Make: Like the Pioneers: A Day in the Life with Sustainable, Low-Tech/No-Tech Solutions

by MAKE Magazine

You may have mastered Arduino and 3D printing, but what will you make when the power goes out? This book, featuring projects drawn from previous issues of Make: and Craft:, features projects you can build with little or no technology. Whether it's making your own cider or starting a fire with a bow drill, the projects in this book will let you keep making even when you're away from civilization. Whether you're on a camping trip or fortifying the last human settlement against hordes of zombies, you'll find something in this book that will keep you happy, engaged, and most important of all... alive! Projects include:


Making fire with a bow drill
Old-school bookbinding
Kitchen table cider making
Hogwash bacon soap
Da Vinci reciprocating mechanism
The Rok-Bak chair
Olive oil lamp

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks

122 pages, ebook

First published October 5, 2015

About the author

Make: unites, inspires, informs, and entertains a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages. Make: celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will. The Make: audience continues to be a growing culture and community that believes in bettering ourselves, our environment, our educational system--our entire world. This is much more than an audience, it's a worldwide movement that Make: is leading--we call it the Maker Movement.

Reviews

[Reading For Funs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make: Like the Pioneers is an enjoyable read with plenty of useful information. Personally, I found most of the information useful for emergency or camping situations rather than for home use. The fire bow drill was my favorite chapter by far because as living near the mountains with frequent power outages and freezing temperatures I certainly have a need for this basic knowledge. The furniture chapters are great, and I'm actually getting an itch to make the fool's stool as a bookshelf or end table! I love the fact that this book motivates me into doing projects I'd otherwise normally ignore. That's always a great achievement for a book.

This book is certainly meant for adults, but I can see many of the projects being fun for the whole family with proper supervision. I could see kids having quite a bit of fun making bacon soap, or learning to make paper. I highly recommend this for anyone, the read itself is great and the recipes are incredibly useful to have. Plus if you happen to love books, Make: Like the Pioneers even educates you on how to make your own paper and how to bind a book.

[Wampus Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though projects are well-photographed with clear instructions, the problem is it’s a deep dive on one specific craft with no variables each time. So there’s no leeway in materials or creativity. Still, gonna try to start a fire soon.

[Sharanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

One or two sections were good , not really blown away or anything like that !

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read. I liked the chapter about lashing the most.

[Dani]

Other Make books tend to focus on computers and electronics, but this book points out right away that there are other kinds of technology and technical knowledge. The intro states "The projects in this book are specifically designed to be created with simple materials like saws and hammers, paper and clay, vinegar and salt, string and glue. The book provides the reader with practical hands-on experience working with wood, paper, fats and oils, even fruits!" The book is organized like a "day" in the life of an early-American pioneer. The chapters are as follows:

Morning:
1. Make a bow and drill to make a fire
2. Bacon soap
3. Apple cider
4. Paper making
5. Bookbinding

Afternoon:
6. Make a stool
7. Rok-bak chair
8 The art of lashing: a photo essay

Evening:
9. Pickle beets and grapes
10. Brine and roast a turkey
11. Roast pumpkin seeds

Night:
12. DaVinci reciprocating mechanism
13. Make an oil lamp

The projects are from a variety of authors, and each chapter begins with a short anecdote and ends with a brief bio of the author. The contents of the chapter include a list of materials needed, step-by-step how-to's with pictures, notes, warnings, and (when needed for the project) a glossary of terms.

Note that this book is geared more towards adults and isn't necessarily "kid-friendly" (that's not to say a kid couldn't do these things, though.) It is *not* "arts and crafts" or "easy-peasy projects". Also, the cider in the book is hard cider, but perhaps you could make it non-alcoholic. I would recommend this book to hands-on people who like creating and making things, who have space to do projects, and who have access to some tools.