Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills: 214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do

by Storey Publishing

Ever wanted to learn to speak “chicken”? Capture a swarm of bees? Treat aches and pain with herbal remedies? Sharpen a knife? From Storey’s vast library of expertly-authored how-to books comes a compendium of valuable skills covering every area of interest and presented through clear, colorful how-to illustrations and custom photography. Drawing from the worlds of farming, gardening, building, cooking, preserving, crafts, and natural medicine and body care, Skill-o-pedia celebrates the diverse ideas and knowledge that enable a self-sufficient lifestyle. The wisdom in these pages covers the small, the substantial, and everything in between, including how to tell a sheep from a goat; how to pour a beer for great foam; how to field dress a deer; how to navigate by the sun; how to put a bike chain back on; how to darn socks; and how to build a homestead from (and in) the woods. Some skills are purely enriching, like learning about nature through sketching or teaching a cat to jump through a hoop, while others can be lifesaving, such as learning how to dismount a horse in an emergency or how to find fresh water when water is scarce. Whether casually curious or deeply invested in living more independently, Skill-o-pedia opens the mind while teaching readers just about anything they could ever wish to be able to do themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Gardening, Cooking, Crafts, Art, Health

344 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made myself flip through every single how-to in this 345-page tome for no real reason and believe it'll mostly come in handy when the world ends here pretty soon and the remaining humans divide up into semi-feral survivalist compounds that inevitably form new class systems depending on which skills you happened to pick up from this book (e.g., folks who can build a tin can stove and field dress a deer to the east coast // folks who can make probiotic pickles and crochet a pair of earrings to the west coast).

[Carolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is right up my (Net)galley! Pure lockdown literature, we’re all at home thinking about what to do with our selves. A book about curious skills and ideas, lots of illustrated how-to guides. The content section gives you an overview of all the skills that you ‘could’ learn, and there’s plenty! While you can just skip to whatever interests you at this moment, I really enjoyed browsing through everything page by page.

I love the idea and I love the book! It describes the most curious things, from skills that I always wanted to learn to things that I always wondered “how did he/she do this this?”, but of course I was too proud to ask… I’m not sure if this is an ADHD thing or scanner personality, but I found myself excited about a lot of different things. While I’m not sure if I will ever exchange broken pipes myself, the book offers the reference for further reading and at least I know what I’ll pay the plumber for!

Some reader might think that some of the skills are silly or irrelevant, like ‘how to talk to chicken’, but I thought it’s hilarious! And if you happen to have a flock of wild guinea fowls in your garden (like I do) – it’s so helpful! Maybe I’ll probably never be fluent in ‘chicken’, it still makes for a great piece of entertainment – who knows, it might literally spark conversation one day.

I think the book is a great gift for your family members or friends with ADHD. And of course for those friends, who seem to have everything (including a great sense of humor)!

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this incredibly diverse bunch of tutorials for hundreds of skills I do know how to do (making kombucha, rooting houseplants, dyeing your hair with henna, making an herbal oil or tincture, foraging wild plants, growing a straw bale garden, clipping a cat's claws, mounting a horse, tapping a maple tree and making maple syrup...) and lots that I don't know how to do (french braid a horse's tail, tell your soil's deficiencies by the weeds growing in it, make 7 kinds of tents from tarps, make biodiesel, finger crochet, move a pig, bathe a chicken, dismount a horse in an emergency, rewire a table lamp, smoke meat on the stove...).

Yes, they're quick and easy instructions so they're not going to tell you everything you need to be an expert. But they're surprisingly well illustrated with color photos and illustrations and very simple, detailed instructions. They'll get you started and you might learn some cool skills.

Note that a lot of the skills have to do with raising, butchering and eating animals of all kinds (with some graphic images -- I really didn't need to ever see what you need to do to a deer's anus during field dressing), so vegetarians may find the book less useful.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceedingly fun to peruse, bafflingly ordered, sometimes suggests that complicated tasks have a simple solution. Perhaps don't "make your own biodiesel" based on a two-page spread in a large compendium of random skills. But like, starting a compost heap or making kombucha or holding a duck seem doable.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but covered a lot of complex topics that would need more in-depth instruction. A good brainstorming book, but I would do deeper research for the majority of the projects listed.

