The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps to Create a Self-Sustaining World

by Graham Bell

The Permaculture Way shows us how to consciously design a lifestyle which is low in environmental impact and highly productive. It demonstrates how to meet our needs, make the most of resources by minimizing waste and maximizing potential, and still leave the Earth richer than we found it.

Genres: Gardening, Agriculture, Food, Nature, Nonfiction

238 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2005

Reviews

[Soloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes a note from the very beginning that he is oriented towards cool climates. Even so, the book gives an idea of the basic permaculture principles suitable for any part of the world. I was primarily interested in the agrocultural aspect and it is fully presented.

What I liked: there is a set of tips with which you can immediately transform your vegetable garden. There's also a set of tips for starting from scratch, right down to "which hill to put the house under". Accounting for, conserving and utilizing phenomena such as sun, wind, cold, water sources, living elements of the ecosystem. Gardening basics, including mention of companion plants and guilds, creating and controlling water resources, restoring soil fertility. Finally, a permaculture design checklist and a list of additional reading is present.

What I didn't like: the author raises ethical issues, but does so in an incoherent way. The idea itself is good - to take care of the environment, to build a healthy society based on mutual aid, to consume less and all that, but the attempt to introduce it through an emotional message is not to my liking. Useful advice about wind measurements alternates with unproven dependence of plants on the lunar calendar and tales about dowsers. Vague wording. Some chapters could be combined into one if you squeeze out the water.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look more at worldview and our interactions with our goods and surroundings than focused on growing food. Not quite what I expected but it did have some good questions to consider.

[Hanna Koski · Rating 3 out of 5]

wish there was less why and more how

[David Koblos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I can certainly think of various other introduction books to Permaculture that are more exciting, more enjoyable, and more inspiring. Not that this one is bad in any way, but for some reason it felt a bit like lecturing, while avoiding the big picture. At some points it would get into unnecessary detail, other times it would skip over things that I thought deserved at least another paragraph of info. All in all, I love it when a book makes me want to try out some of the ideas it mentions, which I can't really say happened here.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does start with the world view of permaculture, spending the first third of the book discussing people and capital and discovering your own skills. Part two begins with your home and moves outwards. There is also discussion about gardening, orchards, agriculture and aquaculture as well as good lists of plants and their uses in the back.

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

disappointed. Some useful info but not the book I was looking for. Lots of general guidelines and not a lot of detailed specifics.