I must say that, before reading, I had expected a lot of the jobs involved to be easier (or at least less time-consuming) than they actually are. I now have a clearer idea about how much (and what kinds of) food I will be able to produce in my town garden thanks to a very detailed guide provided in the book itself and I have downgraded my plans regarding electricity generators as I simply do not have the space.
However, I now feel more confident about the success of these projects thanks to the advice provided in this book.
Regardless of the size of your property, your budget and the level of time/energy one can commit to, this book will be able to cater to your needs. There are guides on varieties of fruit, veg and livestock, explaining which will suit specific land areas, soil types and climates and what use they’re best suited to. There is also a full section on the tools and skills you may require in order to run a self sufficient home.
This book is ideal if you want to make a move out of the rat race (however large or small that move may be) and if you happen to be in possession of an acre (or four) of land then I would go so far as to suggest that you should expect this to become your new Bible. If you aren’t so lucky then ‘The New Complete Book of Self-sufficiency’ is an ideal reference book for becoming more efficient and self-sufficient in the way you live. Who knows, maybe following the advice and directions in this book will help me save the money I need to get that 4 acre smallholding. One can always dream.
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