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Self-Sufficiency

The term "self-sufficiency" often conjures images of gun-toting non-tax-paying militiamen in an Idaho compound on one end, and docile unlettered Foxfire-penning Appalachian hillbillies on the other. For the folks at Skyhorse Publishing (and others in the growing movement), self-sufficiency is less radical because it's adherents manage to maintain their sanity, and more radical because it requires a lot more self-discipline. It's easy to rely on your own wits and resources if you abandon civilization altogether, less so if you simply try to reorder your life in its midst.

There's a green element here—conservation is key to maintaining healthy levels of energy and resources. And there's a communal element—cutting oneself off from all human interaction is unfulfilling and makes becoming self-sufficient (somewhat ironically) much more difficult. But this isn't some free-love psychedelic anti-authoritarian head trip; while there are certainly neo-hippie aspects to the movement, its proponents are primarily pretty even-keeled people who simply want to be able to do things for themselves....and then do them.

Probably the self-sufficiency bible (at least among the Skyhorse canon) is Self-Sufficiency edited by Abigail Gehring, a compendium of actually useful information to help you achieve a measure of independence from the crushing modernity of contemporary existence (manifesting itself in ever more insidious ways, like store-bought bread, genetically-altered vegetables, and furniture you might have assembled but in no sense made). Full-color photographs, drawings and diagrams make doing these things for your self achievable.

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre and The Self-Sufficiency Handbook are perhaps lesser scriptures, but no less helpful in converting your house and whatever land you have at your disposal into food- and energy-generating resources. Animal husbandry, gardening, small farming, butter churning, waste disposal, solar power, geothermal heating, organic crop production, preserving and pretty much anything else you need to know are covered concisely yet comprehensively.

Then there's the Self-Sufficiency series, a collection of single-volume explorations of everything from Home Brewing to Household Cleaning to Beekeeping and Cheesemaking. Each book is illustrated with full-color drawings and takes you step-by-step through each skill in clear language that explains technical terminology and difficult procedures rather than simply (as is the case with so many similar treatments) avoiding them. These are the kind of guides that, when carefully read and followed, can make anyone an amateur expert in the particular skill addressed.

