Listmania!
So you want to get back to the land and start a homestead...
By an Amazon.com customer
The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe BookThe Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book by Carla Emery
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $29.05
One of the very best. Focuses on food production and preservation.
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-RelianceStorey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance by John Storey
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $18.49
Has a wide range of info from experts, and lots about home improvement and building things for the hobby farm.
Deliberate Life: The Ultimate Homesteading GuideDeliberate Life: The Ultimate Homesteading Guide by Nicole Faires
Buy new: $26.96
Step-by-step instructions on making everything you need to live comfortably, from scratch, and includes food production and preservation.
The New Complete Book of Self-SufficiencyThe New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour
Buy new: $28.50 / Used from: $39.31
Detailed plant info and essential info for designing and working a small homestead.
Country Women: A Handbook for the New FarmerCountry Women: A Handbook for the New Farmer by Jeanne Tetrault
Buy used from: $5.21
Beautiful illustrated manual written by women for women on all aspects of homesteading, with interesting history.
Country Wisdom & Know-HowCountry Wisdom & Know-How by The Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Boards
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $9.39
In-depth guide to all homesteading topics with lots of recipes.
The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, MoonshiningThe Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining by Inc. Foxfire Fund
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $1.36
The first one is the best, but having the whole set is even better.
Backwoods Home Magazine: Best of the First Two YearsBackwoods Home Magazine: Best of the First Two Years
Buy used from: $19.99
One of the best homesteading magazines in America, with a survivalist bent.
The Countryside Book of Farming LoreThe Countryside Book of Farming Lore by Countryside Magazine Editors
Buy used from: $4.95
Countryside is an awesome magazine for small farmers and homesteaders.
Mother Earth News Archive CD Vol. 1 (Issues # 1-60)Mother Earth News Archive CD Vol. 1 (Issues # 1-60)
Read these to catch the idealism of the 60's.
The Millennium Whole Earth CatalogThe Millennium Whole Earth Catalog
Buy used from: $2.44
Wonderful resources to change your life and your attitudes, including a section on agriculture and homeschooling.
The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook: A Home ManualThe Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual by James Green
Buy new: $15.61 / Used from: $11.49
Extremely in-depth manual on making herbal medicines.
The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green PhilosophyThe Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka
Buy used from: $32.00
Groundbreaking book by experimental farmer Masanobu Fukuoka and his utopian farm in Japan.
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic FermentationPreserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation by The Gardeners and Farmers of Centre Terre Vivante
Buy new: $16.50 / Used from: $16.36
Preservation of food without electricity should be a vital part of every homestead.
Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up & Maintain a Worm Composting SystemWorms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up & Maintain a Worm Composting System by Mary Appelhof
Buy used from: $8.50
This is classic reading that everyone should have.
The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third EditionThe Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Third Edition by Joseph C. Jenkins
Buy new: $16.50 / Used from: $16.23
This is the revised edition which has some better information on how to really kill the bacteria in your humanure.
The Self-Sufficient GardenerThe Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour
Buy used from: $6.12
Wonderful plant illustrations and information.
The Contrary Farmer (Real Goods Independent Living Book)The Contrary Farmer (Real Goods Independent Living Book) by Gene Logsdon
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $9.65
An inspirational book for those wanting to get into small farming by another homesteading hero, Gene Logsdon.
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition (Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills)Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition (Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills)
Buy new: $13.66 / Used from: $13.36
One of the first country living books I ever read. Lots of good illustrations.
How to have a green thumb without an aching back: A new method of mulch gardeningHow to have a green thumb without an aching back: A new method of mulch gardening by Ruth Stout
Buy used from: $80.99
A must read for organic gardeners who struggle with weeds. Note to self: Get this book.
Little House 9 Book Box Set (Little House)Little House 9 Book Box Set (Little House) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Buy new: $37.79 / Used from: $30.98
Not only fun to read but also wonderful practical information on the way things were done.
Sarah Ban Breathnach's Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations Of Comfort & JoySarah Ban Breathnach's Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations Of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Buy used from: $2.75
This is an under-recognized book that teaches you how to carry on old and forgotten traditions for holidays and seasons.
The Private World of Tasha TudorThe Private World of Tasha Tudor by Richard Brown
Buy used from: $25.99
Tasha Tudor is one of those people you wish you had in your own life.
Tasha Tudor's Heirloom CraftsTasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts by Tovah Martin
Buy new: $16.50 / Used from: $48.84
These aren't just 'crafts' these are handmade toys and other items that could come straight out of the 1800's.
The Art of Shen Ku: The Ultimate Traveler's Guide : The First Intergalactic Artform of the Entire UniverseThe Art of Shen Ku: The Ultimate Traveler's Guide : The First Intergalactic Artform of the Entire Universe by Zeek
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $8.46
Crazy book of how to do everything cool.