An inspiration - Rated 
What a great book. I've been interested in some time in becoming a bit more self sufficient. This book is easy to read, interesting and full of great, practical advice. I've started making my own bread and there's so many other things that I am going to try. I've recommended this book to a lot of my friends. Excellent stuff. A book for every household!
This is the concise version of the late John Seymour's book - Rated
`The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency'.
`Make your dream of a self sufficient life a practical reality with this concise version of Seymour's classic guide. Featuring a comprehensive guide to planting and harvesting, it shows how to gather food from the wild and from the garden, and includes chapters on traditional crafts and skills, cutting waste and generating power.'
A neat little book with smart dark green board covers holding 256 high quality pages, spilt over 7 main chapters:-
(1) The Meaning of Self Sufficiency
(2) Food from the Garden
(3) Food from Nature
(4) In the kitchen
(5) Energy and Waste
(6) Crafts and Skills
(7) Things You Need to Know
with sections:-
`Why a Concise Guide',
`The Self-Supporting Life'
`Foreword from 2002 edition'
an introduction and an index.
Charming illustrations throughout along with clearly illustrated step-by-step guides, e.g.:-
Making Jams and Syrups
Building Foundations and a Wall
Digging a Deep Bed
Sowing and Planting
Scything
Storing Potatoes
Stringing Onions
Making Bread
Bottling Tomatoes
Making Tomato Chutney
Beer Making
Making Rose Hip Wine
Useful reference sections include:-
Vegetables
Herbs
Soft Fruit
Tree Fruit
Poultry
Wild Fruits
Mushrooms
Brewing Basics
Managing Waste
Saving Energy
Essential Knots
Heat from the Sun
Recipes include:-
Farmhouse Carrot Cake
Cheese Scones
Flapjacks
Baked Cauliflower
Elderberry Wine
From the introduction from Will Sutherland:-
`this concise version of `The New Complete Book of Self Sufficiency' with its emphasis on practical things which busy people in cities, towns and villages - and those who don't have the wherewithal to take the whole plunge - can do to change the way they live. For most of us the prospect of keeping a cow or even managing one acre, let alone five, of rural smallholding is quite simply not realistic - but there are still many other ways of doing ordinary things differently....We hope this book will inspire you to do just this.....
Most important is the realization of the truth in the old adage that the longest journeys begin with the first step.... So even if you are only able to do just one of the things which are covered in this book, you can count this as success.
And once your journey has begun, who knows here it may end?
A wonderful book for those wanting to try self-sufficiency - Rated
This beautifully bounded book has to take pride of place on anyone's book shelf. The fantastic illustrated pictures bring the ideas to life and inspire the reader to dig up their back garden and replace their lawns with carrots and onions. Not only does the book focus on the gardening side, it has a fantastic section on animals, with clear guides on how to look after chickens, pigs, ducks and even bees!
The contacts were fantastic and helped to develop the ideas portrayed throughout the book, and the easy to understand wood section shows clearly how to cut down a tree, and turn the wood into something fantastic, with a wonderful diagram of making a bowl on a lathe, and two pages on basketry. The recipies are fantastic, with simple instructions on making bread, and a wonderfulo recipie on making elderberry wine.
Furthermore, John Seymour has provided stunning information on converting your home from a CO2 producing monster, to an environmentaly friendly establishment, using clear ideas and beautiful diagrams anyone could give it a go.
This is a must for anyone that is interested in self-sufficiency, and even those that just want to start a vegtable patch should definitely give this book a read. What a fantasic book!
STOP! WAIT FOR THE REPRINT!!! - Rated
DON'T BUY THIS VERSION!!!! There was a problem with the printing in China and the pages in the intro section, 24-25 are WRONG and don't follow... so wait for the reprint... Email Peter Jones at DK in London to find out when this will be...
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