[Isabel Hinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cool! It had a ton of really awesome ideas for DIY projects, as well as just helpful tips for doing practical things! If you're wanting to become more self-sufficient/build a homestead for you and your family, this is a great tool to help you get started.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a skills collection to keep you busy if you are stuck at home, say for example during a quarantine. The one that is really curious is how to move a pig, but I guess you could practice on family members.

[cellomerl · Rating 3 out of 5]

One quarter of these things I already know how to do.
One quarter of them I’d like to do, and maybe half of the instructions are sufficient to do help me do them.
One quarter of them I am fairly certain that I would ever do, but it’s good to know that I have at least rudimentary instructions should I ever wish to.
One quarter of them I might do, but these instructions are either incomprehensible or incomplete.
A few of them are just silly, somewhat trivial, or downright dangerous. (A paper shade for a candle? An outdoor shower operated by a foot pump bringing water through a hose from a pot heated directly by a propane burner, with no thermostat?)
This is a decent book for the nice stepwise colour photos and illustrations, and quite a few of the activities are quite inspiring. It’s a broad sample of stuff taken from other books in the Storey’s library, and provides the source reference for each set of instructions, so if the adapted instruction isn’t enough, you know where else to go for more information.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compendium of DIY living tips from previous Storey books. Great for people in more rural areas - tips like how to dress a deer, how to catch a chicken or how to tell different kinds of chicken apart, and how to plan a vegetable garden are great for people with lots of space. There is a small but nice crafting section, where readers can learn how to make a t-shirt quilt, finger knit or crochet, and knit a hat without a pattern. Other handy DIYs include putting a bike chain back on, growing avocado trees from a pit, predicting weather by the clouds, and dyeing your hair with herbs. There are a few tips and tricks here for urban and suburban folks, which makes this a handy book to have in most libraries. Photos and illustrations throughout.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to browse. Interesting to read a choice here and there. Shall I make a fire pit? Flower Pot Smoker? or Sheer Sheep in 10 Steps?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cool book. Instructions with pictures on 214 things you can learn to do...catch a swarm of bees...bake bread in a terra cotta pot...how to milk a goat...make a tincture to ease aches & pains...make anti-fatigue essential oil drops...understanding the language of crows...make 7 tents from tarps...how to pickup & carry a rabbit...a fun read.

[Elizabeth Gajdosik]

Cool book.

[DeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to learn something fun? This book teaches you 214 fun and/or interesting things such as how to make a flowerpot smoker to how to give s foot massage to how to rewire a table lamp. Such a fun and interesting book!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills is a pastiche collection of short how-to essays on a staggering variety of self-sufficiency related and obsolescent skills. Due out 15th Sept 2020 from Storey Publishing, it's 344 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Storey is well known for producing practical, sensible, well illustrated books aimed at helping readers get the best out of their lives and live a healthy lifestyle. Many of their books and leaflets have found a permanent place in my library and I turn to them often for inspiration and advice. This is a well written collection of precise and accessible tutorials with lots (LOTS) of advice for performing tasks diverse as "reading" weeds to judge growing conditions, making upside-down container gardens in 5 gallon buckets (hint: doesn't work particularly well), shearing sheep, digging clams, making and hanging a hammock, hiving bees, changing a car tire, making biodiesel, and a host of other tasks. There is something here for *everyone*.

This is a beautifully presented book, well written and pretty well illustrated. The recipes are interesting and (mostly) made with easily sourced ingredients. Scattered throughout the book are highlights and essays written by different authors with information and background on all the diverse topics.

It would make a great home reference for paging through. There is little info here for more advanced readers, but almost all of the tutorials are referenced in the comprehensive bibliography for further information. The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. The headers include a description and introduction. Measurements are given in US standard only - some recipes have ingredients listed by ratio (one part this, one part that by weight or volume). Special tools (mortar/pestle) and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and processing and dosage directions. Variations for each recipe are also included in a footer at the end. The book also includes an index as well as references and a tutorial list arranged alphabetically by topic.

