Reddit Reddit reviews The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency

We found 9 Reddit comments about The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Books
Self-Help
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency
DORLING KINDERSLEY
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9 Reddit comments about The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency:

u/marcoroman3 路 6 pointsr/gardening

Those interested in this sort of thing should check out "The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency."

u/SlaversBae 路 6 pointsr/suggestmeabook

She sounds like a lovely lady, very inspiring. No wonder you want to give her a book.

Out of all the books on my bookshelf, if I had to give a lady like that a book, I'd give her The new complete book on Self-Sufficiency

I love this book. It is all about self-sufficient gardening and food growing. From what you can do in a tiny apartment, to a courtyard, backyard, quarter acre, acre etc.

It's fantastic to learn about crop rotating in your own backyard, and might be a trip down memory lane for her, as she and her parents probably lived like this to some extent in her early years (maybe she still does).

It's also beautifully illustrated throughout.

Just my 2 cents!

PS. I'm a female who loves learning, and while I'm not that old, I can promise you she will be so touched to receive anything, because the fact that you sourced such a thoughtful present is a beautiful thing. 馃檹馃徏

u/pdoubletter 路 4 pointsr/SelfSufficiency
u/whomewhatnow 路 3 pointsr/SelfSufficiency

Library books. Read them before you buy them. I've a HUGE collection of books, and quite a few are just crap.

I like:
Back to Basics - There's an updated version of this, but it really isn't an update as far as I'm concerned, just a re-edit. You may like the third edition updated one better, as it covers Adobe houses (better suited for Texas, no?)
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Traditional-American-Skills/dp/0895770865/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268351&sr=1-2&keywords=Back+to+Basics

The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency - I find I open this book all the time to reference gardening stuff, as well as just homestead improvements. It's British, but they know how to do it.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Book-Self-Sufficiency/dp/1405345101/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268500&sr=1-1&keywords=Complete+book+of+self-sufficiency

Home Repair - if you haven't fixed anything around the house (plumbing, patched walls, heating, some common electrical) I highly recommend something like this. It covers tools and their uses, and it breaks down almost everything in a home (or barn) into 'systems'. A lot of pictures. I recommend this to everyone I know that buys a house, or I give it as a house warming gift.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589235371/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268592&sr=1-5&keywords=The+Black+and+Decker+Home

One thing I'd like to say too. And this may sound like I'm being harsh, but I'm not. Don't hope to start something. Do. Yes, I'm sounding Yoda. I've found (and I'm slightly guilty of this as well, but not so much anymore) that people tend to overanalyze the crap out of everything. Just do. Start small (even a 4'x4' garden teaches you a lot) and do. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL fail sometimes. You WILL start to be successful after you make the mistakes and you WILL learn not to fail as much.
The first attempt will never be pretty or go exactly as planned. If it is pretty and it goes exactly as planned, then you have spent way to much time in starting it.

Oh. And if you plan on raising any livestock, remember that they do die despite your best efforts to keep them alive. And don't invest in any sort of permanent fencing until your nearly 100% sure that you are going to be raising that animal for some years to come and your 100% HAPPY in where you are confining them. Pulse-portable fencing is the greatest invention in the history of mankind.

u/Sekenre 路 2 pointsr/energy

I don't have references for this, but most farm animals require about 30% of your cropland for their own food. However they provide manure so it makes nutrient cycling a lot easier.

For example see: John Seymour's Book Where he goes on about how awesome cows are just for the manure they provide.

I was reading in David Blume's Alcohol can be a gas That you can use only 10% of your land to produce the Ethanol needed to farm it. However i don't know if this has been studied in practice.

Both methods are more labour intensive, since animals need care and making your own moonshine almost requires learning a new career. This will require raising farm wages to entice people out of the cities (or desperate people) and will not favour megafarms as they are far more dependent on capital-intensive methods.

u/Gingor 路 1 pointr/AskReddit

You could try becoming self-sufficient.

Some people who get dissatisfied with live in their 30/40s have found a fulfilling live that way.

u/kelosablog 路 1 pointr/Permaculture

They are mostly similar, but I think the "how to live it" is more extended in the book you meantioned

btw here is which I think the most complete one: https://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Book-Self-Sufficiency/dp/1405345101/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505203222&sr=1-6&keywords=john+seymour

u/MrSplinky 路 1 pointr/ireland

There is a big overlap between the two. Being self-sufficient is much more than just growing your own food and includes crafts, building, solar, etc..
Here is by far the best book on self-sufficiency and the author lived in Wexford for a while...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Complete-Book-Self-Sufficiency/dp/1405345101/ref=pd_sim_14_3/254-2751110-3740314?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6JBJQF7RGWMSHBANYV4V