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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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100 Cross-Stitch Gifts from Nature
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
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
Batsford Embroidery Course
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Bears in the Woods Quilt
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Better Homes and Gardens: Annuals Perennials and Bulbs
from Meredith Corporation
for Adult
in Flower Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Botanical Gardens - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Dot Barlowe
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.24
City Gardener's Handbook
from Random House
for Adult
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Classic Knits
by Marianne Isager
from Interweave Press
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden
by Gertrude Jekyll, introduced and revised by Graham Stuart Thomas
1983 revised edition from The Ayer Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Flower Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Common Arts Education
by Christopher Hall
from Classical Academic Press
for Adult
in Classical Education (Location: HSR-METCE)
$12.95
Common Weeds - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Stefen Bernath
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.09
Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers
by Scott D. Campbell
40th edition from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
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$1.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Miniature Quilt Book
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (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)
Country Flower Drying
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Creative Crafts and Stitchery
from Meredith Corporation
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Cross-Stitch Samplers
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$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)
DK Ready Set Grow!
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (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
Easy and Attractive Gifts You Can Sew
from Dover Publications
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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
Favorite Roses - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ilil Arbel
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.09
Favorite Wildflowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ilil Arbel
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.09
Floral Bouquets - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Charlene Tarbox
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$3.39
Flower Garden - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ruth Soffer
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.24
Flower Garden Quilts
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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
Fruits & Berries of the Pacific Northwest
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Garden Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Stefen Bernath
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.09
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)
Garden of Quilts
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gardener
by Sarah Stewart & David Small
from Sunburst Book
Realistic fiction for Kindergarten-4th grade
1998 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Gardening With Children
from Brooklyn Botanic Garden
for 3rd-8th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun
by Emma Biggs, with help from her dad, Steven Biggs
from Storey Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$7.00 (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
Green Thumbs
by Laurie Carlson
from Chicago Review Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Greenhouse Gardener's Manual
by Roger Marshall
from Timber Press, Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Gardening (Location: SS-GAR)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Handknits For Kids
by Lucinda Guy
from Trafalgar Square Publishing
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$10.00 (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)
Here and Now Stitchery from Other Times & Places
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Homemade Uniforms
by Daniel Forster
for 6th-10th grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$5.00
Homesteading
by Abigail R. Gehring
2nd edition from Skyhorse Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Self-Sufficiency (Location: SS-Self)
$27.95
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)
Illustrated Guide to Embroidery
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.50 (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)
Irish Chain in a Day
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens
by Melissa Caughey
from Storey Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Dover Publications
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$6.95
Language of Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$3.39
Lola Plants a Garden
by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Made with Lace
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Make a Quilt in a Day
3rd edition
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Making an Old-Fashioned Patchwork Sampler Quilt
from Dover Publications
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Making Miniature Chinese Rugs & Carpets
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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
Minidrill Fifteen Projects
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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)
More Sewing Machine Fun!
by Lynda Milligan, Nancy J. Smith
from Possibilities
for 1st-6th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest
by Joe Ammirati, Steve Trudell
1st edition from Timber Press, Inc.
for 7th-12th grade
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$29.99
My Grandmother's Patchwork Quilt
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Naive and Country Quilts
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)
Needlepoint
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Needlepoint 1/12 Scale
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
New Ideas for Lap Quilting
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Omiyage
from Contemporary Books
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (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)
Quck-Method Liberty Quilts
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Quick Rotary Cutter Quilts
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Quilter's Companion
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Quilting Bee
by Gail Gibbons
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (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)
Quilts for All Seasons
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.50 (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)
Raising a Calf for Beef
in Raising Livestock & Animal Husbandry (Location: SS-FARM)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Redoute Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Charlene Tarbox
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$3.39
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