Four stars, really interesting book, but -very- basic information.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Danny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills has a delightful ambition — to offer short introductions and instructions for the broadest set of skills, ranging from braiding a horse’s tail to fixing a toilet in the turn of a page. Many of the skills detailed are useful, many more are pleasingly ridiculous.

The breadth of subjects covered is impressive, while remaining grounded by leaning towards homesteading skills that deal with crops, livestock and household repairs. Each skill is covered in a page or two of light content, in an airy layout with plenty of photos and illustrations. It is ideal for skimming through, for both inspiration and amusement, and the book benefits most from its more eye-catching entries such as washing a chicken or milking a goat.

Unfortunately, the book fails to address a single audience, often expecting too much of the lay reader. Many of the instructions for skills make reference to domain-specific terms or assume knowledge of that specific subject. The most noticeable example of this is the crocheted earrings of p260, the instructions for which make such heavy use of crochet acronyms as to be entirely unreadable. The result is that the compendium feels too much like a set of clippings from other texts; I would have loved for this book to do a little more to find a consistent voice and to immerse the lay reader in each area.

At the end of the book is an index sorted by subject, pulling together the seemingly random entries in the book. I assume the random organisation was chosen to suit casual skim-reading rather than providing a reference on any given subject. There is also a lengthy bibliography section providing the sources which have been excerpted from. This makes the book a good starting point for exciting curiosity and then providing a source for further reading in the fuller context.

In summary, this is an interesting, attractive, and ambitious book, though one perhaps better suited to the coffee table than the reference shelf.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills: 214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do by How-To Experts at Storey Publishing is currently scheduled for release on September 15 2020. Readers with a hunger for knowledge and an interest in the myriad ways people have taught themselves to make, grow, and build will discover the ins and outs of how to do everything they’ve ever wondered about in this colorful, inviting volume. With dozens of useful and intriguing visual tutorials that cover how to carve a turkey, capture a swarm of bees, predict the weather by the clouds, darn socks, create a butterfly garden, set up a dog agility course, keep a nature sketchbook, navigate by the stars, and more, this rich compendium will educate, fascinate, spark conversation, and inspire new hobbies and experiences.

Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills is exactly what the title states, and is a helpful resource to have in the home, or to check out regularly from the library. I cannot tell you how many times I planned to do something or ran into one of the myriad of problems that come with home ownership and had to quick search up if my ideas of how to do something are right or will only make things worse. Is the solution in my head really something I remember reading or learning somewhere, and is it the best way to go? The variety of things covered in this book cover a wide range of projects, from the expected and fairly common gardening advice to making beer, candles, and herbal tinctures, to training your dog to run an agility course. A little bit of everything is covered- including many things I had never expected. The text and images come together nicely to make all of the instructions clear and concise. It was fun to look through, and I found many interested parts that I sat and studied. I think this is a great resource for every household, and a perfect gift to those striking out on their own for their first time.

[Lysette H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered how to capture a swarm of bees? Predict the weather by the clouds? And just how do you darn a pair of socks, anyway? Anyone curious about the myriad ways people have taught themselves to make, grow, and build things will find everything they’ve ever wondered about in this colorful, inviting volume. With dozens of useful and intriguing visual tutorials selected from Storey’s extensive library of how-to books, you can learn how to carve a turkey, create a butterfly garden, set up a dog agility course, keep a nature sketchbook, navigate by the stars, and more. Whether you plan to “do it yourself” or just love reading about how things are done, this rich compendium will educate, fascinate, spark conversation, and inspire new hobbies and experiences.

