Product Description

The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the only book that teaches all the skills needed to live independently in harmony with the land harnessing natural forms of energy, raising crops and keeping livestock, preserving foodstuffs, making beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, and much more. This new edition includes 150 new full color illustrations and a special section in which John Seymour the father of the back to basics movement explains the philosophy of self-sufficiency and its power to transform lives and create communities. More relevant than ever in our high-tech world, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the ultimate practical guide for realists and dreamers alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3624 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-17
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

Library Journal
"This book ... will appeal to those seeking simpler and environmentally responsible ways of living ..."

Sentinel
"John Seymour, self-sufficiency guru, offers a wealth of ideas to get you started."

About the Author
John Seymour is the author of over 40 books, including The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency, The Forgotten Arts and Crafts, and has made numerous movies and radio programs devoted to rural matters, self-sufficiency, and the environment.

Customer Reviews

A perfect source for dreaming of self-sufficiency
For those wishing to find an overview of what it means to live a self-sufficient life, look no further than this text. Engagingly written and bursting with relevant information, Seymour's volume covers just about every topic with the fundamental information you need to properly evaluate your current situation and plan for the future. It is sure to be well-worn and dogeared before too long.

Complete Overview
I was very impressed by the amount of information covered in this book. It is a very good overview of all topics pertaining to Self Sufficiency. I would recommend it to anyone considering this as a lifestyle or who is looking to make even a few changes. My only complaint is that some topics that interested me were not covered in as much detail as I would have liked but this book is still a wealth of information.

Simply perfect ... for beginners to intermediates.
REVIEWER: First up, consider that this review comes from a suburban guy who has his eye on country living. I would imagine if you are a seasoned farmer or off-grider then this book is not for you. Veterans will likely find this book too shallow on the virtually hundreds of topics it addresses.

SKILL LEVEL: However, if you are beginner to intermediate on topics of farming, gardening, livestock and all round back-to-basics living then this book is hands-down perfect. It deals with virtually every aspect of self-sufficient living in a concise, well illustrated manner. It's flat out makes me curious to try (put into practice) and to learn more about many of the different subjects contained within.

QUALITY: A great quality book (well printed, solidly bound). The layout and typography are excellent and illustrations are an excellent companion to the text.

CONCLUSION: This book is the culmination of decades of knowledge from a man who has lived his life as depicted in this book. It must be challenging to pack a lifetime into relatively so few pages (it's still a big book though!) but the "Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It" does a great job. It packs a lot of punch on a broad range of subjects and one must appreciate that because of this, it will at times feel a little skinny on specifics or in-depth information.

I'm rating this five stars because I believe that it communicates the subject matter perfectly to the audience for which it was intended.