Of course Skyhorse isn't the last word on self-sufficiency. Other publishers have been producing similar manuals for a long time, like Rodale and Cumberland, and many of them are of similarly high quality. What makes those offered by Skyhorse particularly welcome is their up-to-date information helping people in the Digital Age achieve a level of independent living. While not everyone will end up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, anyone can break the bonds of consumerist slavery that have rendered many (most?) of us unable to fend for ourselves. These books will not only encourage and inspire you—they'll tell you what to do and how to do it.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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All New Square Foot Gardening
by Mel Bartholomew
3rd edition from Cool Springs Press
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$24.99
America's Knitting Book
by Gertrude Taylor
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 8th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
American Patchwork & Quilting
from Better Homes and Gardens Books
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Aromatherapy: An A-Z
by Patricia Davis
Revised from Random House
for Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Back to Basics
by Abigain Gehring
4th edition from Skyhorse Publishing
for 11th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$27.95
Backyard Homestead
by Carleen Madigan
from Storey Publishing
for Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$18.95
Better Homes and Gardens: Annuals Perennials and Bulbs
from Meredith Corporation
for Adult
in Flower Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
City Gardener's Handbook
from Random House
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Common Arts Education
by Christopher Hall
from Classical Academic Press
for Adult
in Classical Education (Location: HSR-METCE)
$12.95
Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers
by Scott D. Campbell
40th edition from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Conditioning to Win
for Adult
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Contained Garden
from Viking Press
for 10th-Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
David Hicks Garden Design
by David Hicks
from Routledge & Kegan Paul
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Down & Dirty
by Ellen Zachos
1st edition from Storey Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$19.95
Encyclopedia of Country Living
by Carla Emery
50th Anniversary from Sasquatch Books
for Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$29.95
Encyclopedia of Sewing Machine Techniques
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Essential Guide to Self-Sufficient Living
Back to Basics Guides
by Abigail R. Gehring, ed.
2nd edition from Skyhorse Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$16.99
Farm Anatomy
by Julia Rothman
1st edition from Storey Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$18.99
Folk Toys Around the World
by Joan Joseph, illustrated by Mel Furukawa
from Parents Magazine Press
for Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Food Anatomy
by Julia Rothman
from Storey Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Culture of Food (Location: COOK-CUL)
$18.99
Garden Flowers Iron-On Transfer Patterns
by Claire Bryant
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
God of the Garden
by Andrew Peterson
from B&H Books
for 10th-Adult
in Creating Culture (Location: XCU-CRE)
$15.29
Growing Roses in the Pacific Northwest
by Nita-Jo Rountree
from Sasquatch Books
for Adult
in Flower Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades
by Steve Solomon
6th edition from Sasquatch Books
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Handmade Skateboard
by Matt Berger
from Spring House Press
for Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Horse Care Tips from A to Z
from EQUUS Magazine
for Adult
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal
by Robert M. Miller
for Adult
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Dover Publications
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$6.95
Mary Engelbreit: Christmas Ideas
by Mary Engelbreit
from Meredith Press
for 9th-Adult
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mini Farming
by Brett L. Markham
from Skyhorse Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$18.95
Modern Quilting Designs
by Bethany Pease
from Stashbooks
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
by Joelle Hoverson, photographs by Anna Williams
from Abradale
for 6th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Naming of Flowers
by Anne Halpin, illustrated by Rob Proctor
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms
by Gary H. Lincoff
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-Adult
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$26.00 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Orchard Mason Bee
by Brian L. Griffin, illustrated by Sharon Smith
1st edition from Knox Cellars Publishing
for 10th-Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Pacific Northwest Foraging
by Douglas Deur
from Timber Press, Inc.
for 8th-Adult
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$25.99
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants
by Scott Kloos
2022 printing from Timber Press, Inc.
for 11th-Adult
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$27.99
Perfect Fit
from Creative Publishing International
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Perfect Piecing
Rodale's Successful Quilting Library
by Karen Costello Soltys, editor
from Rodale Press
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Plain & Fancy
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Pulled Thread Embroidery
by Moyra McNeill
1993 reprint from Dover Publications
for 8th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Quilting School
by Ann Poe
from Reader's Digest
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rabbits for Dummies
by Connie Isbell and Audrey Pavia
2nd edition from Wiley Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Rock Gardens
Master Gardener
by John Kelly
from Ward Lock
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Roots Shoots Buckets & Boots
by Sharon Lovejoy
from Workman Publishing
for Adult
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Samplers & Motifs in Cross Stitch
by Angela Davidson
from Merehurst
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Self-Reliance
by Backwoods Home Magazine
from Backwoods Home Publications
for Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Self-Sufficiency
Back to Basics Guides
by Abigail R. Gehring, ed.
2nd edition from Skyhorse Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$39.99
Self-Sufficiency Handbook
The Self-Sufficiency Series
by Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater
from Skyhorse Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$12.95
Singer Quilting by Machine
Sewing Reference Library
from Cy DeCosse
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Sunset Western Garden Book
8th edition from Oxmoor House
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Sunset Western Garden Book
from Sunset Publishing Corp.
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Sunset Western Garden Book
by The Editorial Staff of Lane Publishing Co.
Stated First Edition from Lane Publishing Co.
for Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Sustainable Vegetable Garden
by John Jeavons and Carol Cox
from Ten Speed Press
for Adult
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Victorian Alphabets, Monograms and Names
by Rita Weiss, editor
from Dover Publications
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Voices of the Past
by Kaye England
from Kaye England Publications
for Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wonderful Windowboxes
by Derek Nimmo
from Ward Lock
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Writer's Garden
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
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