Wow, there is just so much to this book. Most tutorials are just a page long and topics cover a vast range from dressing a deer to finger knitting to changing a tire. I was entertained by the collection, though I admit, I am unlikely to utilize too much of the knowledge unless the world really does enter apocalypse territory (so, hopefully not anytime soon, but it is 2020, so this book is well timed.) I reviewed an ARC, so it is very likely page numbers changed, but it did seem slightly odd that bees and beekeeping, etc were in different sections of the book, but, again, this may have been rectified in the print edition. Several sections were really useful, like those regarding flowers (used for help sleeping), recognizing cuts of meat, and giving excellent massages will definitely be used. Of course, if a person is truly interested in any of these skills, they should check out the book referenced in each section as a resource, easily located at the bottom of each skill.

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How to Bathe a Chicken". That's just one of the intriguing chapter titles that will draw readers into this fascinating, useful book. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, many people find themselves spending more time cleaning or improving their homes, whether they own or rent. Household skills such as clothing repair, bike repair, canning, fermenting food and drink, and other once-common skills are explained here in clear, concise words and images. Such activities may provide comfort in an anxious time; learning how to cover a hole in the knee of a child's jeans can be satisfying. The difficulty level and cost of the skills varies, broadening the potential readership. There appears to be little to visible ethnic diversity in the illustrations, somewhat disappointing considering the recent boom in community gardens around the United States, where many Black and Brown people collaborate on projects involving skills like the ones in this book, as well as the increasing numbers of ethnically diverse organic farming collectives. Some are refugees who are sharing their experience and knowledge as they learn more about their adopted country. Homesteaders will benefit from livestock, food preservation, and basic building skills, and so can urban farmers and people working in community gardens. This book could be a good teaching tool for educator and youth workers working with middle and high school students.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been dehydrating and making all sorts of edible powders from scratch lately (somewhat of a pioneer woman ..Ha!), this book attracted me so much!

You could learn many, many skills from the dozens of experts that this book has gleaned from. How about putting these expertise under your belt: gardening, well-being (making various concoctions for health and/or beauty), nature (such as how to keep a nature journal and how to identify animal tracks), food and drink, crafts, animals (such as how to speak, catch and bathe a chicken!) , sustainable living (such as how to make a water filter from a 2-liter bottle or harvest rainwater), building (such as how to build a fire pit for outdoor roasting.)

Many of the skills are not obscure at all. In fact, many of them can be useful from day to day. There are some though that I highly doubt I will ever need or want to use such as capture a swamp of bees!

I like that there are many photographs and illustrated step-by-step instructions.

Give this gift to someone who feels that they are lacking in any useful know-how or hobbies perhaps? Definitely give to a young person to learn something that they can brag about to their friends. Who knows it might spark enough interest for them to pursue lifelong hobbies.

Thank you Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on impulse at the library because I love learning new skills, and this book had a pleasing cover design. The pages are also beautifully designed. Unfortunately the visual design can't make up for the way it's organized and edited. The editors needed to learn the skill of information design. All the skills appear to have been thrown into a random order. Why would you place a spread about capturing a swarm of bees next to a spread about fixing a flat bike tire? Or how to move a cow, next to how to make a t-shirt quilt? It boggles the mind.

Other, better ways to organize this book:
1. Difficulty level/time involved
2. Subject matter
3. Era
4. Popularity
5. Region
6. Which book it came from originally

I also think the book should have set some clearer expectations that these are HOME AND GARDEN skills that your grandparents were familiar with. Nothing here seemed very modern to me. Are they trying to say that there aren't any more modern home-based skills worth learning?

This book also made me reflect on what a skill even is. What are the different levels of learning a skill and how much commitment is necessary? How do I fine tune the skills I already have? This book is best as a coffee table book to inspire conversation and hopefully motivate people to learn something new. But it's only the beginning, not an authoritative reference volume.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were certainly some interesting and useful skills in this book. Things such as how to tie a knot, how to identify a bird call, or how to make a raised garden bed.

But overall the book felt a bit like a bunch of wikihow entries strung together and printed out. With drawings instead of pictures there was often not a lot of detail in some of the guides. They were also typically one page, even for more complicated things, so a lot of information was jammed together and steps were not always as clear as I would have hoped. Especially when you can learn something online I was hoping this book would have information to offer that was not readily available on the internet.

