The Self-Sufficiency Handbook: A Complete Guide to Greener Living

by Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater

Anyone considering a shift to a greener way of living must get this inspirational and practical guide. With easy-to-read layouts and simple text, it runs the full ecological gamut, from geothermal heating to crop rotation to soap making. The Bridgewaters, well-regarded garden writers, help readers answer questions such as how much land they really require, whether or not to depend entirely on natural forms of energy, and which farm animals will best meet their needs. There’s practical information on building an insulated flue-pipe chimney, identifying edible wild plants, and composting with worms. In addition to recipes for jams, rhubarb wine, and other delicious foods, three A-Z sections offer planting and harvesting instructions for vegetables and salad crops, fruits, and herbs.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Gardening, Green

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice practical guide to living off the land and being self sufficient. It's a lot of hard work, but if you're young and ambitious, worth a shot. I can grow enough veggies for winter for myself on my small suburban plot, so maybe I'll try to utilize more ideas from this book to be more self sufficient. If I were younger, I'd go off grid in a heartbeat! Still might!

[Elisala · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un livre intéressant pour avoir une idée de tout ce qui peut être envisagé pour vivre retiré du monde.

Bon courage en revanche pour survivre retiré du monde avec seulement ce livre sous la main.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seems to be a book for people who are really, genuinely, very serious about going off-grid. As in, "No, seriously, I'm going to do this thing, and now I just need some advice on choosing the right land plot." Since I have never successfully grown tomatoes, clearly I was not the intended audience.

Still, it was kind of fun reading and daydreaming about my perfect, energy efficient little hobbit house, with a bountiful herb garden in the back yard.

[Renee(Reneesramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am without doubt conscious that I make daily decisions that hurt or help our environment as well as my own state of mind and well being. I live in the suburbs in a place where bigger is better and I couldn't tell you more than the very basics about any of my neighbors. I've always imagined retiring somewhere in New Hampshire and would love to lead a much simpler, more self-sufficient life. I grow my own vegetables, recycle and walk rather than drive to local businesses, but I am still oh so reliant on electricity, internet, oil heat and all the modern conveniences that make our lives, well less connected with people. When I saw this book, I was immediately drawn to the authors who stated they would provide an overview on how to live a more self-sufficient life.
The book covers quite an array of subjects, from living off the grid to growing an organic garden and animal husbandry. I would compare this to an appetizer before your entrée; a small taste of something designed to wet your appetite. The stories are interesting and informative and the book provided me with a lot of food for thought. As a beginner's guide, I would recommend this to anyone looking to live a more green life, even if going off the grid isn't your goal. A solid 3.5 stars.
Thank you, Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater, Fox Chapel Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Netgalley for Review:

If you are like me and occasionally daydream about owning your own plot of land and having a completely self sufficient household, growing your own food and creating your own power, then this is the book for you. It is a hard core guide, not just about how to set up a few things to make your house more self sufficient, but how to properly pick a plot of land and what to look for depending on your needs, which I liked. I always appreciate guides that realize that it is not a one size fit all kinda world and talk about options for people since everyone is different. For me personally, it was fun to read but not the most useful, as I am wanting more of a very beginners guide to gradually make my environment more self sufficient (I also need to get better at keeping plants alive if I am going to grow my own food) but when I am ready to make the leap to a more complete outlook this is the book I will go with.

[Laura M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted badly to like this book, because I am all about self-sufficiency and learning skills to make the best like I can on my rural property. How well you like this book will depend on what you are looking for. I was hoping for more self-sufficiency skills. This book focuses far more on finding the correct parcel of land for your needs, and energy sources. The chapters include: The Land, The Self-Sufficient House, The Organic Food Garden, Animal Husbandry, and The Pantry. While the book does talk about how to begin the path to self-sufficiency if you live in a city, the bulk of the book is focused on things you can do in a rural setting. I also found there was nothing really new here if you have read quite a bit on the subject of self-sufficiency and rural living. That said, if you are new to the idea, it is a good, and somewhat comprehensive, "manual" on the subject.

[Trieste Devlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed. A weird mix of overly basic/extremely repetitive if you have any prior knowledge (it seems like the book was short 25 pages or so and so they pasted the SAME description of good soil once for every vegetable discussed) with short confusing or overly simplified sections on huge topics (like the complexities of building an efficient house).

I did appreciate the author's straightforward attitude towards processing foods - no fearmongering about what could go wrong when you cure meat or make wine or whatever, just a reminder to use your senses and some descriptions of what it looks like when something looks wrong.

The best part was the overview/review sections on different crops and processing methods.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a focused book on homesteading. There is a great deal of more depth in this book than in most homesteading books. Most homesteading books are wide,not deep and gloss over things like what kind of land to buy. This is understandable based on the amount of topics most homesteading books cover. Topics like soap making aren't covered here, which allows greater detail in areas energy efficiency and gardening. All in all an excellent homesteading resource.

[Wes Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best book on self sufficieny I've read. It covers home designs and systems, growing food, animal husbandry, and some preservation techniques. While some information presented is decent, I didn't like the writing style and felt that it did not go in-depth enough on some topics. Worth a thumb through with a focus on certain areas of interest, but I won't try to read it cover to cover again.

[Inder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't as much about farming/intensive gardening as it is about green building, composting your own sewage (!), and other aspects of self-sufficiency. Nonetheless, a very valuable resource. A bit hard core, but I'm sure, very valuable. Seriously, in between some of the very hard core stuff, there is some really good advice on digging, mulching, and growing veggies.

[Audra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. I have no plans to turn off my power and build a windmill in my backyard. Wouldn't get that one by the HOA. I like the gardening and canning section. I was expecting more of an "urban homestead" type book, not one about going without any local services.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really useful. Had a lot of great ideas I hope to use when I move out. Anyone whether looking to become self-sufficient or just live a more ecologically friendly lifestyle should give this book a try.

[Wendy Klik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beginners guide to greener living. Lots of great information for getting started and deciding how green you want to be. See my complete review at http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspo...

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good detail on living off grid.

[Erin (work) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to daydream.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful info about organic gardening, and other useful tips regarding a life living off-grid. I read this book pretty much just to glean the gardening info.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

very complete guide. enjoyed the building plans.