There is also a lot in here that is not particularly relevant to my life, although I like being able to learn some of these skills just in case. I enjoyed the variety of skills listed in this book as some are truly obscure. There's a lot around animal husbandry and home repair.

Overall it might be a better fit for those always looking for new skills!

[Helen Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought some of the how tos in the book were great fun. Very resourceful and lots of skills for gardening, crafts, cooking, home repairs, nature - in that respect I could see myself trying out some of the things in the book.

It's definitely a useful reference book for anyone looking to go back to basics and find some resourceful skills.

Some skills were rather bizzar - obscure is definitely the right word! How to move a pig!

My only quarm with the book is in the section with suggestions of edible outdoor plants. The books suggests Chicken in the Woods - a type of mushroom - is edible and can be foraged for. However, my issue is that unless you're a fungi expert (the picker) I honestly don't think a book should be recommending (without caution) that anyone eats mushrooms from the wild. I feel even just a warning about the dangers of eating other mushrooms would be enough as some are deadly.

Other than this, I found this book to be a fun book to use as a reference and suggestion for possible projects.

I received this book as an ARC in return for an honest review.

[k2148 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storey’s Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills (214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do). By How-To Experts at Storey Publishing. 2020. Storey Publishing (ARC eBook).

An informative and entertaining how-to book. Interested in how to safely make an emergency dismount from a horse, how to pick up and carry a rabbit, or how to make toothpaste or shampoo? Clear directions with accompanying photographs and illustrations will teach you how to accomplish many tasks in your life to help you lead a self-sufficient lifestyle.

* Storey Publishing ARC via NetGalley

[Min · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book packed with mostly one- to two- page instructions for various activities that, I realized one I had finished, could mostly be linked back to homesteading. How to create a container garden, how to preserve fruits, or vegetable, how to milk a cow, or goat. How to recognize the butchered parts of a cow, or pig. How to field clear a deer...and it goes on. There are a few more random lessons such as belt making but it could definitely come in handy if one has a free hold.
I would have changed the title to better inform the prospective reader so it reaches its target audience. If one wants to gain a few obscure skills, it is certainly a book to do so.
As a city kid, I found most of it amusing.

[Amberwench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to see the short and fast version of over 200 Zombie Apocalypse/ Quarantine/ anti-social hobbies to decide if they are skills you want to pursue further? This is the book for you! 214 one or two page long instructions (with illustrations) of ALL SORTS of useful skills. Bathe a chicken! Make Biodiesel! Ferment veggies! Dismount a horse in a hurry (the book does point out your should practice this one while the horse is standing still)! In traditional DIY fashion, the skill sets lean toward rural and sustainable uses. Contains index sorted by type of skill (animals, building) as well as traditional, also has further reading with titles from which the skill excerpts were taken.

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book : 214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do

I really liked looking through this book -- at this point it was more looking because there wasn't anything I was needing to know at that exact moment. The format of the book is oversized on high quality paper with simple instructions and accompanying quality photos. The topics cover a wide range of topics with hunting, gardening, cooking, personal care items, sewing, landscaping, etc. (a little bit of everything).

My favorite entry was -- MOVE A COW.

[Cozy Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some interesting tips and how-to's. It's a fun book to flip through and learn some random stuff. Some of the informations that I liked the most were how to build a fire pit, smoke meat on the stove and how to predict the weather by the clouds. But there are lots of cool stuff to read and learn. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great tips and tricks in here! Many I already knew about or have books that go into more depth about the topic so I’m glad I got it at the library instead of purchasing, but it was worth my time to flip through and learn some new things as well as be reminded of some things about which I’d forgotten!

[Tera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a huge book that draws expertise from many other books about how to do things, some of which could be random. If you want to learn how to build a fire pit for cooking, or how to turn a terracotta pot into a smoker, that is included! I have learned how to jump start a car and how to identify common birds by how they sing.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distraction read. Lots of interesting practical skills contained within, most of which I would never follow through with. I will say that this book would be good to renew during planting/gardening season. Also, solid info on the many ways to unclog a drain or fix a continuously running toilet. Fun read.